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Rahul on campaign trail: Gujarat a fight between truth and falsehood, truth on our side

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9 years ago

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Rahul on campaign trail: Gujarat a fight between truth and falsehood, truth on our side

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Rahul Gandhi launches all out attack at PM Narendra Modi, BJP on last day of his 3-day Saurashtra campaign, set to meet Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani

On the last day of his three-day-long election campaign in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, launched an all out attack against the incumbent BJP government of the poll-bound state and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attacking the saffron party for spreading falsehoods while asserting that his party would win with the truth on its side.

“This is a fight between truth and falsehood. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has the police, the Army as well as the government in Gujarat, Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa and many other states. However, despite of all this, the Congress is going to win the Gujarat elections because we have truth on our side,” Rahul said while addressing a public meeting in Pardi district.

Joining the campaign trail and his party’s the ongoing Gujarat Navsarjan Yatra on Friday, after a brief absence caused by his emergency visit to Rae Bareli to take stock of the aftermath of the NTPC boiler explosion incident which claimed 29 lives in his mother’s Lok Sabha constituency earlier this week, the Congress vice president held no punches while attacking the BJP.

“Gujarat’s truth is youth unemployment, farmers’ helplessness, expensive private education, expensive medical care, corruption in every field, land stealing, bullets on Patidar, sticks on Dalits in Una, and hunger of Adivasis. However, the BJP’s truth is their relation with 5-10 high profile industrialists who use money, electricity, water, and land of the Gujarat public,” Rahul alleged while addressing the electorate at different venue across South Gujarat.
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A day after the Congress party’s efforts to convince Patidar Andolan leader Hardik Patel to endorse their bid for power in the state paid off, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi is, on Fridayevening, set to meet Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, with the obvious hope that he too would back the grand old party in the state where the BJP has ruled for 22 consecutive years.

Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state, is expected to discuss the demands of his community when he meets Rahul in Navsari. If Rahul’s assurances to Mevani are in line with the latter’s expectations, then the Dalit leader could rally his massive army of supporters behind the Congress, giving the party a huge boost in its battle for Gujarat. The Congress has already roped in OBC leader Alpesh Thakore within its ranks.

The troika of Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakore – representing a huge votebank of Patidars, Dalits and OBCs respectively – present a formidable electoral challenge to the BJP in Gujarat and if all of them openly back the Congress, the endorsement could prove to be a game-changer in the poll-bound state where BJP is currently projected to register another win.
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Reiterating his attack against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Tata Nano project – the project was re-located from West Bengal to Gujarat when Modi was Gujarat chief minister – Rahul said: “The BJP’s truth is the amount of Rs. 33,000 crore, given to Tata for Nano cars. I haven’t seen a single Nano in the past 10-15 days. I’ve been looking for one, but couldn’t find it.”

“The Congress had provided employment to crores of people in the same amount of money through MNREGA,” Rahul said at another rally.

Addressing farmers in Valsad, the Nehru-Gandhi scion who is leading his party’s charge against the BJP in Gujarat raked up the issue of land acquisition for industrial corridors by the state government, alleging that this was “the biggest corruption” perpetrated by the saffron party in the state.

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In a move, albeit only a formality, that is clearly aimed at giving Rahul Gandhi a much clearer and enhanced political profile in the run up to the high-stakes Gujarat elections (due in two phases scheduled for December 9 and 14), the Congress party could elevate the Nehru-Gandhi scion as party president by November-end.

Rahul’s elevation as Congress president has been a foregone conclusion ever since he joined the party but its actual implementation has been hastened in recent months due to an order expected from the Election Commission by December-end in a petition filed before the poll panel seeking organizational elections within the Congress.

With Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s poor health and frequent visits to hospitals becoming a cause for speculation on how long she can actively play the role of party chief, Congress sources say this is perhaps the best time for Rahul to replace his mother as head of the grand-old party.

“Elevating Rahul as Congress president before Gujarat goes to polls will give him a much larger political profile and is likely to play out well before the electorate as his image of a reluctant politician which was created by the BJP has now changed to one of a combative leader who can talk about the people and take on Narendra Modi. A string section within the party believes that there is now point in delaying the inevitable and that Rahul should be elevated as Congress president before the Gujarat polls,” a senior AICC general secretary told APNLive.

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Stressing that his party, if voted to power in Gujarat, would change the land acquisition laws in the state, Rahul said the incumbent state government under chief minister Vijay Rupani was “snatching away” the land of the poor and giving it to rich industrialists.

Farmers who have lost their land or have received notices for land acquisition had come to meet Rahul during the Valsad meeting. Most of these farmers claimed that their lands were being taken without consent for projects like the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), Vapi-Vadodara Express way, and the Mumbai-Ahmadabad bullet train – a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rahul reminded the farmers of the Land Acquisition Act passed by the UPA government and stressed that the legislation was meant to empower farmers and make the acquisition process more transparent was opposed by the BJP at the Centre and that Modi, after becoming prime minister “tried to change the Land Acquisition Act thrice due to pressure from businessmen.

“If the panchayat opposes, no one can take an acre of land. We had made provisions that if land is acquired then the compensation should be four times… If our government comes to power in Gujarat we will not allow land to be taken without your permission,” Rahul announced.

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Congress to challenge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination rejection in Madhya Pradesh High Court

Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan has announced that the party will challenge the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, alleging the decision was legally flawed and that the Election Commission failed to follow a consistent approach.

Published

13 hours ago

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July 7, 2026

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The Congress is preparing to challenge the rejection of senior leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, shifting the dispute from the political arena to the legal forum.

Weeks after her nomination was rejected ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the former Member of Parliament asserted that the decision was not the result of any lapse by Congress leaders, legal experts or those involved in preparing the nomination papers. Instead, she claimed the rejection was based on an incorrect legal interpretation.

Congress to file election petition

Natarajan said the party would file an election petition within the prescribed time and contest the entire process before the High Court. She also alleged that a deliberate narrative was created to portray the rejection as a consequence of negligence within the Congress, thereby diverting attention from the Election Commission’s role.

According to her, the Returning Officer rejected her nomination citing non-disclosure of information related to a pending case. However, she argued that Form-26, which candidates are required to submit along with their nomination papers, does not contain any specific provision requiring disclosure of such information.

Natarajan said she has contested multiple elections in the past and maintained that experienced legal experts within the Congress have handled nomination papers for years, making such an oversight highly unlikely.

Questions raised over Election Commission’s approach

The Congress leader also questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the matter, alleging that it failed to apply uniform standards in similar cases.

She referred to the case of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand, claiming he was given 24 hours to rectify issues in his nomination papers, whereas she was not provided a similar opportunity. According to Natarajan, the differing treatment raises concerns about consistency in the poll body’s decision-making process.

Congress sources said the party’s legal cell is preparing the election petition under the guidance of senior lawyers. The dispute had earlier reached the Election Commission and subsequently the Supreme Court, but the party will now pursue the legal remedy available after the election process through the High Court.

The Congress has also alleged that the Election Commission did not act impartially during the proceedings. Party leaders claimed senior Congress representatives and lawyers reached the poll body on time to present their arguments, but the proceedings were delayed. They further alleged that the Election Commission had the authority to overturn the Returning Officer’s decision but chose not to intervene.

BJP rejects Congress allegations

The Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the Congress’ allegations, attributing the controversy to internal issues within the opposition party.

BJP state spokesperson Ajay Yadav said the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination was the result of internal infighting in the Congress. He also claimed that the senior leader had been sidelined within her party and suggested that the Congress should introspect instead of blaming the Election Commission.

Natarajan, however, rejected claims that the Congress was responsible for any lapse leading to the rejection of her nomination.

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Latest Politics News

Punjab Congress faction games hold up who will lead party as poll approaches

The Congress leadership is expected to finalize the new Punjab Congress chief soon as factions oppose Amarinder Singh Raja Warring continuance as chief.

Published

3 days ago

on

July 4, 2026

By

mallikarjun-kharge

The Congress leadership is likely to decide the name of a new Punjab Pradesh Congress Comittee (PPCC) president in light of the growing factional differences emerging within the party state unit.

The decision by party president Mallikarjun Kharge on choosing the head of the state unit is likely to be finalized after he takes note of other senior leaders’ opinions on the matter, as differences over the continuation of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as PPCC president has led to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi pitching his hat in the ring.

The leadership crisis has reflected the diverging interests of opposing factions in the Punjab Congress. Channi has the backing of several party leaders including Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Darshan Singh Brar, and Nazar Singh Manshahia, among other supporters of Channi, while another faction is supporting incumbent chief Warring.

The Congress needs to stem the crisis soon since the state is headed for elections next year as the term of the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government winds down. Many in the party have said that having a widely accepted state leader can strengthen the organizational structure.

The delay in decision-making has caused speculation with some senior leaders meeting BJP heavyweights in Delhi. Though these leaders have dismissed any rumours of switching sides, the strain among the factions is telling on party unity. But given the way several Rajya Sabha MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party switched to the BJP, nothing can be ruled out as election fever picks up.

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Congress MP Manish Tewari says terror must end before India-Pakistan dialogue resumes

Congress MP Manish Tewari has questioned calls to restart India-Pakistan dialogue, arguing that meaningful talks cannot resume until Pakistan takes verifiable action against terrorism.

Published

5 days ago

on

July 3, 2026

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Congress MP says decades of peace initiatives have repeatedly been followed by terror attacks and calls for verifiable action against terrorism before any engagement

Congress MP Manish Tewari has questioned renewed calls to resume dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying any discussion with Islamabad must first address the issue of cross-border terrorism. Responding to an appeal by 117 eminent personalities from both countries seeking the restoration of diplomatic engagement, Tewari asked whether such talks could be meaningful without concrete action against terror infrastructure.

Speaking on Friday, the Congress leader said successive Indian governments had consistently attempted to improve relations with Pakistan, but those efforts were repeatedly undermined by terrorist attacks.

According to Tewari, governments led by P.V. Narasimha Rao, H.D. Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all pursued dialogue with Pakistan through formal negotiations or backchannel diplomacy. However, he claimed that each attempt was followed by acts of terrorism.

Calls for proof of dismantling terror infrastructure

Tewari said the key issue was whether Pakistan had provided any verifiable assurance that it had dismantled its terror infrastructure.

Referring to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, he said a public commitment had been made after the Parliament attack to act against terrorism, but the assurance was later withdrawn. He added that similar commitments made during the tenures of former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi also failed to produce lasting results.

Questioning the appeal for renewed engagement, Tewari said those advocating talks should clarify what specific issues they intended to discuss while the threat of terrorism remained unresolved.

References Pahalgam terror attack and Indus Waters Treaty

The Congress MP also referred to the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, saying it further reinforced India’s concerns regarding terrorism.

He noted that India’s position became even more firm following the attack, pointing to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as part of the government’s response.

Commenting on the timing of the letter seeking renewed dialogue, Tewari said India had consistently maintained that terrorism and bilateral talks could not proceed simultaneously. He also reiterated the government’s position that it would not differentiate between terrorists and those responsible for directing such attacks.

Peace remains desirable, but security comes first

While acknowledging that millions of people across South Asia aspire for lasting peace, Tewari argued that meaningful dialogue was not possible as long as terrorism remained a continuing threat.

He said India must first receive credible assurances from Pakistan, beginning with an end to the export of terrorism, before considering any resumption of diplomatic engagement.

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