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Rahul Gandhi promises guaranteed minimum income to poor if voted to power

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Rahul Gandhi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In a move that anticipates the announcement Modi government was possibly going to make in the forthcoming budget or around that time, Congress president Rahul Gandhi today (Monday, Jan 28) said that if voted to power, his party will ensure a Minimum Income Guarantee to every poor person in India.

Gandhi made the announcement at the ‘Kisaan Abhaar Sammelan’ held in Chhattisgarh to express gratitude to people, particularly farmers, for voting the party to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers &amp; sisters suffer the scourge of poverty. <br><br>If voted to power in 2019, the Congress is committed to a Minimum Income Guarantee for every poor person, to help eradicate poverty &amp; hunger. <br><br>This is our vision &amp; our promise.</p>&mdash; Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href=”https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1089854868175638528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>January 28, 2019</a></blockquote>

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Gandhi prefaced his announcement by saying no country in the world has such a scheme (although countries like US have the system of social security) and that the Congress has delivered on its previous poll promises, quoting revolutionary programmes such as MGNREGA and RTI among others.

“This means, each poor person in India will have minimum income. This means there will be no hungry, poor people in India… This is our vision and our promise,” he added.

“We cannot build a new India while millions of our brothers and sisters suffer the scourge of poverty,” he added.

The idea takes forward the UPA government’s MNREGA, the rural employment guarantee scheme that ensured 100 days’ job to every person.

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of trying to create two Indias — “one of the Rafale scam, Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and the other of the poor farmers”.

Gandhi also distributed symbolic loan waiver certificates to some of the beneficiary farmers. The Congress has waived loans for farmers from cooperative and state-run banks worth above Rs 6,100 crore after coming to power in the state.

The Congress chief had ended the last week on a high, announcing the entry of his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into active politics from eastern Uttar Pradesh, which would pitch her against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his constituency Varanasi, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from his home turf Gorakhpur.

The Congress, Gandhi had said at the time, “will not play on the backfoot”.

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Maharashtra MLC Polls: MVA finalizes 15 seats, tussle remains over two key constituencies

The Maha Vikas Aghadi has ironed out differences across 15 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats, leaving Nashik and Nanded as the final points of contention between Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

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The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), has successfully reached a seat-sharing understanding for 15 out of 17 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. While a major breakthrough has been achieved, the alliance is currently witnessing a stalemate over Nashik and Nanded, as multiple constituent partners assert their presence in these regions.

According to sources, the distribution plan was designed to prevent internal rifts by respecting the geographic and organizational strongholds of each party.

Congress secures maximum share of seats

Under the initial draft layout, Congress has come out as the largest stakeholder with seven seats in its quota. The party has been assigned constituencies across northern Maharashtra, western Maharashtra, and Vidarbha, where its ground-level network remains sturdy.

The locations likely allocated to Congress feature Solapur, Chandrapur, Yavatmal, Bhandara, Dharashiv, Amravati, and Ahilyanagar. To gear up for the electoral challenge, state party president Harshvardhan Sapkal has already designated senior leaders to observe and coordinate at the constituency level.

Five seats assigned to Uddhav Thackeray faction

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has been allotted five seats under the proposed arrangement, focusing its reach on the Konkan region and Marathwada. The seats projected for the party encompass Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon, Hingoli, Raigad, and Parbhani.

Concurrently, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction is expected to field its candidates from three constituencies: Thane, Pune, and the joint Satara-Sangli seat. Even though Thane has been known as a core stronghold of the traditional Shiv Sena, evolving dynamics inside state politics led to this assignment during discussions.

Stalemate over two key constituencies

Despite finding common ground on most locations, Nashik and Nanded continue to be sources of disagreement. Media reports show that both Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) want the Nashik seat, pointing to their local machinery. On the other hand, Nanded has traditionally stayed a bastion for Congress, but shifting political landscapes have led to claims from alliance partners too.

Leaders from the opposition have stressed that their core objective is to challenge the ruling Mahayuti coalition and prevent votes from splitting through friendly contests. Senior members are expected to hold more rounds of talks over the coming days to untangle the deadlock.

Ruling alliance formula takes shape

Sources close to the matter suggest that the ruling Mahayuti coalition has also neared completion of its election blueprint. Under their anticipated plan, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction might contest Pune and Raigad, whereas the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is tipped to take over Nashik, Thane, Parbhani, and Yavatmal. The remaining council seats are expected to be contested by the BJP.

Political experts are keeping a sharp watch on prospective inner rebellion inside the ruling camp, especially in regions like Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where disgruntled figures might look to explore options alongside independent candidates.

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Siddaramaiah to step down as Karnataka Chief Minister, names DK Shivakumar as successor

In a major political development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced his decision to step down, clearing the path for his deputy, DK Shivakumar, to assume leadership.

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Bringing the curtain down on a long-standing leadership dispute within the state ruling party, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Thursday morning that he will resign from his post. The significant announcement was made during a breakfast meeting hosted at his official residence, ‘Kaveri’, in Bengaluru, where senior cabinet ministers and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were present.

Siddaramaiah informed his cabinet colleagues that he will formally tender his resignation at 3:00 PM. He further requested the ministers to extend their support to DK Shivakumar, declaring him as the next Chief Minister of the state.

A graceful transition of power

The breakfast meeting, which featured traditional Kannada dishes like masala dosa, idli, and kesaribath, served as a poignant farewell from the veteran leader who recently completed three years of his second term in office. Ministers present at the gathering described the atmosphere as emotional yet graceful. While some cabinet members broke down in tears following the announcement, Siddaramaiah remained poised, expressing his gratitude to the team for their cooperation during his tenure.

Ahead of the formal discussions, the two top leaders displayed a strong message of camaraderie and unity. Images released from the residence showed DK Shivakumar touching the Chief Minister’s feet to seek his blessings, followed by a warm embrace between the duo. Following the meeting, the state party unit shared these images on social media with a caption emphasizing that unity remains their core strength and public service their eternal commitment.

High command intervention ends long-standing dispute

The decision follows 48 hours of intense consultations in New Delhi with the party’s central leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Media reports indicate that the party high command actively facilitated the transition, offering the outgoing Chief Minister a national role, which includes a Rajya Sabha seat.

As the Governor is currently out of the state on personal matters, Siddaramaiah is expected to hand over his resignation letter to the Governor’s secretary at Raj Bhavan. Following the formal acceptance of the resignation, a Legislature Party meeting will be convened to officially elect Shivakumar as the new leader before the scheduled swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, celebrations have already erupted outside Shivakumar’s residence, where supporters gathered to distribute sweets and chant slogans welcoming his upcoming elevation.

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Siddaramaiah not interested in taking Rajya Sabha post, say sources

Sources reveal that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has turned down an offer for a Rajya Sabha seat, preferring to remain active as an MLA in state politics despite leadership transition talks by the Congress high command.

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The political landscape in Karnataka is witnessing intense developments as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reportedly expressed his unwillingness to accept a Rajya Sabha berth or transition into a national role in New Delhi. According to sources familiar with the discussions, the veteran leader prefers to remain active within state politics and continue his tenure as an MLA rather than shifting his focus to the national capital.

High command pushes for transition

This revelation comes on the heels of marathon high-level meetings convened by the Congress leadership in Delhi to address the ongoing leadership discussions in Karnataka. Insiders state that the party central leadership has backed Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to take over the top post, in line with internal understandings following the 2023 assembly elections.

To facilitate a smooth leadership transition in the state, the high command offered Siddaramaiah a parliamentary seat in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections alongside a prominent national role. However, sources indicate that the Chief Minister has rejected this proposal and requested more time to deliberate on his next steps.

Official stance downplays leadership shift

Publicly, senior party leaders have sought to quell rumors regarding an immediate change of guard. Following a lengthy deliberation at the party headquarters, General Secretary K.C. Venugopal stated to the media that the discussions were exclusively centered around selecting candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council seats in Karnataka. He dismissed reports of an imminent chief ministerial swap as mere speculation.

Siddaramaiah also echoed this sentiment when questioned by journalists, emphatically denying that any leadership changes were debated during the official meeting. Despite these denials, political circles remain abuzz, as the Chief Minister has reportedly met with cabinet ministers and loyalists to discuss the evolving situation before returning to Bengaluru.

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