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Congress propels to emerge key challenger in Telangana

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The Congress, which appeared to be trailing in Telangana at the third position a couple of months ago with the morale of party cadres at its lowest, now seems to have catapulted to be the key challenger to ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The victory of Congress in neighbouring Karnataka and subsequent developments clearly indicate that the grand-old-party is pumped up to project itself as the alternative to Chief Minister KCR-led BRS.

After failing to capture power twice despite claiming credit for carving out Telangana state, the Congress party this time appears more confident.

Political analysts say the win in Karnataka has given the much needed boost to the Congress in Telangana.

In just one shot, it seems to have recovered from the shock of defections by a dozen MLAs soon after the 2018 polls, poor performance in all the Assembly by-elections and the infighting.

The Karnataka victory came at a time when Congress was looking down and out in Telangana due to the emergence of an aggressive BJP, which was projecting itself as the only viable alternative to the BRS.

The success of Congress in attracting a few leaders from the ruling party and the massive public response to the July 2 public meeting of Rahul Gandhi in Khammam are the other indicators of growing importance of the party in the state.

With just 4-5 months left for the polls, the Congress has suddenly emerged as the key challenger in the race for power, pushing BJP to third position.

Realising the importance of winning Telangana, the central leadership is also focusing on the state.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun kharge and other top leaders held a key meeting recently to discuss the strategy.

With promises on the lines of five guarantees given in Karnataka, the Congress is looking to further consolidate its position.

As part of this, Rahul Gandhi announced at the Khammam meeting that if voted to power Congress will pay Rs 4,000 monthly pension to widows, senior citizens and other beneficiaries.

This is almost double the pension BRS government is currently giving. That the Congress party is upbeat was evident from Rahul Gandhi’s confident tone at the Khammam meeting titled ‘Telangana Jana Garjana’ (Roar of Telangana people).

With this public meeting, the Congress leader sounded the bugle for the Assembly elections due to be held later this year.

The huge response lifted the spirit of the party cadre in the state and gave it the confidence that it can give BRS a run for its money.

This was the first major show of strength by the Congress in Telangana after its victory in Karnataka elections.

The state Congress leaders claimed that the Congress cadre is rejuvenated, enthused and buoyant after the massive success of the Khammam rally.

Rahul Gandhi boosted the morale of the party by declaring that BJP is longer in the race in Telangana and that the direct fight will be between Congress and BRS. Karnataka will be repeated in Telangana, he thundered.

Political analysts say while the momentum shifted towards Congress after its victory in Telangana, the party has made a good beginning to build on this momentum.

“Congress sees an opportunity in Telangana and it is trying to make full use of this,” said political analyst Palwai Raghavendra Reddy.

The meeting was not only to induct former MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy into the Congress but also marked the culmination of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s padyatra.

The Congress has shown that despite defeats in 2014 and 2018 polls, defections, poor performance in Assembly by-elections and elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the infighting, it remains a strong force in the state.

Unlike BJP whose presence is confined to few districts, Congress still has a strong presence across the state. The grand-old-party got a big boost recently when 35 leaders from BRS, including former Khammam MP Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao decided to join Congress.

The Congress, which was hoping to politically benefit in Telangana by claiming credit for delivering a separate state, had lost the initiative to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (now BRS).

In the 119-member Assembly, the Congress could win 21 seats while TRS formed the first government in the new state.

Of the 7 Lok Sabha seats, Congress could win just two. Defections of some MLAs and resignation of several senior leaders to join TRS had further weakened the party. The slide continued for the Congress in 2018.

Despite an alliance with Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Left and other small parties, Congress could win only 19 Assembly seats while TRS retained power by increasing its tally from 63 to 88.

The Congress could not keep its flock together as a dozen MLAs defected to TRS a few months later. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress managed to win three seats.

However, the party’s performance was disastrous in Assembly by-elections during the last four years as it failed to win a single seat.

However, the Karnataka outcome and subsequent developments hint at the reversal of the party’s fortunes in the state.

The Congress leaders claim that the manner in which BRS “distorted” statements of state party chief A. Revanth Reddy over free electricity to farmers show that the ruling party fears defeat in the coming elections.

Alleging that Revanth Reddy opposed free power to farmers, BRS called for a state-wide protest for two days.

The TPCC chief clarified that during his speech at a meeting in the United States, he was highlighting how KCR was misleading people by claiming to provide 24-hour power to farmers.

Hitting back at BRS, the Congress also called for protests at power substations. Its leaders dared BRS to prove that they are supplying round-the-clock power to farmers.

The Congress alleged that BRS is spreading lies by distorting the statement of Revanth Reddy to mislead people.

“It is clear that BRS is scared due to the rising graph of the Congress party in Telangana,” said AICC in charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakare.

“The BRS leaders have realized that ground is slipping under their feet and hence they are spreading these lies,” he said.

Claiming that the Congress stands for the welfare of farmers, he said the party would promise 24-hour free electricity.

Recalling that their leader Rahul Gandhi had released farmers’ declaration in Telangana, he said the Congress would do more for farmers than what BRS claims to be doing.

The Congress is looking to further bolster its campaign by inviting party leader Priyanka Gandhi to hold another big public meeting.

This time the meeting is proposed to be held at Nagarkurnool in undivided Mahabubnagar district.

Former minister Jupally Krishna Rao and several other BRS leaders are likely to join Congress at this public meeting.

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LS Speaker reprimands Sonia Gandhi over Waqf bill ‘bulldozed’ remarks

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New Delhi, April 4: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday reprimanded former Congress president Sonia Gandhi over her remarks that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was bulldozed through the Parliament.

Taking strong objection to her claims of Waqf Bill passed ‘forcefully’ in the House, Om Birla termed the comments as ‘unfortunate’ and said that the allegations by senior Congress member was a violation of the democratic norms of the Parliament.

The Speaker noted that the bill was discussed for 13 hours and 53 minutes, with every party participating in the debate and followed by three rounds of voting but despite that Congress member was making such allegations.

“Three rounds of voting were conducted, and the Bill was passed according to the rules of the House. It is unfortunate that, despite following all the parliamentary procedures, such allegations are being made. This is not in line with the democratic norms of Parliament,” Speaker said.

Om Birla’s objection to Sonia’s claims of Waqf bill ‘bulldozed through’ the Parliament came after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the matter in Lok Sabha today.

Rijiju, alluding to Congress RS MP Sonia Gandhi, said that extensive discussions took place in both the Houses over the Waqf bill, still the Opposition was making ‘baseless and absurd’ claims that the bill was passed with force.

He also demanded that the Speaker issues an “appropriate order” in response to these remarks.

Rijiju also highlighted that the Waqf reform debate broke the previous record of longest discussion in the Rajya Sabha.

“The previous record for a long discussion in the Rajya Sabha was during the ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) discussion in 1981, which lasted for 16 hours and 51 minutes. Yesterday, this record was broken with a 17-hour and 2-minute discussion, making it the longest debate so far,” he informed the House.

A day ago, after Lok Sabha passed the Waqf Bill after marathon debate, Sonia Gandhi made her displeasure over the amendments known to party leaders, while addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meet yesterday. She stated that the bill was bulldozed through the House and termed it a brazen assault on the Constitution.

“Yesterday, the Wakf Amendment Bill, 2024 was passed in the Lok Sabha and today it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was in effect bulldozed through. Our party’s position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself,” she said.

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After passage from Parliament, Waqf Bill awaits President’s nod: Details here

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New Delhi, April 4: The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in the wee hours of Friday after a marathon debate, involving heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches. The Upper House debated the bill for nearly 14 hours and then cleared it with 128 votes in favour and 95 against.

The legislation was earlier cleared by the Lok Sabha after nearly 12 hours debate, with 288 votes in favour and 232 against.

With this, both the Houses have cleared the decks for amendments in the Waqf Bill of 1995 and repealing the Mussalman Wakf Act of 1923.

The next course of action is the Presidential assent for the bill, following which it will turn into a law.

The Bill will be sent to President Droupadi Murmu soon and her approval will pave the way for amending the 1995 laws, governing Waqf properties.

According to a leading portal, the government is expecting a smaller window for the approval, unlike the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The NDA government, which is projecting the Waqf Amendment Bill as one of key milestone decision in first year of Modi 3.0 is expected to notify it for implementation, soon after getting President’s nod.

Interestingly, one of the major highlights of Rajya Sabha voting last night, was Biju Janata Dal (BJD)’s stand on the contentious bill.

As per the numbers of NDA and INDIA bloc, the bill was expected to sail through in Rajya Sabha but with a lower margin as compared to Lok Sabha. NDA was expected to get support of 123 MPs but ended up securing 128 votes in favour while INDIA bloc ended at 95 (as against expected figure of 98).

Hours before the voting, Naveen Patknaik-led BJD opened the gates for “conscience vote’, telling its 7 MPs that they would not be bound by a whip and could vote for whichever side they wanted.

Some BJD MPs cross-voted in favour of NDA, there bettering its tally than earlier expected. A total of 119 votes was needed for the bill to get through but BJP’s efficient floor management helped it secure 128 votes.

Meanwhile, Congress has stated that it will challenge the constitutionality of the Waqf legislation in the Supreme Court.

“The INC will very soon be challenging in the Supreme Court the constitutionality of the Wakf (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” he wrote in a post on X.

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Congress MP Imran Masood calls for banning liquor during Navratri

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Saharanpur, March 29: Congress lawmaker Imran Masood said on Saturday that not just meat shops, liquor establishments should be shut during the nine-day festival of Navratri and called for embracing and promoting the spirit of brotherhood and communal harmony.

“Everybody is demanding a ban on meat shops during Navratri. Why is no one asking for a ban on liquor shops? Why is there no outpouring on the free flow of liquor during Navratri? Will this not spoil the purity and sanctity of the festival?” Saharanpur MP said in a special interaction with media.

The Congress Parliamentarian said that peaceful celebration supersedes everything, and it is incumbent upon all communities to maintain decorum during festivities and also make certain sacrifices, be it Eid or Navratri.

Notably, Eid-ul-Fitr and Navratri are coinciding on the same day this year. Both festivals are set to fall on Monday, with little possibility of change in the Eid schedule on account of moon sighting.

Days ago, the Congress MP also extended support to the demands of a meat ban during Navratri celebrations. In an apparent message to the Muslim community, he said that nothing would change if one did not eat meat for ten days.

“What matters above everything is the peaceful co-existence of communities. At no point in time, the differences over food preferences lead to communal strife,” Masood told newspersons.

Congress MP, when asked questions on the party’s strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, said that the Opposition is fully prepared to take on the Centre on “partisan legislation”.

“We opposed the amendments in the JPC meeting, tooth and nail. We will strongly voice our dissent in Parliament too,” he said.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Waqf Bill will not be delayed any further and will be reintroduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.

Only four working days of the Budget Session are left, as it concludes on April 4.

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