Indian Congress Party

Imagine a Narendra Modi vs Priyanka Gandhi contest for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. It would have been the mother of all election battles, and would have put everything and everyone else in the shade. It would have electrified the nation and riveted the attention of the world.

Priyanka Gandhi is reliably learned to have been very keen to be the Congress candidate in the holy city. But the party leadership finally decided against fielding her.

Priyanka, who has so far limited her political responsibilities to managing her brother and mother's Lok Sabha campaigns in Rae Bareli and Amethi, is believed to have made a strong pitch to contest because she felt Modi was "bad for the country" and needed to be "stopped".

Apart from perhaps tying up Modi in Varanasi and forcing him to curtail his national campaign, Priyanka's entry would have charged up the rank and file of the Congress at a time when a number of ministers and leaders were reluctant to fight elections of fear of losing (one senior Cabinet member is reported to have feared a rout). The fact that she was willing to place 'a higher principle' above a real risk of defeat would have sent out a strong and defiant message to the demoralized troops, and hopefully, the entire electorate, Congress insiders said.

"Even if She'd lost, the results would have been only known after the elections. But it would have come as a huge booster before. It was very courageous of her. That's something Senior Congressmen who've run away from contesting didn't understand," said a party manager.

Senior Partymen said the decision to not field Priyanka was driven by the logic of preferring a 'local' to take on Modi the 'outsider'.
But there may have been other reasons too:

* The estimate that Priyanka's presence in Varanasi would have accorded Modi "too much importance";

* The fear that defeat of one of the three Gandhis might have dimmed the 'halo' around them;

* It would almost certainly have exposed Priyanka to attacks from Modi and the BJP on account of her husband Robert Vadra's alleged ties with real estate giant DLF and brought some of his other reported land deals under the microscope;

* Most of all, it would have diverted attention from Rahul and his campaign, and raised questions as to whether Priyanka's entry was an implicit acknowledgement of her brother's lacklustre leadership. There might have been some apprehension that Priyanka, by the force of her personality, would have greater gravitational pull than Rahul. She has been variously described by those who know her as "charming, charismatic and connected"; her political instincts are also said to be sharp, and she can work a crowd. The 41-year-old Priyanka's entry could have undermined Rahul's authority not long after he'd been officially anointed future leader.

For Priyanka, who is said to be very close to her one-year-older brother, the reason for wanting to contest in Varanasi was never to position herself as an alternative to Rahul, but to "fight the good fight", according to an insider. "She has no larger ambition to lead the Congress," he added.

Still, her desire to take the field against Modi is significant because it's in stark contrast to the continuing perception of Rahul being a reluctant politician, and because it shows that the younger sibling may not be averse to broadening her political interests behind the family boroughs of Rae Bareli and Amethi. For a long time now, there has been a subterranean demand, 'Priyanka lao, Congress bachao', which periodically finds public voice.

One of the reasons the Congress delayed naming a candidate for Varanasi was because it was weighing the possibility of naming Priyanka. But the actual decision against fielding her was taken some days before Tuesday's announcement of local MLA Ajay Rai as candidate for the Congress; the last few days were spent seeking a tacit understanding with SP and BSP for complicating Modi's job in Varanasi.

Significantly, early this month, in perhaps the strongest push yet for bringing Priyanka to the forefront of the Congress, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said that Rajiv Gandhi spoke to him about his daughter's political aptitude way back in 1990. The question is: Was Dwivedi aware of the secret confabulations and was he trying to test the waters?

While promising to reveal details in due course, Dwivedi said, "As far as I know, her (Priyanka) interest in politics started at an early age. She was keen to understand political developments and the language of politics from the very start. I even have proof of this but I don't want to discuss it now. All I'll say is that Rajiv Gandhi told me something about this in 1990. That's all for the moment."

The Comment immediately led a group of Congress leaders to claim, off the record, that there were plans afoot to bring Priyanka into active politics.

That plan has been shelved, at least for the moment. As for Rai's chances in Varanasi, even the boldest gambler is likely to think twice before placing a bet on him.

But Priyanka is clearly still interested in Varanasi, even if she's not in the fight herself. At a meeting at the Tughlaq Lane residence of Rahul last Monday, Priyanka gave Rai a pep talk soon after the party decided to field him.

"Priyankaji ne kaha ki aap jam kar ladiye. Unhone apna personal mobile number bhi diya aur kaha ki aapko jo bhi zaroorat hogi woh aap turant bolen. Woh Aapko muhaiyya karayi jaayegi. (Priyankaji told me to fight wholeheartedly. She gave me her Personal Mobile Number and told me not to hesitate to ask for anything that I may need and said I will be given every help)," Rai quoted her as telling him.

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Kolkata: Peeved at the constant comparison of Gujarat with her state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said chants of "Namo Namo" would have never been heard if the western state had to pay all its revenue for servicing debts.

Hitting out at BJP prime ministerial nominee and Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi popularly referred to as "Namo", Banerjee also said she did not like taking his name.

"People behave as if there is no other state in country but Gujarat. But what is not realised is that unlike Bengal it has been getting crores of central funds.

"Those who are comparing Bengal with Gujarat I want to ask them will there be 'Namo Namo' if the central government takes away Rs.74,000 crore from Gujarat," said Banerjee addressing a rally in Krishnagar in Nadia district.

The Trinamool Congress chief blamed the erstwhile Left Front government in the state for Burdening Bengal with huge debts for which the central government has taken away Rs.74,000 crore towards servicing the debts in the last two and half years.

She also attacked the Gujarat government claiming that its infant and pregnant women mortality rate was far higher than compared to Bengal.

Banerjee also said it was futile to compare Bengal with Gujarat as the latter enjoyed demographic and geographical advantages.

"People say why I don't take his name, but why should I take his name? You cannot take some names. I believe in political courtesy and talk only about issues," she said as she urged voters to annihilate the Congress, BJP and the Left parties which have formed an "unholy nexus".
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• It doesn't matter how much wisdom you have. If you don't have position, you have nothing. That's the tragedy of India.
• If I am incompetent, I am useless, the people of India will see that.
• Millions of Indians are brimming with energy.
• A rising tide doesn't raise people who don't have a boat. We have to build the boat for them. We have to give them the basic infrastructure to rise with the tide.
• I believe that a politician needs to be with people.
• We are all aware that corruption is pervasive. It operates at every level. The poor may carry its greatest burden, but it is an affliction that every Indian is desperate to be rid of.
• I am not averse to politics, but that does not mean that I am going to join politics.
• India absorbs things; India's not a divisive place.
• It is not important what Rahul Gandhi thinks, its important what a billion Indians think.

Kheda: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took the party's campaign to the land of Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Addressing a rally in Kheda in Gujarat, Rahul took a dig at Modi over the Sardar Patel Statue being built in the State.

"Gujarat has given us Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. They are not two people, they are ideologies. The Opposition is making a huge statue of Sardar Patel, they should at least read some pages on him," Rahul said.


"Those who have spent their life with RSS should also read on what Sardar Patel has said about RSS," he added.

He also said that BJP is disrespecting Sardar Patel by saying Congress must be wiped out. "They say they want to wipe out Congress. Why do they not think who made the Congress? The Congress was made by Gandhiji and Sardar Patel," Rahul said.

He also took on Modi saying, "India doesn't need a security guard, people of the nation need their rights. It's fashion now to say 'make me a watchman and I'll wipe out corruption'. The land of the poor has been grabbed to help corporates. Is this what watchmen do? This is robbery. Every person in this country should be a watchman to secure its future."

He also attacked the BJP on the issue of corruption saying the BJP has not been acting against its corrupt leaders.

"BJP says they are against Corruption, Gujarat has three ministers who have gone to jail on corruption charges but they have not been removed. The BJP obstructed the Six Bills we brought against corruption in the Lok Sabha. Lokayukta has come to this state (Gujarat) only after a court Directive," Rahul said.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will again be on the home turf of the BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi with a day-long visit to the state on Tuesday.



The 43-year-old leader will first address salt pan workers at about 11 am in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch area in Surendranagar district where Congress is considered to be strongest in the state.

"The issue of salt pan workers was always Rahul Gandhi's priority list. To understand their pain, Rahul will visit them at Patdi and Kharaghoda villages of Surendrangar and then leave for Balasinor, where he will address a rally at around 1 pm," a Congress spokesperson told PTI.

Rahul Gandhi hits Narendra Modi's Gujarat again today, his second visit this month. Like Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal did a few days ago, the Congress vice-president will meet the state's salt pan workers in the Rann of Kutch.

The Gujarat Congress stressed that the salt pan workers were "always on Rahul Gandhi's priority list" and that he wants to "understand their pain," seeming to underline that the change in plan was not impelled by Arvind Kejriwal's meeting with the community last week 

Mr Kejriwal had landed in Gujarat for what he called an audit of Mr Modi's governance in the state; after a four-day tour he reported that Mr Modi's claims of development in the state - the center piece of his campaign as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, are highly exaggerated. 

The controversial visit saw high drama and also provoked clashes between the AAP and BJP in three cities, including Delhi, as Mr Kejriwal made much of a brief detention at  a police station and later of not being accorded "due courtesy" by Mr Modi, who refused to meet him without an appointment.  

Mr Kejriwal's party pits him in a direct contest against Mr Modi for the post of PM in next month's general elections.

Though Rahul Gandhi has not been officially named by his Congress party as its candidate for prime minister, senior leaders say he will be PM should the party win a third straight term at the Centre.

Before visiting the salt pan workers today, Mr Gandhi will also address a public rally in Balasinore township of Kheda district, one of the few Congress bastions left in the state that Mr Modi has not been able to wrench away. Union minister Dinsha Patel has been winning here for the last five terms.

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Justice RA Mehta declining to assume the office of Gujarat Lokayukta gave fresh Ammunition to Congress to target chief minister NarendraModi.

Congress leader Digvijay Singh asked why and what Modi was "scared" of as Justice Mehta declined to assume office, slamming the state government for opposing his appointment. "Justice Mehta declines Lokayukta post in Gujarat Stating that Gujarat govt damaged his credibility. Why is Modi scared of Lokayukta in Gujarat," Singh tweeted.

He said Gujarat remained without a Lokayukta ever since Modi came to power. "Is there a forum in Gujarat where cases of corruption can be taken up," he said.

Claiming that Gujarat government spent Rs 45 crore as legal expenses in thwarting Justice Mehta's appointment, the Congress leader said, "If Modi is honest, what is he scared of?"

Party spokesman Raj Babbar said the wind blowing from Gujarat was saying that there was "no space for any counter view there".

"If a judge is saying this, there is indeed a need to understand what this wind blowing from Gujarat is. This wind relates to that politician of Gujarat, who wants to say that whatever has happened in Gujarat is due to him. And Justice Mehta has made it clear what all is happening in the state due to that person," Babbar said.

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एक सामान्य नागरिक का पत्र देश के प्रधानमंत्री के नाम।

मान्यनीय प्रधानमंत्री जी,
इस वर्ष एक बार फिर कई सौ करोड़ रुपए,
भारत के स्वतंत्रता दिवस को मनाने में खर्च किए जायेंगे।

एक विशाल आयोजन होगा और आप तिरंगा फहरा कर समस्त भारतीयों को यह याद दिलायेंगे कि हमारा देश कितना महान है,
और हम सब को अपने भारतीय होने पर कितना गर्व होना चाहिये।
महोदय मैं आप से निवेदन करना चाहता हूँ कि इस आयोजन पर खर्च होने वाले पैसे का कुछ हिस्सा मेरे कर से भी आता है,
और यह पैसा कैसे खर्च हो, यह सुनिश्चित करने में मेरा भी कुछ अधिकार होना चाहिए।
यह वर्ष भारत और भारतीयों के लिए जश्न मनाने का नहीं है।
अपने तीस साल के जीवनकाल में मैं अपने देश कि स्थिति के प्रति इतना निराश कभी नहीं हुआ।
यह वर्ष आँसू बहने और आत्मचिंतन करने का है।

में आप से आग्रह करता हूँ कि इस बार समारोह को सामान्य रखा जाए और इन अरबों रुपयो
को गरीबों को सहायता और सुरक्षा प्रदान करने में खर्च किया जाए।
मेरे देश के 23 बच्चे, सरकारी जहरीला खाना खा कर मर गए,
और इस जघन्य पाप के लिए हमारे लोकतंत्र में ना तो कोई सांसद जिम्मेदार है,
ना विधायक, और ना मुख्यमंत्री और ना हीं प्रधानमंत्री।
इन पैसों से आप हम हजारों छात्रों को बिना ज़हर का भोजन कई दिन तक खिला सकते है।

इन पैसों से अगर हम चार बहनो को चार दिन भी बलात्कार का शिकार होने से बचा पाये
तो मुझे अपने भारतीय होने का ज़्यादा गर्व होगा।

इन पैसो से अगर हम यह सुनिश्चित कर सकें कि फिर कोई आतंकवादी किसी हिंदुस्तानी सैनिक का सर काटने का अपराध ना कर सके तो यह हमारी उपलब्धि हीं होगी।

इन पैसों की ज़्यादा जरूरत उन लोगों को है जिन्होंने अपना सब कुछ उत्तराखंड की आपदा में खो दिया और फिर नेताओं के संवेदनहीनता का शिकार बने। जरा सोचिये इन बातोँ पर।