Posts tagged ‘Indian National Congress’

27/09/2013

Post Rahul wrap, Congress takes a U-turn

The Hindu: “Party hints at withdrawal of the controversial measure.

With Rahul Gandhi slamming the ordinance against disqualification of convicted lawmakers, the government is expected to take back the controversial measure, the Congress indicated on Friday.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference as party general secretary Ajay Maken looks on, in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

“Rahulji’s opinion is the opinion and the line of Congress… Now Congress party is opposed to this ordinance. The views of the Congress party should always be supreme,” party general secretary and communication department in-charge Ajay Maken said when asked about the fate of the ordinance in the wake of Mr. Gandhi’s views and whether it is likely to be withdrawn.

The Congress clearly appeared flummoxed by Mr. Gandhi’s stand as Mr. Maken, at a meet-the-press programme at the Delhi Press Club, completely backtracked from his statement praising the ordinance as “perfect”, made minutes before the party vice-president took the stage and denounced the measure calling it “complete nonsense” and “wrong” on the part of the government.

Mr. Maken sidestepped questions on whether Mr. Gandhi’s remarks meant a “rebellion” against the government or a public snub to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his government.

“Rahul Gandhi is our leader. His views are views of the Congress party. The situation with any issue evolves with time and it has evolved and no one should have any objection to it,” he merely said in reply to such questions.

“What Rahul Gandhi said is the most important thing… that this ordinance will not help us fight corruption. He is our leader and I think this is our official political stand. Rahulji’s opinion is the opinion and the line of Congress… Now Congress party is opposed to this ordinance,” he said.”

via Post Rahul wrap, Congress takes a U-turn – The Hindu.

25/09/2013

Social media not a game changer in 2014 elections

Reuters: “Political parties in India are relying more on social media ahead of the 2014 election as a way of increasing voter support, even though politicians in general do not expect such efforts to significantly influence election results.

Parties are trying to ride the digital wave by conducting workshops to teach leaders and foot soldiers how to improve engagement on websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The country of 1.2 billion people had around 165 million Internet users as of March, the third-largest in the world, according to data from India’s telecommunications regulator. But the number of social media users is likely to grow to about 80 million by mid-2014, a report released in February said.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, India’s main opposition party, social media is helping as an “accelerator” in conveying their messages to the public.

“I don’t call it a game changer, but an accelerator in this election … it’s definitely setting a narrative, it is influencing a lot of people,” Arvind Gupta, head of the BJP’s IT division, said in an interview.

via India Insight.

26/05/2013

* Sonia Gandhi ‘devastated’ by India Chhattisgarh ambush

BBC: “The president of India’s Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, has said she is “devastated” by Saturday’s attack on party officials in Chhattisgarh state.

Sonia Gandhi (R) and PM Manmohan Singh in a hospital in Raipur (May 26 2013)

At least 24 people were killed, including Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nandkumar Patel, his son, and local leader Mahendra Karma, when suspected Maoist rebels ambushed their convoy.

Mrs Gandhi visited some of the wounded with PM Manmohan Singh on Sunday.

The prime minister said India would “never bow down” before the rebels.

He denounced the “barbaric attack” which he said should be an inspiration in the fight against extremism and violence.

Unconfirmed reports said they were unable to visit the scene of the attack because of security concerns.”

via BBC News – Sonia Gandhi ‘devastated’ by India Chhattisgarh ambush.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/political-factors/indian-tensions/

11/05/2013

* India Congress ministers quit amid scandals

BBC: “Two Indian ministers have resigned in one day over links with corruption claims, plunging the Congress party into crisis.

Former Indian Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and former  Law Minister Ashwani KumarRailway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resigned in separate incidents.Mr Bansal quit after police arrested his nephew for bribery, and Mr Kumar stepped down amid claims he influenced a report into the coal industry.Reports suggest Congress leaders are holding crisis meetings.The coalition government has been beset by corruption scandals recently.Mr Bansal called for a police investigation into the bribery allegations.”I have always observed the highest standard of probity in public life,” he told local media.”

via BBC News – India Congress ministers quit amid scandals.

21/01/2013

* Women voters in India want to stand up and be counted

It’s about time!

Reuters: “Several years ago, a dinner-table conversation about state elections in Himachal Pradesh veered towards a candidate who gave away pressure cookers to woo women voters. Of course, bribing voters is illegal, but I remember wondering whether all I wanted as a woman was a pressure cooker.

The Delhi rape case and the molestation of a young girl in Guwahati in Assam last year have underscored the place that women often occupy in Indian society. These incidents have made me wonder to what extent our country’s political parties will focus on gender inequality as they look forward to the 2014 general elections. How will they vie for the women’s vote?

Until now, political parties and their largely male leadership focussed on the ‘aam aadmi’, or the common man, a phrase which subsumes women. Politicians and other public figures don’t make much hay of gender inequality and many of the attitudes toward women that hurt a large portion of our society — and when they do, they’re often lacking. The best attitude that politicians often apply to women is a patronising one. Instead of focusing on women’s empowerment through education and awareness, politicians distribute saris, cookers and sanitary napkins.

There is some attempt to change that. The Congress party’s weekend “Chintan Shivir“, or brainstorming session, in Jaipur put a special focus on women.

“Discrimination against the girl child and atrocities against women are a blot on our collective conscience,” party chief Sonia Gandhi said while opening the gathering. “Gender issues are fundamental and should be of concern to all of us.””

via India Insight.

20/01/2013

* India Congress Party Names Rahul Gandhi No. 2

Rahul finally throws his hat in the ring.

WSJ: “India’s Congress party has named Rahul Gandhi as the party’s vice president, giving a clear indication that the scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty would be the party’s prime ministerial candidate in the federal elections next year.

The appointment of Mr. Gandhi—son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and party President Sonia Gandhi—as the party’s No. 2 sets the stage for a likely face-off with Narendra Modi, chief minister of the western state of Gujarat and a top contender within the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for the country’s highest executive post, ahead of federal polls due before May 2014.”

via India Congress Party Names Rahul Gandhi No. 2 – WSJ.com.

 

16/11/2012

* Rahul Gandhi to lead Congress poll campaign

Reluctant Rahul finally emerges with key role.

BBC: “Congress party leader, Rahul Gandhi, has been appointed the head of a committee which will look after party activities relating to the 2014 general elections.

Rahul Gandhi, a lawmaker and son of India"s ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi, attends the Nehru memorial lecture in New Delhi November 14, 2012

Correspondents say this appointment effectively means that Mr Gandhi will lead the campaign for the party.

Party leaders have been demanding a larger role for Mr Gandhi.

Support for Congress in its second term has been hit by economic concerns and corruption cases.

Last month, PM Manmohan Singh inducted 22 new ministers into the government in a major reshuffle, a move seen as an attempt to get younger politicians into the Congress party-led government ahead of general elections.

And, earlier this month, the party held a conclave, attended by 70 leaders, including Mr Gandhi and his mother and party chief, Sonia Gandhi.

The meeting was seen as another attempt to revitalise the party and government ahead of the polls.

Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi said Mr Gandhi will head a party “coordination committee … keeping in view the general elections to be held in 2014″.

Results of elections in the states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are expected by this year-end.

A number of crucial state polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi will be held next year ahead of the general elections.

The two-term Congress government is expected to face a tough general election in 2014, correspondents say.

It has been beset by allegations of corruption and inaction in its present second term.”

via BBC News – Rahul Gandhi to lead Congress poll campaign.

See also: https://chindia-alert.org/2012/10/28/rahul-gandhi-mia/

28/10/2012

* Rahul Gandhi MIA

It is becoming clear to any innocent bystander that Rahul Gandhi is not interested in taking a leading role in Indian national politics. But will he be able to resist the urging from his Grandmother and the Congress |Party?  Only time will  tell.

WSJ: “The question has swirled around New Delhi for months: Is Rahul Gandhi, scion of India’s most powerful political family, finally poised to take on a major role in running the country’s government?

The answer, apparently, is no. India announced a leadership reshuffle on Sunday that brought several new faces into ministerial positions, but Mr. Gandhi wasn’t among them.

The 42-year-old, a descendant of three past prime ministers, is a general secretary in the ruling Congress party. He has long been viewed as a prime-minister-in-waiting and is widely seen as the face of the Congress party as national elections approach in 2014.

But political analysts say Mr. Gandhi may be running out of time to make himself a credible candidate by showing voters he’s willing to take on real governing duties. “If you’re projected as a prime minister candidate and you don’t take responsibility, that doesn’t say a lot about you,” said Pradip Datta, a political science professor at Delhi University. “It can be interpreted that you don’t want responsibility.””

via Rahul Gandhi MIA – India Real Time – WSJ.

See also:

05/10/2012

* India Moves Again to Ease Way for Foreign Investment

It’s a case of “in for a penny in for a pound”. If the Opposition is stirred up already against the opening up of retail business to FDI, why not jump in with insurance and pensions too.

New York Times: “In their second major effort in two months to revive a flagging economy, Indian policy makers on Thursday proposed letting foreign investors take a bigger stake in insurance and pension companies.

The measures, which were approved by the cabinet, will now go to the Parliament, where their passage is far from certain. The national governing coalition led by the Indian National Congress Party does not have a majority in the legislature, and opposition parties and even some of its own allies have said they do not support greater foreign investment.

Still, anticipation of the changes sent the India’s benchmark stock index Sensex up 1 percent to its highest close in more than a year.

The index has rallied about 5 percent since the middle of September, when the government allowed greater foreign investment in retailing and aviation and reduced government energy subsidies.

Under the proposal approved by the cabinet, foreign companies would be allowed to acquire up to 49 percent in Indian insurance and pension firms, a change that both Indian and overseas firms have long lobbied for, saying that the sectors needed more capital to grow.

Foreign companies are now allowed to hold a 26 percent stake in insurance companies but are not allowed to invest in pension firms. India’s insurance premiums total about $40 billion a year and its pension industry has assets of $300 million.

The changes will most likely face stiff opposition in Parliament, which was paralyzed during its last session after the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party repeatedly interrupted proceedings to demand the resignation of the prime minister, Manmohan Singh, in connection with a scandal involving the allocation of coal concessions. The next session of Parliament begins in November.

Opposition officials, who were involved in drafting the proposals at an earlier stage of the lawmaking process, have said that they would not support an increase in foreign investment to 49 percent. Some of the government’s allies have also said they do not support the change.

“Legislation in democracy is a process of negotiation and discussion,” Palaniappan Chidambaram, India’s finance minister, said at a news conference.

“Obviously, we need to talk. We will sit and talk to all parties, especially the principal opposition.””

via India Moves Again to Ease Way for Foreign Investment – NYTimes.com.

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