Moily removed as AICC media head

NEW DELHI: M Veerappa Moily, who launched a surprise attack on JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, has been abruptly removed as chairman of the Congress Veerappa Moily has been removed as chairman of the AICC media wing. (TOI) media department. ( Watch ) He has been replaced by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who had been holding the charge earlier, party sources said on Saturday. The removal of Moily is believed to be due to the displeasure of the party high command over his remarks against the Bihar Chief Minister, who was sought to be wooed by party leader Rahul Gandhi. Moily had on Friday said that Congress is not going to "make a hero" of Nitish Kumar. "I do not think Congress is going to make a hero of Nitish Kumar, the manner in which he has aligned with BJP and is carrying on...that kind of pollution of his secular credentials with the communal," Moily had said. When asked about the Congress decision to relieve him of his charge as AICC media head, Moily, who is in Bangalore, merely said that he had given the charge to Dwivedi as he would be away in Karnataka till May 17. Moily is contesting elections from Chikkballapur in Karnataka. In a flip-flop yesterday, the AICC media head had first attacked Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and LJP Chief Ramvilas Paswan in the wake of reports that they were boycotting the meeting of the union cabinet but later softened to say that they were part of the UPA and would be back in a UPA government. The sources said Moily had exceeded his brief on earlier occasions too and had created an awkward situation for the party. Moily, who had been the party's media department chief for quite some time, had handed over the charge to Dwivedi last month when he went to Karnataka and had resumed the responsibilities only last week.

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Rahul Gandhi campaigns in Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, Apr 10: AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi is campaigning in Andhra Pradesh on Friday on behalf of the congress party.

He is currently addressing a public meeting at Maylavarm in Krishna District.

He is scheduled to address a few more public meetings in Mahaboobnagar, Khamam and Rangareddy districts on Friday. Our correspondent gives a report on overall campaigning in the sate.

AIR Correspondent reports that with a few days left for campaigning for first phase polling for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state, top leaders of all parties in the state are on vigorous campaigning mode.

The leaders are crisscrossing Telengana and North Coastal Andhra region to boost the prospects of their candidates.

The ruling Congress party is harping on development achieved during the past 5 years and is assuring voters that all the present welfare programmes would be strengthened.

While coming down heavily on the congress for its alleged corruption, the opposition Telugu Desam Party along with its 3 allies is canvassing on free power to farmers and money transfer scheme proposed by it if it voted to power.

Promising an array of sops, the Praja Rajaym Party headed by Chiranjeevi is seeking ‘a single chance to serve the people’ while the Lok Satta Chief is urging people to vote for ‘change’. On the other hand, the BJP is promising separate state for Telangana in 100 days and fixed deposit scheme for girls.

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Naga Congress for integration

Kohima, April 7 : The Nagaland Congress today asserted that it was committed to the integration of all the Naga-inhabited areas following criticism of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s statement on the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Several Naga organisations, the state government and the NSCN, which is engaged in talks with the Centre, had lambasted the statement made by the AICC general secretary, who while addressing a Congress rally in Churachandpur recently, said the territorial integrity of Manipur would not be altered.

The Nagaland PCC said in consonance with the aspirations of the Naga people, the Congress had joined hands with the other parties of the state in unanimously passing four resolutions for integration of all the Naga-inhabited areas in the Assembly.

“The Nagaland Congress is part and parcel of these resolutions,” R. Paphino, convenor, media cell of PCC said.

He said in its 2008 election manifesto, the party pledged to the Naga people that it would continue to urge upon the Centre the need to implement the 16-point agreement of 1960, in letter and spirit.

“This election manifesto was released with due approval of the AICC. The Nagaland PCC stands to ensure that the ardent desires and aspirations of the Naga people are fulfilled and there is no ambiguity as far as this issue is concerned,” Paphino said.

The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) said the Congress had no moral right to speak about the Naga political issue as its high command had ruled out the disintegration of Manipur.

The DAN leaders, including chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, castigated the Opposition Congress for adopting double standards on the long-pending Naga issue.

Rio said during the past 50 years of Congress rule at the Centre, it had totally neglected the Naga issue and therefore, there was no hope for a solution under the party.

The DAN leaders also accused the Congress of dividing the Naga people into different segments like the Nagas of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

They said only regional parties could protect the identity of the Naga people unlike the Congress, which had fooled the people for many decades.

However, the Congress slammed Rio and his alliance, saying the latter was indulging in empty political rhetoric to woo the gullible Naga voters.

Congress Legislature Party leader, Chingwang Konyak, said Article 371 (A) of the Constitution had bestowed all privileges and rights to the Naga people.

He said no Act could infringe into Article 371 (A) and that it was possible only due to the Congress under the leadership of Jawarharlal Nehru.

K. Asungba Sangtam, the Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat said the party favoured Naga integration.

He said if elected, he would go all out to take forward the stalled Naga peace process between the Centre and the NSCN.

The NSCN had also reacted to the AICC general secretary’s statement, saying Manipur’s territorial integrity had again become the poll plank of the Congress.

The outfit however said the election plank should not be mixed up with the ground reality of the “Indo-Naga” political issue.

Some Naga organisations have also come out against the statement of Gandhi stating that he had “miserably” failed to understand the gravity of the Naga political problem vis-à-vis the ongoing peace process.

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Rahul Slams Opposition For 'Alienating' Some Indians

Aizawl, Apr 2 : AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi today slammed opposition parties for "alienating" some citizens of the country.

While addressing an election rally here, he alleged that the opposition parties believed "certain types of Indians from certain parts of India are more Indian than the others".

The Congress, on the other hand, believes that every Indian has the same value and "our strength comes from respecting different cultures, religion and people", Gandhi said.

He emphasised that there must be space in the country for every citizen irrespective of which part of the country or which religion, creed or caste he belonged to.

Describing Mizoram as one of the most peaceful states in the country, he said the people of the state are happy due to the "long-lasting peace made during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi".

Thanking the people of Mizoram for giving resounding victory to the Congress in the state Assembly elections in December and the recent village council elections, the party star campaigner appealed to them to ensure the Congress win in the coming Parliamentary polls too.

Gandhi asked the people to vote for Congress' C L Ruala.

"In order to ensure development in the state, the Congress must also come to power at the Centre," he added.

READ MORE - Rahul Slams Opposition For 'Alienating' Some Indians

Sonia, Rahul Gandhi all set to campaign in East UP

Lucknow, Mar 31 : Congress president Sonia Gandhi and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi will be campaigning for party candidates in eastern Uttar Pradesh from April 3 onwards.

Uttar Pradesh will go to Lok Sabha polls in the first phase.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi will be addressing election rallies at Maharajganj, Kushinagar and Robertsganj on April 3 and Sonia Gandhi would be campaigning for party candidates in Basgaon, Salempur and Varanasi on April 5.

Both Rahul and Sonia are likely to file their nomination papers from Amethi and Rae Bareilly constituencies on April 4 and April 6 respectively, sources said.

While Union Minister of state for small and medium industries Mahavir Prasad is contesting from Basgaon seat, senior party leader Bhola Pandey is contesting from Salempur.

Ramadhar Joseph, Harshvardhan and RPN Singh are contesting from Robertsganj, Maharajganj and Kushinagar seats respectively.

Sitting MP Rajesh Mishra would stand for the Varanasi constituency.

The elections in Uttar Pradesh would be held in five phases: April 16, 23, 30 and May 7 and May 13.

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Congress bickering over polls

AICC yet to finalise candidates for Manipur seats

Imphal, March 23 : The AICC’s procrastination in announcing the names of candidates for the two parliamentary seats in Manipur has worried the state Congress as campaigning began in full swing for a majority of the parties. Opposition Manipur People’s Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the National Peoples Party and the Manipur State Congress Party have begun campaigning for their common candidates — N. Mohendro Singh for the Inner Manipur seat and L.B. Sona for the Outer. The four Left parties and Janata Dal (Secular), too, began electioneering for their common candidate, Moirangthem Nara Singh, for the Inner seat. However, the front called the Left and Democratic Coordinating for Inner Manipur is not contesting the Outer. It comprises the CPI, a partner in Okram Ibobi Singh ministry, the CPM, the RSP, the Forward Bloc and Janata Dal (Secular). The BJP also began campaigning for Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh in the Inner and Dominic Loli Adanee in the Outer seat. Though the parties are yet to kick off rallies, they have already began in-camera meetings in the constituencies. “The delay is doing more harm than good. We do not know how to campaign and for whom. We are lagging behind the rest of the opponents,” a senior PCC office bearer said. The Congress has not been able to announce the list because of conflicting pressure from two groups within the PCC and the AICC. While chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, along with a majority of the Congress MLAs, is pushing for I. Hemochandra Singh, an MLA from Singjamei Assembly constituency, others are pressing for sitting MP Thokchom Meinya Singh for the Inner seat. Meinya Singh lost favour with Ibobi Singh after the MP joined a dissident group against the chief minister a year ago. Meinya Singh, however, has a strong lobby within the AICC. Sonia Gandhi so far has not been able to decide on the candidate, a party source said. There is not much contention on the Outer seat though. Ibobi Singh had recommended power minister Phungzathang Tonsing for the seat. But it was turned down by the high command and name of Thangso Baite, a former party MLA from Singhhat, is doing the rounds. The AICC, however, is delaying announcing the name of the Outer candidate as well because it wants to declare both the names together. “The delay is creating a rift within the party. Whenever we called a meeting (block level), it ended with arguments among supporters of Meinya Singh and Hemochandra Singh. We fear that the rift will widen after the name is announced and the CPI may reap the benefit,” Maibam Tombi Singh, a grassroots level worker from Imphal West said. PCC president Gaikhangam and other senior leaders, however, maintained that the delay would not affect the party’s poll prospects. “We have our own workers and voters intact and the party will stand united for the candidate to be declared by the AICC,” Gaikhangam said.

READ MORE - Congress bickering over polls

Cong slams Left over Third Front

KOLKATA, March 19 : The AICC national spokesperson, Mr Aswani Kumar, today lashed out at the CPI-Mand said that it is giving fillip to the “communal” BJP by floating the Third Front as this will only divide the secular vote. By proposing the Third Front, the Left parties are giving a boost to the process of communalism by dividing society. He also expressed displeasure about the way CPI-M & Left parties had withdrawn support from UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal. The Indo-US civil nuclear deal has brought India to the forefront of global powers and it had been unwise of the CPI-M to have walked out of the UPA over the issue, he said.

Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamat Banerjee said: “That is why in Bengal we have entered into an alliance with the Trinamul Congress to avoid any split in the anti-Left vote. After eight years (since 2001), we have again forged an alliance with the Trinamul Congress to give a crushing defeat to CPI-M and other Left forces”.

Mr Pranab Mukherjee too, expressed his disdain for the Third Front in Kolkata today: “What are the objectives in floating this idea? A government must have a vision, a programme. I do not know whether they have a programme? This is nothing but indulgence in theatrics,” he said.

Asked about dissatisfaction in the party's rank and file in the state regarding the alliance, Mr Kumar said he had a talk with the PCC chief and other state leaders. “There is a view among a section of the state Congress leaders that the party should have contested more seats in West Bengal. But an alliance was the need of the hour and it was done keeping larger objectives in mind,” he said.

According to the seat-sharing agreement, the Trinamul Congress will contest 27 out of the 42 Lok Sabha seats, leaving one to its ally ~ the Suci. The Congress will field candidates in the remaining 14 seats.

On other issues, Mr Mumar said: “India is a victim of terrorism for long and we have been able to isolate Pakistan after a long time and expose them to the world.”

READ MORE - Cong slams Left over Third Front

AICC clears name for Nagaland

Kohima, March 13 : The AICC has already cleared the name of former Lok Sabha member K. Asungba Sangtam for the April 16 parliamentary polls, according to Nagaland PCC president K.V. Pusa.

Pusa today said though the party high command had cleared Sangtam’s name for the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat, the party would confirm it on Monday.

“We will officially declare his name only on March 16,” he told this correspondent.

The ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government has cleared the name of C.M. Chang of the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) as its consensus candidate.

W. Wangyuh Konyak of the Congress is the sitting MP.

Byelections to Tizit, Tuensang Sadar-II, Chizami and Dimapur-III Assembly seats will also be held on April 16.

All the four seats fell vacant following the resignation of four Congress MLAs who joined the NPF, the main constituent of the DAN government.

Konyak said he would contest the byelections from the Tizit seat and had applied for a Congress ticket.

Byelection to the Tizit Assembly seat has been necessitated following the resignation of Congress MLA Aloh Konyak to join the NPF.

Pusa said the former finance minister, K. Therie, who had lost to a newcomer in the last Assembly elections, would contest Chizami constituency as a Congress candidate.

“We have received many applications for the byelections,” he said, adding that the party would give a tough fight in the parliamentary as well as in the Assembly byelections.

Pusa said the mandate of the people would go for the Congress as corruption had reached its zenith.

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No alliance with JD-S: says Karnataka PCC chief

New Delhi, March 7 : After initial talks for an alliance with H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) in Karnataka, a senior Congress leader from the state today ruled out a tie-up with the party saying Gowda is in the Third Front.

"He (Gowda) has already stated that he is with the Third Front. It is an old story The talks are for finalising the Congress candidates without any alliance," Karnataka PCC President R V Deshpande told reporters here after taking part in the Screening Committee meeting to finalise party nominees for Karnataka.

Deshpande said another round of meeting of the Screening Committee will be held before the names are decided by CEC.

AICC General Secretary in-charge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad and Defence Minister A K Antony participated in the marathon meeting of the Screening Committee to shortlist the candidates for Lok Sabha elections in the BJP-ruled state.

Before Gowda made a formal announcement of the Third Front, Azad had hoped of an alliance with JD(S) in the state to take on BJP.

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'Congress will win over 200 seats in Assam'

Guwahati, Mar 7 : The Congress would win more than 200 seats in the coming Lok Sabha election and form the next government on its own or along with its UPA allies, AICC general secretary Mabelo Rebelo said here today.

Increasing the number of seats from the present 147, the party would win over 200 seats, Rebelo told reporters while attending a party programme for grass-root workers here.

"The BJP on the otherhand would slide down to 100 from 138 as they have already reached their maximum capacity", she predicted.

To queries if the Congress would enter into any post-poll alliances for forming government, the AICC leader said,"We are already having pre-poll alliances with many political parties. Post poll alliances . We will see to it later".

READ MORE - 'Congress will win over 200 seats in Assam'