RAHUL GANDHI

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi threw his weight behind keeping politicians out of sports bodies in the country and said sports persons themselves should be at the helm of affairs. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi interacts with sports personalities after the launch of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) and National Youth Policy, 2014 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Thursday disapproved of personal attacks on opposition leaders, indicating that the Congress leadership was not happy with Mani Shankar Aiyar's recent "chaiwala" jibe at BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. "It is wrong to make personal attacks on opposition," the Congress vice-president told a meeting of party spokespersons called to elicit suggestions on how best to get the message of Congress across to people in the coming Lok Sabha elections. He, however, did not name Aiyar. Rahul made the remark after party MP Bhalchandra Mungekar said that remarks like denigrating the "chaiwala" (tea seller) will not do the party any good. "Do not denigrate chaiwala. Such comments are unnecessary and they may derail the debate," Mungekar, who is one of the TV panelists of the party, said. Rahul's remark is significant given the fact that BJP is exploiting Aiyar's jibe at Modi to th...

Going by the number of times Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke of ‘opening up the system’ and bringing in ‘youngsters’ in his first one-on-one TV interview on Monday night, it seems as if an imminent crackdown awaits the party ahead of the Lok Sabha election.  The interview comes less than a fortnight after the AICC meet at which Gandhi was given the formidable task of leading the party’s election campaign for the upcoming general election. Youth Congress leaders have faith in Rahul: PTI “The Congress party is an extremely powerful system and all the Congress party needs to do is bring in younger fresher faces in the election which is what we are going to do and we are going to win the election,” said the Congress vice-president during the 80-minute long interview to Times Now.  Not exactly heartening news for many sitting Congress MPs, who have been essentially put on notice by Gandhi and told to make way of ‘younger fresher faces’. However, for the youth Con...

For the first time, Congress Vice president and poll campaign chief Rahul Gandhi opens up to an elaborate sit down interview with TIMES NOW Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami. For the first time after his political debut in 2004, Rahul Gandhi takes direct questions on wide range of subjects on Frankly Speaking with Arnab. In the biggest political interview of 2014 Arnab asks all the questions that India wanted answers from the Gandhi scion. Is he scared of a political face off against Modi? What is his view of the 1984 Sikh riots? Was he a reluctant politician? And what are his views on multiple scams that UPA 2 was affected by. The following are the transcripts of the 1 hour 20 minute long interview with Rahul Gandhi by TIMES NOW Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami. For the excerpts of the interview follow us on @timesnow on twitter with #RahulSpeaksToArnab Rahul, Thank you very much. It's great to have you on Frankly Speaking show today. It's been 10 years as an MP for you,...

Rahul Gandhi, who was declared the Congress party's chief campaigner for this year's looming electoral battle, today indicated his willingness to take up the country's top job if his name was approved by the elected representatives after the Lok Sabha polls. "In the Congress, elected MPs select the Prime Minister. If our party comes to power after the election and the MPs elect me, then I will definitely consider it," Mr Gandhi was quoted as saying by the news agency, Press Trust of India. The Congress vice-president, who is presently on a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Amethi, was responding to a specific query whether he would be willing to shoulder the Prime Minister's responsibility. "To select a Prime Minister is the right of the MPs and it should stay with them. Selecting a nominee before polls is not a democratic culture, but part of a personality cult," Mr Gandhi said, and cited the example of Dr Manmohan ...

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi met 250 women from various fields in Bhopal at Minto Hall on Monday to seek inputs for the party’s Lok Sabha election manifesto. In the two-hour interaction, Mr. Gandhi made it clear that reservation for women is the foremost priority. In an indirect jibe on the BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi, Mr. Rahul said, “We talk a lot about becoming a superpower in the world but till the women of our country do not feel comfortable and secured, our country cannot become a superpower. And to tell you the truth, we don't want such a superpower status, where women are not empowered.” Several leaders, including Sampat Pal of Bundelkhand’s Gulabi Gang, TV star Kunickaa Lall, Assistant Solicitor-General of India Fouzia Mirza, legal activist Flavia Agnes, Indore’s visually impaired activist Fatima Jamali in addition to Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury, Krishna Tirath, Mamta Sharma and Shoba Oza attended. Transgender activist Laxmi Narayan Trip...

New Delhi: In the recent past, actor Salman Khan has been quite vocal about political developments in the country. After speaking about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and after flying kites with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, the actor has now praised Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. In converation with Prabhu Chawla in IBN7's 'Teekhi Baat', Salman said that every state in the country is equal and has equal importance. He also complimented the politicians and said that they were doing a good job in the country. He said that he liked Rahul as a politician and would be willing to campaign for him whenever his help would be required. "Modi does not need me in GUjarat. He is very popular," Salman said. Defending Modi, Salman said that he had seen the CM's popularity and support in the state and thus there was no need to campaign for him. "I like Rahul Gandhi. If he calls me I will definitely go to campaign for hi...

New Delhi: After being formally assigned to lead the campaign in the Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held consultations with state leaders on the strategy ahead.  Gandhi met AICC delegates from each state separately seeking to know about the issues that will play in the next Lok Sabha polls in their state and the strength of the organisation there.  The party is all set to begin the process of its ticket distribution exercise by holding meetings of newly-set screening committess to meet its plan for early declaration of candidates.  A number of meetings of the party's committee on alliance, manifesto and campaign strategy have already been held and some quick decisions on all these are expected soon.  Gandhi's consultations with the chiefs of Pradesh Congress Committees and District Congress Committees are also intended at incorporating the views and suggestions from the states on issues on which Congress will go to Lok Sabha polls in ...

Ahead of the crucial AICC session on Friday, Union minister Oscar Fernandes said Rahul Gandhi is Congress candidate for Prime Minister even as suspense remains on whether the party will formally anoint him as PM nominee for the Lok Sabha polls. "Whether he (Rahul) accepts or not, he is our prime ministerial candidate. He will certainly accept (the responsibility), this is my opinion," the road transport minister told reporters. "Wait till tomorrow," Fernandes said when asked whether the announcement of Rahul Gandhi's candidature for the top post will be made tomorrow. He also said that there is no difference of opinion among senior party leaders on it. "No, no differences... we all are very happy." To a specific question as to how his name can be formally announced as the party's PM candidate amid different opinions in Congress on it, Fernades, who has held key positions in party organization for long, insisted, "It has t...

Phagwara : Pressing for Congress Vice President to be made party's Prime Ministerial candidate, Union Minister Santosh Chowdhary on Monday said though a final decision was in the high command's hands, the common masses wanted to see him as the Prime Minister.  The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare said Rahul was fully capable and had the required potential to take up the top post.  "Rahul Gandhi is young and icon of youth. He moves among people. 'Janata' (people) wants him to see as the next Prime Minister. He has the potential and capability and should take up the baton," she told reporters here.  However, she charged BJP's Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of polarising and communalising the country's polity.  On the internal rift in Congress in Punjab over the newly constituted Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), she said it was unfortunate.  "The current developments in PPCC are unfortunate," she said, r...

Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari talks about PM Manmohan Singh’s work and his support to Rahul Gandhi with The New Indian Express Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla on Teekhi Baat on IBN7. Excerpts: What was the motive behind the press conference held by the Prime Minister? The complaint that journalists have pertaining to Manmohanji is that he does not speak to the press. Maybe the press conference was to address that complaint.  PM has decided that public does not want him. Hence he is retiring and won’t be PM in 2014… For 10 years he served the nation. Then, he decided that youth leadership should be given a chance. Let me tell you something that happened off the record. In an editorial guild meeting with the PM held three months ago, he told them he is not the claimant for PM’s post in 2014. Do you feel he was sad and had nothing to say? There was no sadness and helplessness. He gave political stability and internal security to the...

Lashing out at non-Congress governments of Uttar Pradesh for "selling Ram, caste and religion" for the past 22 years, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today asked voters to give five years to his party for development of the state. "These parties have looted your hard earned money, sold Ram, religion and caste...never talked about progress and development in the past 22 years," Gandhi said addressing an election meeting here. The Congress general secretary said that he visits other states marching ahead on the path of progress and see people of the state contributing and the lack of development is UP fills him with anger. Attacking the BJP for its India Shining slogan of 2004 and Samajwadi Party for embracing former BJP leader Kalyan Singh, he said that his party has stood alone and never embraced people like Kalyan Singh and would not do so ever. Stressing that he would not budge till the state's progress is in place, Gandhi said that there was...

Rahul Gandhi has evolved as an effective communicator and a true leader of the masses during his frantic campaign in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.  Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi is making the most out of his stint at the helm of party's campaign for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The impact of his personal touch to politics' strategy will only be known on March 6 - when the counting of votes will be undertaken - but at a personal level, political commentators believe, Rahul is going from strength to strength as a leader of the masses.

SP's progressive face, Akhilesh Yadav carries an iPhone & talks development. The Samajwadi state chief assures Swati Mathur his party's aggressive image is a thing of the past & he is confident of forming the next govt Swati Mathur: How well are you prepared for the assembly elections? Akhilesh Yadav: SP was the first to declare candidates. We started campaigning early. Our message was consistent: We'd continue riding the rath and our cycle until we defeat BSP. I have toured over 170 constituencies and hope to cover at least 300. Apart from anti-incumbency , what other factors may work in your favour? SP has worked hard to expose the government's real face. We have grass-roots connect. We have raised issues that concern the common man. Electricity, corruption and lack of infrastructure , cheaper fertilizers, seeds and irrigation projects are issues we've fought for. This election is being projected as a Akhilesh vs Rahul battle. Is this hype? He may be th...

NEW DELHI: Smarting under Opposition attack over the issue of Lokpal Bill, Congress today insisted that the measure is not dead and will be back soon. "The Lokpal Bill is certainly not dead. It is not even in ICU or Emergency. It is merely under rest and recovery (R and R) and it will be back soon," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said. A political war has broken out between government and opposition over Rajya Sabha's failure to pass Lokpal Bill, with both sides accusing each of carrying out "well choreographed" chaos to scuttle it. The assertion by the Rajya Sabha MP, who headed the Parliamentary Panel that went into the Lokpal Bill, comes a day after Rahul Gandhi promised not to rest till a strong Lokpal Bill with constitutional status is brought. Addressing a rally in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh yesterday, Gandhi had hit out at the BJP for failure to give constitutional status to Lokpal. He insisted that this was not only his dream but that of the y...

Lucknow, Dec 28: In the wake of ongoing debate over Lokpal issue, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi blamed the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) for the defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal on Wednesday. Rahul was addressing an election meeting at Dharauhra in Lakhimpur on Wednesday. Reacting strongly over the defeat of constitutional amendment bill on Lokpal, Rahul remarked: "We (Congress) wanted to have a strong Lokpal which has constitutional status like Election Commission. But BJP did not want it so they defeated it on the floor." Rahul even claimed that BJP had earlier assured that they will besupporting the government on this issue. Rahul expressed surprise over the issue stating that senior BJP leaders were present in the parliament when voting took place and thus it was established that the action took place at their instance. Training his gun on CM Mayawati, Rahul alleged that she had earlier termed the Food Security Bill as a drama and was int...

SITAPUR: "Has Mayawati ever drunk water from a well in the past five years," asks Rahul Gandhi, rolling up his sleeves, the trademark style he has acquired before addressing a gathering. "No," roars the crowd in Sitapur, a town in central Uttar Pradesh, about 95 km north of Lucknow. "Is it not your right to get jobs in your own state," he asks and pauses for the crowd to answer. "Why do you need to migrate to other states for a livelihood," he asks again, sounding very much like a seasoned politician. Rahul, the tireless campaigner, has been a familiar sight these past four years. The Congress general secretary has hopped onto general compartments of trains, spent nights in huts and eaten with villagers, especially Dalits. But Rahul, the public speaker, has largely been in hiding. The Congress leader has been at best a hesitant speaker. That is changing. Rahul's new style of speech is as measured as it is aggressive. The crowds respond...

LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday asked people to reject 'caste and communal' parties in the upcoming UP assembly elections and vote for the development. He promised if voted to power, Congress will develop the state in five years.  Addressing a rally in Kasganj, Kanshiramnagar, Rahul said: "Other parties make tall claims and promises. We made just one promise. We will bring a government that would be representative of all classes of society. For last 22 years, UP is being ruled by the parties which talk on caste and communal lines. The people of the state should give the Congress just five years, after giving other parties a chance for the past 22 years," he said.  Rahul said that UP chief minister Mayawati had on October 9, 2007 said that no one would benefit from MNREGA. "Go to Rajasthan, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab. Even the poorest of the poor people would tell you what they have got from MNREGA. They ...