Results for: Indian National Congress

The rapid rise of social media, particularly in vernacular languages, has had a profound impact on how information is disseminated in India. This shift towards instant gratification and concise content has led to the emergence of viral content that can quickly shape and propagate political narratives. This has necessitated vigilance to manage disruptive misinformation. In India, the BJP has been a pioneer in leveraging social media to gain a significant advantage, but the Opposition is now making a concerted effort to catch up. This ‘inversion’ of roles, where independent content creators set the narrative and political parties amplify it, is making it more difficult to analyze political headwinds. The party that can bring a semblance of control over this social media tumult will reap significant benefits, but who will emerge victorious remains uncertain.

The Congress party has vehemently criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for fielding a candidate facing sexual harassment charges, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s son, in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The party’s general secretary, Jairam Ramesh, expressed concern over the safety of women in India under Modi’s leadership and raised questions about the progress of key infrastructure projects in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asserted that the polling held so far suggests the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been eliminated from South India and its presence has been halved in the rest of the country. Ramesh further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted to polarize voters based on religion during the election campaign.

The high voter turnout in several Lok Sabha constituencies in Telangana has left the three major political parties, the Congress, the BRS, and the BJP, baffled. Overall, 66.3% of voters exercised their franchise, with Bhongir reporting the highest polling percentage of 76.78% and Hyderabad the lowest at 48.48%. The high voter turnout is more than 3% higher than the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but lower than the December assembly elections. All parties are now assessing the pros and cons of the voting pattern, claiming that the high voter turnout is in their favor.

The Election Commission (EC) has issued notices to the presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) regarding alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by their star campaigners, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, respectively. The EC is currently examining the complaints and counter-complaints received from both parties.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has accused the BJP government of mishandling the healthcare sector in India, a claim supported by the party’s manifesto that guarantees universal healthcare access for all citizens. Ramesh criticized the government for imposing an 18% GST on health insurance, contributing to the lack of coverage for over 63% of Indians. The Congress manifesto includes free healthcare services in public health facilities, as well as a Rajasthan model cashless insurance plan offering up to INR 25 lakhs for universal healthcare.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election speeches as “hollow talk” and accused the BJP of disrespecting the culture and tradition of adivasis. She stated that Modi’s speeches lacked substance and questioned his commitment to serving the people. Gandhi also alleged that President Droupadi Murmu, who belongs to the adivasi community, was not given due respect by the ruling party.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi acknowledged his party’s past mistakes and called for a shift in its political approach. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of acting as a monarch and being a mouthpiece for a few financiers. Gandhi expressed his readiness for a debate with Modi but doubted the Prime Minister’s willingness to participate.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress party during a campaign rally, accusing it of hatching a conspiracy to erase Hindu faith from the country. He claimed that the Congress was spreading lies about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by alleging that it would change the Constitution and do away with reservation. Modi also accused the Congress of trying to divide India along religious lines and ally with ‘anti-national forces’.

In response, the Congress demanded to know why the Modi government had delayed conducting the census by three years and questioned whether Mr. Modi really wanted an up-to-date socio-economic census or not.

Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram has supported Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s demand for an investigation into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that two industrialists delivered cash to the Congress. Chidambaram stated that Modi’s claim should be taken seriously and that an inquiry by either the CBI or ED is justified. He criticized the BJP and the Finance Minister for their silence on the matter, questioning why they had not responded to Gandhi’s request.