By Rahil Nora Chopra
Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi called on people who want to protect democracy and the Constitution to join the Chalo Delhi Ramlila March on November 1. He mentioned it as a movement to save democracy, stop vote theft and protect the Constitution. In a video on X, Rahul Gandhi said it is a singular protest for the nation. “The ‘Chalo Delhi’ Ramlila March is a march to save democracy, to put an end to the theft of votes, and to protect the Constitution,” Rahul said. This is not a march for any single political party it is a march for the very soul of India, he asserted. He also urged student groups across political affiliations to join the opposition’s protest. The I.N.D.I.A parties are planning a mobilisation of over one lakh for the November 1 rally, which they expect to increase pressure on Gyanesh Kumar and the Modi government. The event is also expected to set the tone for the Opposition’s next steps. The Congress is planning on the same lined some four more rallies in different parts of the country, although dates have yet to be finalised. But much depends on how the rally at Ramlila Maidan will be attended. As successful rally only could lead to give the Congress the momentum it requires to take the campaign to other parts of the country, reinforce Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and keep the INDIA bloc united around a common cause.
SAMAJWADI PARTY SHOWED ITS ORGANISATIONAL STRENGTH IN MLC POLLS
The results of the 2026 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections have emphasized Samajwadi Party’s organisational preparations and election management. The BJP won six seats overall in the elections out of 11 UP Legislative Council graduate and teachers’ constituency seats, while the Samajwadi Party secured five seats. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav coined the term PDA defining it as standing for the “Pichhda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Backward classes, Dalits, and Minorities).” Yadav has positioned the ‘PDA’ communities at the core of his political planning in UP. The BJP suffered a setback in its strongholds of Varanasi, Lucknow, Jhansi, and the Agra region. The Samajwadi Party retained both the Varanasi Teachers’ MLC seat and the Varanasi Graduates’ constituency. Varanasi is the Parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The SP also won the Lucknow Graduates’, Allahabad-Jhansi Graduates’, and the Agra Teachers’ constituencies. Meanwhile , the BJP retained most of its key seats, the SP raised its tally from three to five, giving party chief Akhilesh Yadav an opportunity to emphasize the results as a sign of the party’s growing challenge to the Yogi Adityanath-led government.
MAHAYUTI SETBACK IN MAHARASHTRA MLC POLLS IS A JOLT TO BJP
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance suffered a setback in the biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council, winning two of the five seats, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi secured three. In a political setback for the BJP in Nagpur, the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari and the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), where Congress’ Abhijeet Wanjari overturned the party’s early lead to defeat Sudhakar Kohale by 3,271 votes, retaining the Nagpur Division Graduates’ constituency. Wanjari secured 67,231 votes against Kohale’s 63,960, winning a second consecutive term in the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the constituency. Meanwhile, the Congress hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “Guess how many seats the Congress won” taunt at the opposition party’s performance in the MLC elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh wrote in a post on X, “The Prime Minister needs to introspect, but instead, he’s sermonising others! Before counting Congress’s seats, I wish he’d also reflect on why the BJP lost both seats in his own parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, and how Congress managed to defeat the BJP in RSS’s stronghold of Nagpur?. “Mr. Modi, stop the trolling. Crores of families are reeling from back-breaking inflation, the youth are unemployed, and private investment has ground to a halt,” Ramesh said. While the NCP SP called for going back to ballot papers for holding elections, the BJP called for introspection among the alliance partners. The election results have led to dire embarrassment for the ruling alliance of Mahayuti.
SONIA GANDHI SAYS HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY” BELONGING” IS SURE TO LEAD TO TAMASHA
Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said her upcoming autobiography ‘Belonging’ is set to kick up public drama, since people have their views about her. In an Instagram post, she said, “There is bound to be tamasha when this book comes out. After all, others have spent decades telling my ‘story’, now it’s my turn.” She said a lot has been written about her that was either invented or exaggerated. “So, it gave me the feeling of being able to now put down my story and describe facts and things as they really were… People have different views, some may change their views about me and some people’s views may become worse. But it is what it is. That’s what happens when you write a book or when you are in public life.” Gandhi also said she was against her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, becoming the Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. The book also covers Sonia’s political career, including the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s victory in the 2004 general election, after which she declined the prime minister’s post and Manmohan Singh took over.
AKHILESH YADAV’S MEETING WITH AZAM KHAN IN JAIL ANGERS UP BJP LEADERS
With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections on the edge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav interacted with party leader Azam Khan at Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district jail on Thursday, triggering a political confrontation with the BJP. On the other hand, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde reacted to the meeting by alleging that the Samajwadi Party planned to make Khan the state’s home minister if it comes to power. Tawde accused Khan of encouraging lawlessness and claimed such a state would derail the state’s development. While Akhilesh Yadav, who accused the BJP government of carrying political vendetta against Khan and his family, alleging that false cases had been framed and filed against them. Azam is widely seen as the SP’s only credible Muslim face. Political observers feel the SP could find it difficult to woo Muslims before the Assembly elections next year without Azam’s aid. (IPA Service)
