For quite some time now, there has been continued confusion on whether Rahul Gandhi was ready to take over the Congress president again, given that so far no other candidate has emerged for the post of Congress president. As of now, there is no clarity on the leadership issue and the mood in Congress continues to be gloomy. According to sources moves are on in full swing to make Rahul return as the Congress president at some point in the coming months and the reluctant dynast may accept the top job in the party. The overwhelming view in Congress is that the Gandhi family is the cementing force for the grand old party and Rahul is the only leader who could counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah courageously and fearlessly. Not many outside the Congress would agree with this view, as Opposition parties are looking at exploring a non-Congress alternative to the BJP. Rahul is not the Congress president, but his views and decisions are evident in the party’s position on key issues like the unprecedented economic slowdown, the CAA, NPR, NRC and farmers’ agitation. There is no other opposition leader who enjoys as much pan-India appeal as Rahul Gandhi. At a time when the country is badly polarised and most institutions seem to be playing it safe, it is the Congress party which has the nationwide presence required to mobilise secular forces to confront the BJP’s divisive politics and policies. In the current scheme of things, Rahul Gandhi is the best hope for the Congress. But he needs to step up and become a 24X7 Congress president.
ELECTION COMMISSION COMPELLED TO HOLD RAJYA SABHA POLLS IN KERALA AFTER COURT ORDER
The Election commission of India on Monday announced that polling for three Rajya Sabha seats following vacant on April 21 in Kerala will be held on April 30. This decision came after the state high court directed the poll panel to hold the election before the results of the recently concluded assembly polls are announced on May 2. Initially the elections were scheduled for April 12 but the decision to keep the proceeding in abeyance was taken after the communication received by the election commission from the Union minister Law and Justice which said that it would be constitutionally just and proper that the new assembly should constitute the electoral college for filling the three vacancies. CPI MLA S Sharma and assembly secretary SV Unni Krishnan Nair filed a petition in high court praying that the election should be held during the term of present assembly. High court has given an order to election commission to act fairly and avoid the situation where the nominations for the three seats are made by the existing assembly and voting is done by another. Left Front sources in Kerala feel that the EC earlier bowed to BJP pressure to postpone the election after the results on May 2 but it was forced to announce its holding on April 21 only because of the Kerala High Court order. This again shows how the EC has compromised its position.
NITISH KUMAR TAKES HIS REVENGE ON LJP LEADER CHIRAG PASWAN
Revenge is a dish best served cold. They say that the chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar is a believer of this ideology. This was evident when Rajkumar Singh, the lone member of legislative assembly from Chirag Paswan’s LJP Joined JD(U). Earlier many LJP functionaries have Joined JD (U). Several politicians in the state pointed out that the chief minister nursing the humiliation wounds of the JD(U) being relegated to the third place in the Bihar assembly election last year hold Paswan responsible for it.
PRIYANKA GANDHI WANTS CANCELLATION OF CLASS 12 EXAMINATIONS OF CBSE
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said CBSE board exams must be cancelled for Class 12 as has been done for Class 10 and asserted that keeping the students under pressure till June is unfair. Her remarks came soon after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced that exams for Class 10 have been cancelled and those for Class 12 have been postponed in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. The exams were scheduled to be held from May 4. “The Class 12 exams have been postponed and a review of the situation will be done after June 1. Students will be given at least a 15-day notice before the exams are conducted,” a Ministry of Education official said. Reacting to the development, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Glad the government has finally cancelled the 10th standard exams. However, a final decision must be taken for the 12th grade too.” “Keeping students under undue pressure until June makes no sense. It’s unfair. I urge the government to decide now,” the Congress general secretary tweeted.
BODOLAND PEOPLE’S FRONT CANDIDATE DEFECTS TO BJP PUTTING PARTY UNEASY
The defection of the Tamulpur candidate of the Bodoland People’s Front, Rangjakhungur Basumatary to the BJP just days before the third phase of assembly elections was one of the biggest developments of the recently concluded polls in Assam. This raised a lot of questions about the candidate, the parties involved, the poll process and legality of such a move. But it was particularly hard for the voters with BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary campaigning in Tamulpur seeking votes for the nangal (plough) the BPF’s symbol. While Election commission turned down its plea to put off the polls owing to the defection, pre polling defection has fuelled fears within the opposition rank about this practice. (IPA)
