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Kajal Agrawal

Who Will be Next Congress President? Reports of 'Sonia Gandhi Resigning False', Says Randeep Surjewala Featured

  23 अगस्त 2020

New Delhi, August 23: Congress' national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala dismissed the reports which claimed on Sunday that Sonia Gandhi would step down from her position of party president.

The seniormost Gandhi family member was appointed at the helm n August last year, after her son Rahul Gandhi had stepped down following the humiliating defeat in 2019 general elections.

"Reports of Sonia Gandhi resigning from the post of Congress interim president are false," said Surjewala, whose statement is considered as the official word of the party. Congress President Row: Veterans Back Sonia Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot Says Letter of Dissent 'Unbelievable'.

Surjewala's clarification came amid reports claiming that Gandhi has replied to a letter of dissent sent to her by around 23 seniormost party leaders. The dissenters have sought a complete overhaul of the party structure to re-energise the cadres and end the spree of poll defeats. Gandhi, in her reply, reportedly asked them to "get together and elect a new president".

Update by ANI 

Who Will be Next Congress President?

While a section of party old guard including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have led their weight behind Sonia Gandhi, a number of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs have demanded the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm.

Sonia, 73, was given a one-year interim role as party chief last year after no one came forth to claim the presidency following her son's exit. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), which is scheduled to convene tomorrow for a top-level meeting, will take a final call on the next leader, reports said.

 

 

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    It would also be interesting to see whether Sachin Pilot is brought to the centre. While Pilot has made it clear that he sees Rajasthan as his ‘karam bhumi’ and CM Ashok Gehlot doesn’t want to leave the state yet, the Congress leadership could bring in Pilot to buy time till the committee submits its report.

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    Turkey has again signed a contract with Russia to acquire additional S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Moscow, the Russian news agency TASS reported.

    This would be a second deal between Moscow and Ankara for the S-400 missile systems. Turkey has already received two batteries of the S-400s worth $2.5 billion, a deal which was inked in April 2017.

    Speaking to reporters, the Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport chief Alexander Mikheyev said “The contract has been signed”, and stated that the parties shall now discuss the financial terms of the contract.

    He further said that the timeframe of implementing the contract would depend “on our partners’ readiness to finally resolve the procedural issues with the financing of this project”.

    Turkey, being the first NATO member country to have received the S-400 air defense system, has damaged its reputation among NATO members and severely strained ties with Washington.

    Due to the deal, Washington kicked-out Turkey out from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program – which means it won’t be getting any American 5th generation fighters and could instead look at Russian Su-35 jets.Instead of trying to resolve matters with the United States, Erdogan has pushed forward for a second deal for the S-400.

    Past talks between Turkey and the U.S. on the acquisition of the Patriot air defense system had fallen over a large group of issues, from the accessibility of S-400s to Ankara’s disappointment with Washington’s terms and conditions.Turkey has said it will possibly consent to an offer if it incorporates terms for indigenous production and transfer of technology.

    Ankara has more than once emphasized that it was the U.S.’ refusal to sell it Patriots that drove it to search out different vendors, adding that Russia offered a superior deal, including the transfer of technology.  Turkey even proposed setting up a commission to explain any specialized issues, yet the U.S. has so far not reacted to this proposition.According to TASS, the S-400 ‘Triumf’ is the most advanced long-range air defense missile system that went into service in Russia in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise, and ballistic missiles, including medium-range weapons, and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.

     

  • Assam: KMSS To Launch Politcal Party, Akhil Gogoi To Be Chief Minister Candidate

    Guwahati: Peasant body Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) on Saturday announced that it will launch a political party to fight the Assam assembly election in 2021 and its jailed leader Akhil Gogoi will be its chief ministerial candidate.

    Addressing a press conference here, the KMSS leadership said the proposed party’s name will be announced by Gogoi once he is released from jail.

    “We have prepared ourselves to form a new political party. It will be a regional party. People from all tribes, castes, communities, religions and languages will be a part of this party,” KMSS president Bhasco De Saikia said.

    The new outfit will be a non-compromising political force and it will not be named after KMSS’s earlier venture Gana Mukti Sangram-Asom.

    “Because of our non-compromising position, Akhil Gogoi is still inside the jail. By October, we hope he will be released. He will announce the name of the party after coming out of jail. The name of the party has been finalised already,” Saikia said. 

    Gogoi is lodged in Guwahati central jail and is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) late in 2019. The special NIA court earlier this month rejected his bail plea.

    Asked if Gogoi, who is the adviser of KMSS, will fight the polls, he replied in the affirmative.

    “Yes Akhil Gogoi will fight the polls in 2021. He will be our CM candidate,” Saikia said. “We are at present fighting for Akhil Gogoi’s release. Responding to our appeals, the people of Assam have come forward and contributed large amounts to carry forward the legal battle,” Saikia said.

    Elaborating on the proposed party, he said all intellectual preparation for the new party is ready as is its constitution.

    “The work agenda will be known as Asombasir Jatiya Karmahuchi and it will be the basis of the future modern Assamese society. We will send the constitution and the agenda to all district committees and our sister organisations. Then we will make these public and seek the peoples’ opinion on them,” he said.

    The KMSS leader said the proposed political party will fight against all forms of communal forces and appealed to regional forces to come forward and join hands to defeat the ruling BJP and its allies.

    “Our goal is to create a politically federal, economically self reliant, socially and culturally inclusive, and mentally scientific Assam. The KMSS will remain as an independent organisation like today and the political party will be separate,” Saikia said.

    Asked if KMSS has spoken to opposition parties in the state and All Assam Students’ Union, which too is foraying into politics, Saikia said “We have not talked to Congress or AASU yet. We all have to unite. The need of the hour is to join hands.”

    About the number of constituencies that the new front will contest, Saikia said it is being worked out and will be announced later.

    The KMSS leaders, the AASU and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad (AJYCP) have been separately making public statements about forming new regional political parties since the protests against the CAA in December 2019.

    On August 19 student and youth bodies AASU and AJYCP set up an 18-member committee of prominent personalities to suggest the two organisation’s future course of action, a step towards their much-talked about political entry ahead of state Assembly polls.

    Senior journalist and Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, who was supported by opposition parties Congress and AIUDF, too recently floated a new regional entity ‘Anchalik Gana Morcha’ to fight the assembly election slated for March-April in 2021.

    Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had announced that Congress is working on to form a ‘Grand Alliance’ of non-BJP parties, including the AIUDF, Left and AGM, to oust the ruling party in the assembly elections and kept doors open for any new parties.

    The election to the 126-member Assam assembly in 2016 had given a fractured mandate and no party got the absolute majority in the current House. The ruling BJP is in the government with support from the AGP and BPF along with one Independent MLA.

     

     

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