2024 Parliamentary Election: Whither Opposition and Congress?

The Parliamentary election 2024 is only a couple of months away and the nation is experiencing a new kind of election fever which we have not seen except in 1977, the post-Emergency Parliamentary election. Then, as expected, the newly cobbled up Opposition parties, under the dynamic and well-accepted leadership of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)  called Janata Party, took on the Congress party and won.

The present BJP in its older avatar at that time known as Bharatiya Jana Sangh was almost an apology of a political party compared to its other partners namely Congress (O), Socialist Party of India (of Raj Narain and George Fernandes), Bharatiya Lok Dal (of Charan Singh, who was posthumously given Bharat Ratna this year) and Swatantra Party (of C. Rajagopalachari and ‎Minoo Masani). Together, these parties, which were a part of Janata Morcha, a political movement known as ‘Total Revolution’ led by Jayaprakash Narayan, became  Janata Party.

During the election campaign, Indira Gandhi called this Janata Party as a ‘strange animal’ and a ‘khichdi’ party without any political or moral principles. She called the Janata Party as an ‘opportunistic party.’ Indira Gandhi was prophetic in her utterances and tirade against the Janata Party. The Janata Party which won the election and formed the government soon came apart as its Central leadership could not hold those disparate parties together with each party asserting its own political and economic ideology. Naturally, things fall apart when Centre cannot hold.

Leaders of these coalition political parties were too ambitious to become Prime Ministers and looking for an excuse, no matter how frivolous it was. A replay of a similar political acrobatics was seen when Rajiv Gandhi was defeated in 1989 and V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister poisoning the nation with Mandal Commission. Its pernicious effect on our country’s earlier healthy reservation policy is impacting on our society even now.

Before Mandal Commission,  the evil of caste system was just an undercurrent in electoral politics. But thereafter it brazenly surfaced in the elections throwing up many caste-based satraps in States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. No wonder we are hearing the hoarse voices for caste census which will surely perpetuate caste system for all time to come as long as there is electoral politics in our country.

If anyone is to be blamed for this anti-social development, it is our politicians who strut around calling for the abolition of the caste system, but doing nothing about it. We are marching towards an age of reason and societal enlightenment where socially every citizen is of equal status, mutually respected and treated with dignity. But see, what our politicians have done. Their greed for power has seared the souls of the socially discriminated and deprived sections of our citizens. Therefore, we need no more political leaders now. There are enough of them. The need of the hour is for social reformers like Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Subramania Bharati, Swami Vivekananda, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, Narayana Guru and others.

However, unless the caste factor with its identities is erased from electoral politics, we will never have a fair and free election. Therefore, we need tall social reformers who will reform our politicians  to eschew caste factor in elections completely. Is it an utopian idea?

Be that as it may, let us take a peek into the election that is at our doors. As I mentioned, the Opposition coalition in the past, in 1977 and 1989, won the election. To that extent at least it was a successful political strategy, though it committed harakiri soon after forming the government.

But see what is happening to  a similar coalition launched to face the BJP (rather Modi!) in the 2024 election. The I.N.D.I. Alliance is a still-born baby. Look at the way I.N.D.I. Alliance is coming apart, exploding. It is said that the strength of a chain depends on its weakest link. But here it seems all its links are weak except the one —Congress! And Congress itself seems to be at large, its Prime Ministerial candidate walking the Indian Roads in all directions on a journey to nowhere.

An angry young man, who had the audacity to tear to smithereens his own UPA government’s notification at a press conference in Delhi, he is going to take on Modi in 2024 Parliamentary elections alone, like a One-Man Army without foot soldiers. And worse that his high-ranking officers are deserting him one after the other. Yesterday’s Deccan Herald had given a list of them by name with an apt sub-heading “Never-ending list” and at the last count there were 34 and still counting.

Well, but “Who is afraid of Virginia Wolf?” Or “Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” Not Rahul Gandhi, of course. Among those who deserted the sinking Congress Boat are many honourable, loyal Congressmen like for example Supreme Court Advocate Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Amarinder Singh,  Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora. Yes, others might have left to save their skin from ED.

However, should Congress High Command lose these senior honchos at a critical time of Parliamentary election? No. Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Nehru or his grandmother Indira Gandhi and even his father Rajiv Gandhi (who spoke in a public meeting in Mumbai about ending the evil of power-brokers in Congress and then compromised) would not have allowed these stalwarts to leave the party? Didn’t Nehru stop Gen. K.S. Thimayya from resigning despite V.K. Krishna Menon? But Rahul has guts. He simply shunned these people with a ‘Couldn’t care for you’ attitude saying “People who are leaving tomorrow, should go today itself.”

Now over to the 2024 Parliamentary election.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com

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Mysore/Mysuru: Strongly condemning the Assam BJP Government’s action of denying permission to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s entry to a temple in Assam during the ongoing Congress Party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the city Congress leaders staged a protest in front of Congress Bhavan near the City Railway Station on JLB Road here this morning.

Rahul Gandhi was denied permission by the Assam Government on Monday to  visit Sri Sri Sankardeva Satra, popularly known as Batadrava Than, the birth place of 15th Century social reformer-saint Srimanta Sankardeva in Nagaon district of Assam, during his Nyay Yatra that is currently underway in Assam.

Addressing the Congress workers, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre termed BJP men as fake Ram Bhakts. Asserting that ‘Ramanama Smarane’ is the right of everyone, he said that such devotion is not the right of only BJP leaders. Maintaining that the Congress never used religious issues for reaping political gains, Khandre strongly condemned the Assam Government and BJP leaders for denying permission to visit the popular Assam temple.

Accusing the BJP of using religious matters for meeting its political ends, the Minister reiterated that the Congress never placed hurdles in matters concerning religious practices.

Contending that Rahul’s Yatra will continue no matter what tricks the ruling BJP plays, he lashed out at the BJP for using public frenzy over religious issues for electoral gains, while at the same time ignoring the needs of the common man.

MLA Darshan Dhruvanarayan, City Congress President R. Murthy, District President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, former MP Kagalawadi M. Shivanna, former Corporator Shivanna, District Women’s Congress President Latha Siddashetty, City President and former Mayor Pushpalatha Chikkanna, leaders Dr. H.V. Sushruth Gowda, Manjula Manjunath, J.J. Anand, Srinath Babu, Harish Naidu, Ishwar Chakkadi, Latha Mohan, Dairy Venkatesh, Mary, Poornima and others took part in the protest.

Will hold meeting on man-animal conflict in Mysuru region

Replying to a question on man-animal conflict, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said that he will be holding a meeting with Forest Department officials at Bandipur later this afternoon and discuss the                                    issue in detail.

He further said he would seek inputs on the measures taken thus far for ending the menace  in Mysuru and surrounding districts. The Congress Government is committed to end man-animal conflicts everywhere in the State, he added.

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New Delhi: After the stupendous success of ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ taken out from South to North, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is all set to take out ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ in Eastern and Western parts of the country.

Rahul will be embarking on 6,200-km long padayatra from Manipur to Mumbai on Jan. 14, 2024 and will conclude on Mar. 20 same year, prior to Lok Sabha elections. The party workers are also expected to join Rahul in large numbers, with 14 States and 85 districts on the itinerary of the Yatra, according to AICC.

Notably, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkand, Chhattisgarh, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra will be covered during the Yatra.

It may be mentioned that, ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ that took off from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu in September 2022 concluded after five months at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2024, with several thousands of Congress workers and leaders joining hands with Rahul. It helped the party resurrect its political fortune, by wresting power back in Karnataka from BJP in May 2023 Assembly elections, while it installed its first ever Government in Telangana by unseating the incumbent Government of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS).

The fresh Padayatra planned by Rahul is also aimed at forthcoming Parliamentary elections and several of Congress leaders and workers are expected to join their leader in the Yatra.

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Will implement six guarantee schemes like in Karnataka: Karnataka Dy.CM D.K. Shivakumar 

Hyderabad: Anumula Revanth Reddy, President of Telangana Congress, took oath as Chief Minister of Telangana in a grand ceremony at Hyderabad’s LB Stadium this afternoon. Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Reddy.

The ceremony began at 1 pm as 56-year-old Revanth Reddy arrived on stage with Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for his oath-taking ceremony.

Bhatti Vikramarka took oath as Deputy CM. As many as 10 other Ministers, namely N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Dasari Anasuya, Damodar Raja Narasimha, D. Sridhar Babu, Thummala Nageshwara Rao, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Konda Surekha, and Jupally Krishna Rao, also took oath.

Also known as ‘Tiger Revanth’ by his followers, Revanth Reddy took on the tallest leader of Telangana, K. Chandrashekar Rao, the leader of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and brought Congress into power for the first time since Telangana was formed in 2014.

A host of party leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and Congress in-charge of Telangana, Manikrao Thakare, Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar attended the ceremony.

Revanth Reddy will sign a file fulfilling poll guarantees in his first order of business after taking charge of the office. The Chief Minister will offer the first job to a 38-year-old woman he had promised.

D.K. Shivakumar said, “The Telangana Government will implement all the guarantees like we have implemented in Karnataka. We are committed to whatever we have spoken.”

Posters of Anumula Revanth Reddy was pasted across Hyderabad city ahead of him taking oath as Chief Minister of Telangana, after the Congress party emerged victorious in the Telangana Assembly polls.

Revanth Reddy will be the first Congress Chief Minister of Telangana after it was carved in 2014. He was an easy choice with a majority the MLAs favouring him.

Just days before swearing-in, Reddy found himself at the centre of a controversy over his month-old remarks on “Bihar DNA”, inviting criticism not just from the BJP, but also I.N.D.I.A allies JD(U) and RJD.

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‘A major step in women empowerment as Govt. completes 100 days’

Mysore/Mysuru: Fulfilling one of its main poll promises, the Karnataka Government launched the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ Scheme (Rs. 2,000 financial aid to woman head of family) at the jam-packed Maharaja’s College Grounds in city this morning.

The scheme was launched by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the presence of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah,  Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, AICC General Secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and K.C. Venugopal.

Making it a show of strength event, all the Congress MLAs from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu regions were present on the stage along with Cabinet Ministers. Interestingly, even the official machinery and top bureaucrats from all the districts of the region along with the IT team that facilitated the scheme launch were accommodated on the huge dais. 

Under this scheme, over 1.5 crore women heads of family will get Rs. 2,000 each, every month. According to officials, the first instalment of the scheme was credited to the bank accounts today and the Government has earmarked Rs. 17,500 crore for the purpose. Banks have already completed the process of transferring money to the accounts of beneficiaries. The launch event was beamed live at over 12,500 centres simultaneously across the State.

To mark the launch, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi lit the traditional lamp and Kharge later pressed the remote button when the cheque of Rs. 2,000 was displayed on screen and a theme song was played. A physical cheque was also displayed on the dais. Simultaneously, Rahul Gandhi too pressed the launch button on an i-pad, signalling the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts.

Earlier, Mysuru District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa read the preamble of Indian Constitution where all those present at the venue were administered the oath of protecting the Constitution. D.K. Shivakumar urged all those viewing the event from 12,500 centres to take oath as the preamble was read.

The leaders also released a booklet highlighting the achievements of the first 100 days of Congress Government. In his address, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress party has fulfilled all pre-poll promises and today, Gruha Lakshmi has been launched. While Rahul spoke in Hindi, MLA Sharath Bachegowda translated it to Kannada.

Mentioning all promises one by one, Rahul said the pre-poll guarantees will ensure that the principles of a welfare state will reach the grassroot population.

“The guarantees will strengthen the roots of families. If roots are weak, a tree is unable to stand. Congress is attempting to strengthen the roots of households by empowering women in the face of rising inflation,” he said.

The guarantees assured and implemented by the Government in Karnataka is the main aim of a welfare state that ensures the welfare of its entire population and not limited to a few individuals.

“Karnataka has shown the way to the nation how such guarantees can be implemented nationwide. This scheme has not been formulated by any industrialist or a think-tank. It is your scheme and you women showed us the way,” he added.

Digital cards were symbolically distributed to 10 women beneficiaries. The 1.50 crore cards have been brought out by the Women and Child Development Department. Mallikarjun Kharge was addressing the gathering when we went to press at 2 pm. 

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to symbolically hand over benefits; release booklet on 100 days of Siddharamaiah-led State Government

Bengaluru: The ambitious Gruha Lakshmi Scheme, one of the five pre-poll guarantees announced by the State Government, under which monthly financial assistance of Rs. 2,000 will be credited to the accounts of over one crore women heads of the families, will be launched in Mysuru on Aug. 30. It will also coincide with Chief Minister Siddharamaiah’s 100 days in office.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be symbolically handing over the benefit to some of the beneficiaries to mark the launch of the scheme, at a grand event planned at Maharaja’s College Grounds in the city, also the home town of CM Siddharamaiah. With this the State Government will be implementing its fourth guarantee, after the roll out of Shakti, Anna Bhagya and GruhaJyothi Schemes in therecent months.

Rahul Gandhi will also release the booklet containing information related to development works and plans of 100 days of the State Government.

In his public address during the run up to Assembly elections in the State, Rahul Gandhi had promised to extend a financial assistance of Rs. 2,000 to women heads of the families, if the party was elected to power, catching even the State party leaders off guard. Following this, Rahul’s announcement was prominently included among five guarantees of the Government. Hence, Rahul himself will be kick-starting the Scheme for his vision turning into a reality.

To ensure success of the launching event in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah is busy preparing the schedule, setting aside all his official engagements for the last two days. Two rounds of meetings have been already held with Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda, Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar and Urban Development Minister Byrati Suresh and Officers. While the main programme of the Government is being held in Mysuru, the respective district administrations across the State will be organising the programme to publicise 100-day achievements of the Government led by CM Siddharamaiah.

With Gruha Lakshmi Scheme all set for a launch, what  remains is Yuva Nidhi Scheme which is expected to be launched in December.

Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar to hold meeting in city, inspect venue this evening

Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar will be chairing a meeting in Mysuru today afternoon, with the Ministers and MLAs from Mysuru, Mandya and Hassan districts and Officers concerned over preparations for launch of Gruha Lakshmi.

The meeting is scheduled at Zilla Panchayat Hall in the city, where Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar will be seeking opinions and suggestions, before finalising the schedule for the event. She is also expected to inspect the venue of the programme this evening. Earlier, it had been planned  to roll out Gruha Lakshmi Scheme from the Minister’s home district Belagavi.  However, due to non-availability of the dates of Rahul Gandhi, it was shifted to Mysuru.

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Every time there is kissing, someone is bound to start pressing charges and last week, the women MPs of the BJP did just that. They gave a written complaint to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had made an ‘inappropriate gesture’ by giving a ‘flying kiss.’ They demanded ‘stringent action’ against Rahul Gandhi for ‘insulting the dignity of the women members in the House.’

What makes the BJP’s women MPs think they were the targets of Rahul’s airborne kiss? The description of a ‘flying kiss’ or ‘blown kiss’ states — it is a kiss that is used when a person wishes to convey affection to a large crowd or audience, and that is what Rahul did.

Media persons in the House reported that after Rahul finished his speech, he was walking out of the House, not waiting to listen to Union Minister Smriti Irani, who had begun speaking. Peeved at this nonchalant attitude, the Treasury benches shouted at him to stay back and listen to the Minister’s speech. At this point, Rahul turned towards the Treasury benches and blew a kiss before walking out. 

The BJP women MPs’ outburst about a blown kiss seems overblown, but Rahul Gandhi’s lack of probity should not be blown aside — his inability to understand the seriousness of business at hand — no-confidence motion.

Rahul Gandhi often shoves his foot in his mouth with erroneous statements or shoots himself in the foot with theatrics. Remember in 2013 when Ajay Maken, then Spokesperson of Congress, was sitting at a press conference defending a Congress-initiated Ordinance, Rahul Gandhi walked in, took over the press conference and said, “My opinion is that the Ordinance is nonsense, should be torn up and thrown out.”

He again dramatically added, “I will repeat it for you; my opinion about the Ordinance is that it is complete nonsense; it should be torn and thrown away.” And then he got up and left, leaving behind a room full of confused media persons and a spooked Congress Spokesperson.

We also remember how he dramatically tore up a sheet of paper to drive home the point at a public rally that BSP in UP was not keeping its promises. Later, the same party became his ally.

Some may recall in 2018 when his party moved the no-confidence motion, Rahul gave a speech. Back then, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, “an astonishing performance, tearing apart the Govt’s claims & ending with that unscripted hug that has literally taken the BJP’s breath away #BhukampAaGaya (there is an earthquake).” But…

When there is an earthquake, everything and everyone is shaken, but no one shook except Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who thought Rahul was asking him to get up from his seat as Rahul rushed to hug him. Many thought Rahul Gandhi was asking the Prime Minister to get up from his seat as he felt Modi did not deserve to be the PM. 

One cannot be faulted for thinking this considering Rahul rushed towards the PM right after tearing into the Prime Minister while moving a no-confidence motion against him. 

While Rahul tried to show he is a man of love with his jappi (hug), we thought the PM who also loves showmanship would try to outdo him by giving him a pappi (kiss). 

While many felt it was nice of Rahul to hug the PM, sending a message of love and respect towards an adversary, his wink after the act ruined his chances of walking away on a high note. 

The wink showed that his hug was not spontaneous and sincere. It was a gimmicky political move to create a perception that Rahul was all about love and respect while Modi was not. It backfired. No wonder the PM later called it ‘bachpana’ (immature behaviour). 

Today India desperately needs an influential Opposition leader who can counter Modi in terms of oration, confidence and seriousness of purpose. A credible Opposition is the need of the hour in India. Instead, we now have a collective calling itself I.N.D.I.A, led by a man who keeps taking two steps forward and one step back. 

Now, to say Rahul’s flying kiss insulted the dignity of women members is pushing it too far, but by blowing a kiss, Rahul may have blown the seriousness of the no-confidence motion moved by his party yet again. 

Congress party’s repeated moving of no-confidence motion just before elections could be a strategy to relaunch Rahul as the face of the Opposition. It has turned the no-confidence motion into a request for the people to have ‘confidence in Rahul motion’, and Rahul blew it again. 

Last time Rahul Gandhi blew it with a hug and a wink. This time he did it with a flying kiss. Guess it’s not in our kiss-mat to have a strong Opposition Leader anytime soon.

e-mail: vikram@starofmysore.com

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Mysore/Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddharamaiah said that the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme (Rs. 2,000 per month financial assistance to the woman head of every eligible family in the State), one of the five pre-poll promises, will be launched by  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi either on Aug. 29 or 30.

Speaking to presspersons at Mysuru Airport. Mandakalli here upon his arrival from Bengaluru in a special flight this morning, Siddharamaiah said out of the 1.33 crore eligible families, 1.06 crore families have registered so far for ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme.

Pointing out that top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will officially launch the scheme on Aug. 29 or 30, he said that the Government’s other Poll promise ‘Yuva Nidhi’ (Rs. 3,000 financial assistance to unemployed graduates and Rs. 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders) will be launched in December.

When asked about Tamil Nadu’s plea with the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) seeking release of 37.2 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu, Siddharamaiah said that Karnataka itself was facing shortage of water, with a shortfall in rains in Cauvery River basin and hence there was no question of releasing water to TN right now.

“There is no surplus Cauvery water to release to TN. Karnataka itself is staring at a water crisis, with the monsoon playing truant. As such the State can consider release of water to TN only if there is copious rainfall in the coming days,” he asserted.

Replying to a question on when the ZP and TP polls will be held, the CM said that the Court has granted 10 weeks time for delimitation in respect of ZP and TP Constituencies and 12 weeks in respect of BBMP seats. The Government will take a decision only after the delimitation process is complete and what the Court says on the matter, he maintained.

Strongly opposing the Centre’s proposed law that aims to keep the Chief Justice of India (CJI) out of the selection panel for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs), the CM alleged that the Centre was out to have total control of the Election Commission ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha Polls.

Asserting that the Government was probing the 40 percent commission allegations made by the Karnataka Contractors Association against the previous BJP Government, the CM said that the Government was awaiting a report from the probe agency and action will surely be taken against all those found guilty.

Referring to the payment of bills, he said that such contractors who have executed works as per the contract would definitely be paid. Lashing out at the BJP for making corruption charges against his Government, Siddharamaiah said that all such charges are false and the BJP is making such baseless allegations out of frustration.

When wished on his birthday, the CM Siddharamaiah said that he was not sure of his birthday date as there are two varying dates — Aug. 3,1947 and Aug. 12,1947 — one noted by his parents and the other by his teacher respectively.

District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, former MP Kagalawadi Shivanna, District Rural Congress President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar and a host of district level Officials were present.

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New Delhi: In a fresh controversy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was leaving after his first speech in the Parliament following his reinstatement as an MP today, gave a flying kiss to BJP MPs.

Rahul blew a flying kiss to BJP MPs, the moment though not captured on camera, happened when the Congress leader was leaving Lok Sabha premises and Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani’s speech was on.

As Rahul bent over to pick  up the files, a few BJP MPs started laughing at him. It was then that, Rahul Gandhi blew a kiss at the BJP MPs and walked out. Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje also hit out at Rahul over the flying kiss and filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker, calling Gandhi’s behaviour ‘inappropriate’.

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New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been reinstated as the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala’s Wayanad Constituency this morning. The development comes days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the ‘Modi’ surname remark case.

A notification from the Lok Sabha Secretariat today, confirmed that Gandhi’s disqualification as MP stood revoked. “In view of order dated 04.08.2023 of the Supreme Court of India, the disqualification of Shri Rahul Gandhi, notified vide Gazette Notification No. 21/4(3)/2023/TO(B) dated the March 24, 2023, in terms of the provisions of Article 102 (1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, has ceased to operate subject to further judicial pronouncements,” the Lok Sabha Secretariat notification read.

Gandhi was disqualified from the Lok Sabha after he was convicted in a defamation case by a Surat Court in March this year. The Court convicted him in a defamation case over his ‘Modi’ surname remark and sentenced him to two years in prison.

The Gujarat High Court had dismissed Gandhi’s plea against conviction and observed that “purity in politics” was the need of the hour. Following this, Rahul Gandhi had approached the Supreme Court for staying his conviction in the case.

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