Rahul Gandhi elected Congress President 'unopposed'; first fight with PM Modi is Gujarat election

A captivating contest of narratives is under way in Gujarat. In response to Narendra Modi s charge that Congress is letting Pakistan intrude with India s electoral system Rahul Gandhi on Monday sought to reset the parameters of the debate. He instructed electorate in a rally that this election is all about Gujarat not anything else and the prime minister s try to distract the electorate betrays his anxiety.File picture of Congress president-select Rahul Gandhi. PTIThe Congress president-elect has insisted that he respects the top minister s chair (Manmohan Singh may privately disagree) and stimulated perhaps with the aid of Michelle Obama s Democratic Convention speech the Gandhi dynast claimed he could as an alternative answer the prime minister s venomous barbs with love . Bitten once too often it appears to have sooner or later dawned on Congress that abusing Modi can be counterproductive. Hence it desires to limit the controversy on neighborhood troubles farmers plight and financial woes: Topics that it believes will resonate with Gujarati voters.This is a prudent technique. The hassle with Congress is that its messaging is inconsistent and it stays at risk of frequent self-desires. For example it desires the voters to consider that a desperate high minister is making an attempt to polarise electorate due to the fact he is aware of BJP has lost the elections . This implies Congress is confident of returning to strength in Gujarat and sees no motive why it have to in contrast to the BJP polarise voters .PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is simply an try and polarize ahead of 2nd phase of voting.This additionally shows his desperation and that BJP s loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma Congress percent.Twitter.Com/1Ax2qxDzvN ANI (@ANI) December 11 2017If it's far Congress electoral method to stay away from polarising issues private attacks and occupy a moral role in the reduce and thrust of electoral politics what explains its spokesperson s recent call for that Modi must apologise for communal riots with the aid of journeying the Jama Masjid?At a debate organised via News18 on Sunday night Congress chief from Punjab Charan Singh Sapra stated Modi should take a leaf out of Sonia Gandhi s e-book and say sorry . Neither my birthday celebration nor do I help the 1984 (anti-Sikh) riots. Sonia visited Golden Temple and apologised in front of the media. Manmohan Singh additionally apologised in Parliament. In the ultimate 33 years the BJP has been adding insult to our injury. Can Narendra Modi go to the Jama Masjid and apologise for 1992 riots? This comment can be the fourth self-intention that Congress has scored for the reason that onset of campaigning in Gujarat. It can also rank alongside mistakes consisting of celebration s claims that Rahul is a janeu-dhari Hindu (one who wears the sacred thread) Kapil Sibal s submission in Supreme Court on delaying Ayodhya verdict until after 2019 elections and Mani Shankar Aiyar s neech insult towards Modi.Expectedly the BJP wasted no time in flagging the call for as outrageous and framing it inside the parameters of vote bank politics .Several BJP leaders condemned the declaration with party president Amit Shah telling reporters on Sunday in Gandhinagar that complete state is aware of the allegations levelled at the prime minister via the Congress subsidized NGO had been all false. Yet for vote financial institution consolidation 2002 is being raised in 2017. It is tough to trust that Congress is blind to the repercussions of elevating the difficulty of communal riots or attacking Modi for my part in his domestic state bang in the center of elections. It is either Congress strive at canine-whistling to nook Muslim votes or some other example of its incoherent electoral method: Possibly each.What the grand old party doesn t seem to realize is that any mobilisation of Muslim votes via dog-whistling strategies is a game two can play and BJP is on a far stronger wicket here because it may counter-mobilise most of the people sentiment.This dissonance sends out combined alerts approximately Congress rationale and confuses voters. It is also becoming a defining feature of the party below the new boss. Early indicators imply Rahul s management might be little extra than a continuation of Congress policy of pandering to all impulses be it majoritarian or minoritarian in a horses for publications approach. While this is rarely an intensive departure from the manner Sonia handled electoral strategies Rahul s activity is made difficult with the aid of the reality that he lacks the finesse to dress rank opportunism as savoir faire.Consequently the new president-opt for swings among extremes: Overcompensating even as looking to restore balance in positions. In this admire Rahul is in the direction of his father who tried to atone for his Shah Bano blunder by means of laying the floor for Babri Masjid demolition.As Shekhar Gupta writes in Print Rajiv Gandhi allowed the unlocking of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi website quite a whole lot advocated the temple s basis stone laying (Shilanyas) and then launched his 1989 campaign from there with a promise of ushering in Ram Rajya. In the larger context Rahul s inconsistent positions chance undermining its large electoral techniques. It has sought to method the Pakistan debate once again from a high moral ground by way of stressful Modi s apology for ostensibly creating a social characteristic appearance sinister via insinuations that it was a mystery <a href="https://flattr.com/@geysers">https://flattr.com/@geysers</a>  meeting . The former prime minister and vice-president have been simply attending a social characteristic wherein excessive (level) dignitaries had been present and it was now not a mystery meeting (At the event) former leader of army turned into gift former Indian high commissioners to Pakistan distinguished diplomats of this country eminent journalists they had been all gift and the top minister gives it a sinister and sensationalist twist? Said Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma. It escaped the Congress that Modi has been building the Congress-tender-on-Pakistan narrative instead diligently for what it s worth and Congress performed into his fingers by way of to begin with sounding abrasive about the meeting.In response to Modi s allegations of Pakistan s interference in Gujarat election and his declaration at a rally that a assembly at Aiyar s residence concerning Pakistan s former high commissioner and former minister of outside affairs did take vicinity Sharma referred to as Modi a liar .On Sunday the senior Congress leader dismissed the accusation as a lie being sold by the prime minister and instructed ANI simplest because he's rattled through the defeat that is staring him and the BJP in the face he should not say such things. If he had this records and if it's far actual which isn't always then it might were an act of treason and movement should have been there underneath law. Why is he crying there? If there is anything like that why has he spoken now? Asked Sharma.On Monday Congress claimed that there has been nothing secretive about the assembly.This apparent inconsistency in argument allowed BJP the hazard to convey out a dialogue into the open about an allegation that addresses the private issues of our collective psyche. The reality that it occurred at Aiyar s house who had on an earlier event allegedly instructed <a href="https://www.blackcareernetwork.com/users/rex-king-1/">https://www.blackcareernetwork.com/users/rex-king-1/</a>  a Pakistan TV channel that Modi ought to be eliminated for talks to resume only introduced to the narrative.In 2015 Aiyar instructed Pakistan s Duniya TV channel: Bring us (the Congress) lower back to energy and get rid of them. There isn't any different manner (to higher the family members). We will do away with them but till you then (Pakistan) have to wait. Modi become playing his playing cards well. The Congress attempted flip the table on BJP by using suggesting that it became Modi who made an unscheduled prevent at Lahore at Nawaz Sharif s invitation but these assaults don t affect BJP a lot since it has secured the nationalist area in polity.Meeting Pakistani envoys over dinner absolutely isn t an first-rate occasion however doing so for the duration of an Assembly election related to a border kingdom and being first of all abrasive approximately details gave Modi simply the type of weapon he became looking for. The Congress made comparable blunders during Doka La warfare whilst Rahul met Chinese envoys reportedly to are seeking information : An difficulty that Modi has stored repeating throughout Gujarat campaign.To defeat an high-quality communicator like Modi at his sport the primary requirement is consistency in messaging. It need to be primarily based on a coherent method. There is not any area for self-desires. The new Congress president-elect has his job reduce out.Click here for particular insurance of Gujarat Assembly Election 2017
By: AP eight:54 am To Trump s accusers the rising MeToo motion is an occasion to make certain he's at last held accountable. (AP Photo/File) Related News Women lawmakers are seeking for probe into Trump s sexual misconduct allegations New York City subway explosion arrest results in dialogue of immigration rules in USWomen accusers have to be heard even supposing Donald Trump is goal: Nikki HaleyUS President Donald Trump sailed past a raft of allegations of sexual misconduct in final year s presidential election. Now the country wide (hash)MeToo spotlight is popping returned to Trump and his past conduct. Several of his accusers are urging Congress to research his conduct and some of Democratic lawmakers are annoying his resignation. With every day seeming to convey new headlines that force guys from positions of strength the movement to show sexual harassment has pressured an unwelcome communique at the White House. In a heated alternate with journalists in the White House briefing room on Monday press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders steadfastly brushed off accusations in opposition to the Republican president and recommended the difficulty had already been litigated in Trump s favor on Election Day. But to Trump s accusers the rising (hash)MeToo motion is an occasion to make certain he's at ultimate held accountable. It changed into heartbreaking final 12 months. We re private residents and for us to put ourselves accessible to try to display America who this man is and the way he perspectives ladies and for them to say Eh we don t care it hurt Samantha Holvey said Monday. The former beauty queen claimed that Trump ogled her and different Miss USA festival contestants of their dressing room in 2006. Let s strive round two she stated. The surroundings s distinctive. Let s attempt again. Holvey became one in all four girls to make her case towards Trump on Monday both in an NBC interview and then in a news conference. Rachel Crooks a former Trump Tower receptionist who stated the superstar businessman kissed her on the mouth in 2006 with out consent called for Congress to put apart celebration affiliations and investigate Trump s history of sexual misconduct. If they were inclined to investigate Sen. Franken it s most effective truthful that they do the equal for Trump Crooks said. Franken the Democratic senator from Minnesota announced ultimate week that he might surrender amid an ethics probe into accusations that he sexually burdened numerous girls. Reps. John Conyers D-Mich. And Trent Franks R-Ariz. Also resigned after misconduct accusations. But a Capitol Hill research into Trump s behavior seems unlikely. The Senate and House Ethics Committees inspect members of Congress no longer presidents and Republican-led committees are not apt to analyze Trump on sexual misconduct except there may be some form of connection to the continuing Russia probe. Sen. Lindsey Graham R-S.C. Stated Congress shouldn t investigate the allegations against Trump. I don t suppose there s any discussion board for us to do that he said. Just consider how that could be abused. Nonetheless several Democratic senators have seized the moment and known as for Trump to step down. President Trump must surrender New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told CNN on Monday. These allegations are credible; they are severa. I ve heard those women s testimony and many of them are heartbreaking. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley have additionally referred to as on Trump to surrender. White House aides have warily watched the movement sweep Capitol Hill opting to copy rote denials about allegations towards the president. The president s advisers had been taken aback Sunday while one of the maximum-ranking ladies in the Trump management broke with the White House line and said the accusers voices should be heard. They should be heard and that they need to be handled Nikki Haley the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations said in a CBS interview. And I assume we heard from them earlier than the election. And I think any lady who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way they've every proper to talk up. Haley s feedback infuriated the president in keeping with  people who are familiar with his views but who spoke on circumstance of anonymity because they aren t legal to talk publicly approximately personal conversations. Trump has grown increasingly more angry in latest days that the accusations towards him have resurfaced telling associates that the prices are false and drawing parallels to the accusations dealing with Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. Sixteen girls have come forward with a number of accusations towards Trump many after the release of the Access Hollywood tape ultimate October in which Trump was caught on an open microphone bragging approximately groping ladies. One girl Summer Zevos a contestant on Trump s truth display The Apprentice sued contending that Trump s denials of her accusations amount to false and defamatory statements. Jessica Leeds who appeared at Monday s news convention recalled sitting on an airplane subsequent to Trump within the Nineteen Seventies while he started out to fondle her. All of a unexpected he s all over me. Kissing and groping groping and kissing she said. Nothing turned into stated. It was just this silent groping occurring. Trump denied the allegations for the duration of the campaign and Sanders did the same Monday. Look because the president said himself he thinks it s an excellent issue that women are coming ahead however he also feels strongly that a trifling allegation shouldn t decide the route Sanders stated. And once more the American people knew this and voted for the president. And we sense like we re prepared to move forward in that method. Sanders declined to say whether or not she believed the accusers or if she herself were the sufferer of harassment. She grew impatient with the repeated questions and pledged to offer a listing of eyewitnesses whose money owed exonerated the president. The White House did no longer provide the listing by late Monday. 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