States Watch

Assam

Congress Wrests Ratabari Lok Sabha seat from BJP

ASSAM : After a gap of 15 years the Congress party has won the Ratabari Lok Sabha seat in Assam in a byelection. The Congress candidate, Shri Kripanath Mallah, defeated his nearest rival, the BJP candidate Shri Sambhu Singh Mallah by a margin of 31,170 votes. The Congress secured 49,104 votes against the BJP’s 17,930 votes. Since 1985 the Ratabari constituency has been a bastion of the Saffron and Red Brigade.

On 2nd March 03, a meeting of the Congress Party workers under the Chairmanship of Syeda Anowara Taimur was organised in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters at Rajiv Bhawan, Guwahati to celebrate the Congress victory in Ratabari. The meeting was attended by APCC office bearers, ministers, MLAs and a host of party workers.

- Bobbeeta Sharma,
Spokesperson, Assam PCC

Andaman & Nicobar

Block Conferences A Grand Success

PORT BLAIR : The Block conferences in Andaman and Nicobar Islands proved a grand success. The conferences commenced here from 21 March and were held at Hevlock Block, Pathargada Block, Ferrergunj Block, Chouldari Block, Wimberlygunj Block, Bambooflat Block, Neil Islands Block, Hymfrygunj Block and Rangat Block.

According to Andaman Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee general secretary and chief spokesman Shri B.K. Chakraborty the Block conferences received good response from Congress workers as well as the general public. These conferences were attended by ANTCC president, Shri M.R. Bhakto, ex-MP and AICC member, office-bearers of ANTCC, DCC, Mahila Congress, Congress Sewadal and Youth Congress.

Debate on Problems Faced by Women

Gopalganj Mahila Congress workers at a function in Gopalganj

GOPALGANJ : To make women aware of their rights and role in all fields of activity, the District Mahila Congress organised a debate here on 18 April. The programme was presided over by District Mahila Congress President, Smt. Rajkumari Gupta and Pradesh Mahila Congress secretary Kavita Singh was the chief guest. Ms. Kavita Singh said that Mahila Congress will start an agitation highlighting various problems faced by the women. She said the BJP-led NDA government has failed on all fronts.

Others who spoke were Subhadra Mishra, Parvati Devi, Pratima Devi, Umesh Prasad Srivastava, Anil Dubey and Premnath Rai Sharma. A resolution was also passed which asked for 33% reservation for women and the copy was given to Ms. Kavita Singh to be forwarded to the concerned authorities.

Sonia Gandhi Writes to PM on Women’s Bill NEW DELHI : The Congress President, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, on 21 April wrote a letter to the Prime Minister saying that the representatives of a number of national and state level women’s organisations approached her with a request for Congress party’s support in ensuring the passage of the long pending Women’s Reservation Bill in the forthcoming session of the Parliament. The Congress President, in her letter, said that the Congress party has on several occasions reiterated its support for the Women’s Reservation Bill and has once again reaffirmed her position and urged the Prime Minister to take early action in the matter.