RNI No.2016/1957, REGD NO. SSP/LW/NP-34/2019-21 Follow us on: @TheDailyPioneer facebook.com/dailypioneer instagram.com/dailypioneer/ Established 1864 Late City Vol. 155 Issue 150 Published From *Air Surcharge Extra if Applicable LANDMARK 6 WORLD 7 SPECIAL 8 DELHI LUCKNOW BHOPAL MECCA SUMMIT SLAMS US BHUBANESWAR RANCHI RAJNATH HOLDS WIN-WIN RAIPUR CHANDIGARH HIGH-LEVEL MEETING MOVE TO JERUSALEM FOR ALL DEHRADUN HYDERABAD VIJAYWADA LUCKNOW, SUNDAY JUNE 2, 2019; PAGES 12+4 `3 www.dailypioneer.com USUALSUSPECTS SWAPAN DASGUPTA Sonia to lead party MPs again Congress future hinges Rahul likely to be Congress leader in LS, vows ‘no walkover’ for BJP in House PNS n NEW DELHI Gandhi as party chief and a body of senior leaders to act as ormer Congress president a guiding force to new presi- on Modi’s performance FSonia Gandhi — who led dent. Rahul has insisted for a the party to form two succes- non-Nehru-Gandhi party chief n the aftermath of an election, the focus is naturally on the sive UPA Governments at the and has expressed in negativi- Iwinner; the losers are left to either mourn or reflect on Centre before Narendra Modi- ty over the theory of anoint- where they went wrong. The 2019 general election has led BJP took over — is back in ment of sibling Priyanka produced one clear winner: Narendra Modi. Having won the limelight. With her son and Gandhi, who was appointed State Assembly elections, the Biju Janata Dal and the YSR party president Rahul Gandhi general secretary just before the Congress Party can also consider themselves winners. still being persuaded not to beginning of the polls. Naveen Patnaik can certainly take in his fifth consecutive win abdicate the party chief post Sonia said the party will in the State Assembly. However, at the national level, there despite the Lok Sabha poll play a constructive role in sup- has been an over-abundance of losers: Congress, the Left, debacle, the Congressmen on porting the Government in the mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh, the TDP and all the Saturday elected her as the reform measures, but will constituent parties of the UPA. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party oppose its “divisive and regres- Congress just about won a majority of seats in West Bengal, (CPP) leader. sive actions”. The meeting was but in view of their projected target of all 42 seats from West Sources, however, said that attended by the party’s 52 Bengal, the result is a huge disappointment. The only Rahul may be named as the newly-elected Lok Sabha mem- exception is possibly the DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu Leader of Congress in the Lok bers and Rajya Sabha members, that coasted to big victories in all but one seat in the State. Sabha while its senior leader besides the CWC members What makes defeat a bitter pill to swallow for the losers Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to and other leaders. is their expectation of victory. In hindsight, the 2019 will be continue as his counterpart in Rahul cautioned the law- said to have resulted in an emphatic victory for Modi, the the Rajya Sabha. makers that it will “be like the BJP and the NDA. There was no voter ambiguity and the Addressing the newly- British period, when not a sin- victory was both in terms of seats and the popular vote. It is elected MPs at the Central gle institution supported the nevertheless undeniable that at least until the exit polls Hall of Parliament soon after Congress party” and asserted divulged similar trends, the Opposition as a whole was her re-election as CPP leader, “yet we fought and won and we reasonably certain that Modi was heading, if not for an Sonia lauded Rahul for his are going to do it again”. outright defeat, at least for a big setback. Instead, the results “fearless leadership” by taking Congress leader Sonia Gandhi flanked by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Rahul Gandhi on her being elected as Congress Parliamentary “We are 52 members and I suggest that the vote constituted an outright rejection of on the Modi Government and Party leader at CPP general body meeting at Parliament House in New Delhi on Saturday PTI guarantee you, it does not mat- nearly all the anti-Modi forces. for his “valiant and relentless ter what institutions are stand- Unquestionably, the biggest loser was the Congress. campaign” during the Lok match to the BJP’s numbers in Parliament. they raise in Parliament must ignation though the Congress ing against these 52 members. The Congress approached this election with the aim of Sabha polls. She asked party the Lok Sabha. He said the Sonia urged the MPs to resonate in the minds of party Working Committee rejected It does not matter who is securing around 150 seats which would clearly establish its MPs not to let their guard Congress will work like a “pride play the role of an effective workers and with the people. Rahul’s offer and passed a res- standing against these 52 mem- primacy within the anti-BJP space. Such a performance, the down and said several “decisive of brave-hearted lions” despite Opposition and ensure better Due to her ailing health, olution authorising him to bers. These 52 members are party believed, would once and for all put an end to all measures” were being mulled having just 52 members and coordination and cooperation Sonia had handed over the bring structural changes in the going to fight the BJP every sin- uncertainty over who would be the leader of the anti-BJP to strengthen the party. that the Congress will “fear- with like-minded parties in party baton to Rahul two years party at all levels. gle inch, without giving this combination. A good performance, it was hoped, would Later, Rahul too lessly” do its duty as leading the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP ago. Following the Congress’ Sources say the party is dis- much and that applies to the begin the process — begun with the victories in Madhya announced his intentions to Opposition party to ensure is challenging its numbers. She drubbing in the polls, Rahul cussing several proposals, members from Rajya Sabha as Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and fight back despite standing no the BJP has “no walkover” in told the MPs that the issues has been insistent on his res- including installing a non- well,” he told the MPs. If Modi commits mistakes, Rajasthan — of the party’s larger reinstatement as the Oppositions will have a India’s premier party. Unlike 2014 when the Shah gives J&K window of opportunity, Congress faced the ED summons Praful perhaps in time for the electorate in a dispirited US scraps $5.6 bn trade Guv 1st audience way and passively awaited Assembly polls in the secular misgivings over in impetus to his Modi to be manifested, the Patel in UPA-era Maharashtra, Jharkhand party in 2019 was much concessions for India Mission Kashmir and Haryana. However, if better prepared. There was a conscious attempt to New Delhi didn’t PNS n NEW DELHI the Modi Government project Rahul Gandhi as a civil aviation scam thoughtful but combative JP president Amit Shah reinforces its image of leader. Basing itself of data, reciprocate to Balong with two of his PNS n NEW DELHI purposeful governance, the the party focussed single- deputies on Saturday took mindedly on puncturing the largesse, rues charge of the Home Ministry he ED has summoned process of a single-party Prime Minister’s reputation with Jammu & Kashmir Tsenior NCP leader and for- for unimpeachable integrity. US President Governor Satya Pal Malik mer Civil Aviation Minister dominance will be further Assisted by an array of being among the first ones to Praful Patel for questioning at reinforced economists, both national PTI n WASHINGTON meet him, indicating at the its office here at 11 am on and international, an importance attached by the Thursday in a money launder- attempt was made to resident Donald Trump has new incumbent to the State, ing probe related to alleged project an alternative vision of Nyay — a vision that included Pterminated India’s designa- wherein the BJP has promised losses suffered by national car- a very handsome lollipop. Again, unlike 2014 when India’s tion as a beneficiary develop- to abolish Article 370 and rier Air India in a multi-crore intellectuals detached their hatred of Modi from outright ing nation from June 5, ending Article 35A. While Article 370 aviation scam during the UPA support to the Congress, this election witnessed an outright the country’s $5.6 billion trade allows the State a separate flag Government. endorsement of either the Congress or the concessions under the key and Constitution, the other Patel, a Rajya Sabha mem- mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh. The commitment to a Generalised System of proclamation on Friday ignor- Secretary Anup Wadhawan provision allows the State leg- ber, on Saturday claimed inno- post-poll tie-up that would, by some magic, generate an Preference (GSP) programme ing the plea made by several had said in March. islature to define “permanent cence and said that he would be I’m innocent, but alternative arrangement, was so strong that institutions such after determining that it has not top American lawmakers. Turn to Page 4 resident” of the State. happy to cooperate with the as the judiciary and the Election Commission were assured the US that it will pro- On March 4, Trump Assuming charge two days agency in its probe into the will cooperate in mercilessly flayed for not coming out openly against the vide “equitable and reasonable announced that the US intends after getting sworn-in, Shah money laundering allegation.