HYDERABAD: All India Congress Committee (AICC) President, Mallikarjun Kharge, will address Congress workers at a meeting to be held here on July 4 as part of the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' movement.

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday claimed that the social media handles of the state Youth Congress has been running from Saudi Arabia.

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP and RSS over the issue of OBC reservations in Madhya Pradesh during a press briefing held at Indira Bhawan, the new AICC headquarters in Delhi.

NEW DELHI: The Congress party has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide machine-readable digital copies of the voter lists for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections, particularly in Maharashtra and Haryana. It has also sought polling day video footage for both states.

CHANDIGARH: The Congress party’s defeat in the high-stakes Ludhiana West by-election has sparked an intense internal debate, with questions being raised about whether the loss was due to overconfidence of party candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu or deep-rooted factionalism within the Punjab Congress.

CHANDIGARH: State ruling AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora was leading with a margin of 2,500 votes in a close contest, as per initial counting trends, against his nearest rival and Congress nominee Bharat Bhushan Ashu from the Ludhiana West Assembly seat in Punjab on Monday.

BENGALURU: A complaint has been lodged with Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, seeking an investigation by a special agency and action under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against the concerned minister and officials over the alleged housing scam.

LUDHIANA: As Ludhiana West awaits the outcome of its high-stakes by-election, to be declared on June 23, political temperatures are soaring across Punjab. The polling, held on June 19 following the untimely death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi, saw a multi-cornered contest between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

PATNA: Janata Dal (United) senior leader K.C. Tyagi criticised the Congress party for raising doubts over the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and accused the grand old party of trusting US President Donald Trump over Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

JAIPUR: The Jaipur District Court has sentenced two Congress MLAs, among nine individuals, to one year of imprisonment each in an 11-year-old case.

AMARAVATI: A man died after being hit by one of the vehicles in the rally taken out by YSR Congress Party as part of its President and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Palnadu district on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack at the Congress party, accusing it of peddling falsehood over the telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. This comes on back of Congress General Secretary and Communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh's claims that there were discrepancies in the readouts between the one issued by Indian government and the US.

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Randeep Singh Surjewala, launched a sharp attack on the Haryana government, accusing it of being a “protector of criminals” and failing to maintain law and order in the state.

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Udit Raj has stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "claims cannot be trusted" unless the US Presidency issues a confirmation that third-party mediation was not requested during Operation Sindoor.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Tuesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting the ceasefire line in the historic city of Nicosia during visit to Cyprus on Monday, describing it as a "welcome step" and a long-overdue gesture of solidarity.

NEW DELHI: Congress on Tuesday demanded urgent measures from the Indian government to ensure the safe return of Indians from Iran, which is involved in a conflict with Israel.

NEW DELHI: Amid sharp criticism by the Congress over the Centre’s recent gazette notification on the 16th national census, which makes no mention of caste enumeration, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hit back, accusing the grand old party of “rebranding expired products” and misleading the public.

NEW DELHI: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, alleging that its foreign policy was "family-oriented" and had long-term negative consequences for India and its neighbours.

NEW DELHI: Following the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives, Congress leader Udit Raj has launched a scathing attack on the aviation safety system in India, claiming that a Director at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) holds a fake degree and that oversight failure led to the tragedy.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday turned down the prayer of former Karnataka Minister and Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni to grant him additional time to surrender before the concerned jail authorities in connection with the murder of BJP worker Yogesh Gowda.

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing a plea filed by Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti seeking transfer of a criminal case outside the state.

KARNATAKA: Congress national President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids were intended to split the party in the state.

BHOPAL: A disturbing incident of the gang-rape of a minor girl in government-owned Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa surfaced, following which the Congress party accused the government of shielding the accused.

AGARTALA: The Tripura Police on Monday arrested the father and brother of a Youth Congress leader Shahjahan Islam for his derogatory comments against Chief Minister Manik Saha, state government and other BJP leaders in connection with the celebration of Eid-al-Adha on June 7.

GUWAHATI: The Assam Congress said on Sunday that it will contest all 40 seats in the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, scheduled for September, opting to go solo and ruling out any pre-poll alliances.

CHANDIGARH: Fearing backlash, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today backtracked on Vigilance Department action of issuing summons to Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Congress party candidate in Ludhiana west by-poll to appear for investigation in an alleged Rs 2,400 crore scam of misusing school land. The FIR in this case was registered on January 8, 2025.

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Imran Masood on Wednesday came out in support of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's controversial "Narendra, surrender" jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that had the government not halted Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army would have succeeded in reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

KOLKATA: Former West Bengal Congress President and four-time party Lok Sabha member, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has said that Sharmistha Panoli, the 22-year-old law student and social media influencer, who was arrested recently by Kolkata Police on charges of hurting religious sentiments and promoting disharmony and hatred, should be released immediately.

AHMEDABAD: The by-elections to the two high-stakes Assembly seats in Gujarat will witness a triangular contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Interestingly, the grand old party which is a constituent of the INDIA bloc and a partner of the AAP in the alliance, has decided to contest the elections solo.

GANDHINAGAR: Congress party on Monday declared Nitin Ranpariya as its candidate for Visavadar by-election in Gujarat, setting the stage for three-cornered contest in both constituencies of the state heading to by-elections, this month.

PATNA: After Congress demanded proof of India's counter-terror 'Operation Sindoor' following the Pahalgam terror attack, Union Minister Giriraj Singh delivered a sharp rebuttal to the grand old party.

LUDHIANA: The Congress today put up a strong and united show ahead of the party candidate from Ludhiana West Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s filing of his nomination papers.

NEW DELHI: Signalling a renewed push for a caste census, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday shared with the party's 140 spokespersons a strategy to highlight the party's commitment to the social cause.

KARNATAKA: Union Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader, Pralhad Joshi, has said that a faction within the Congress itself provided information to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take action against Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

NEW DELHI: Soon after declining Congress' offer to join the party on Tuesday, political strategist Prashant Kishor said that the party needs 'leadership' and 'collective will' to fix deep-rooted structural problems.

BENGALURU: In a huge setback to the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in Karnataka, the Criminal Investigation Department(CID) probe hasunearthered the involvement of leaders of both the parties in the Police Sub-Inspector(PSI) exam scam.

CHANDIGARH: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has congratulated MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on assuming the office of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President and hoped that the Congress would play a constructive role as the Opposition in the state. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here on Friday, AAP chief spokesperson Malwinder Singh Kang said that opposition party has a major role to play in a democracy. Therefore, the Aam Aadmi Party government hopes that the Congress will play the role of a wise opposition for the overall development of the state. On this occasion party spokesperson Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia and Advocate Ravinder Singh were also present.

NEW DELHI: Congress leaders on Tuesday discussed with political strategist Prashant Kishor a roadmap to contest 2024 elections and Assembly polls before it.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Transport Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, on Tuesday, asserted that with the transparent policies of the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government, the daily income of the government bus service has been started increasing profusely. He said that during the tenure of the previous Congress government, PRTC income in March 2021 was recorded Rs.37.23 crore, which has now increased to Rs.62.34 crore during March 2022.

Thiruvananthapuram: In a damning article in its publication, the Thrissur Archdiocese of the powerful Catholic Church has slammed the ways and the functioning of the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi.

AMRITSAR: Aam Aadmi Party’s family continues to grow in Punjab even after elections and it got a major boost on Tuesday when councillors of BJP and Congress left their respective parties to join AAP. Jarnail Singh, MLA Delhi and Punjab affairs in-charge and Harchand Singh Barsat, party’s state general secretary welcomed the new members to the Aam Aadmi Party.

AMRITSAR: As per the adage of "Time prayers and wells clash", the snake line crossed by Congress leader and famous cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu is being beaten. Had it gone, the Congress might not have been in this situation and not only 18 but 36 seats would have been secured.

HIMACHAL PRADESH: In the election year, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur in his one-day tour to the Chintpurni assembly in Una district addressed a public meeting at Amb town on Saturday and said the country would soon be 'Congress-free'.

NEW DELHI: The Congress MPs on Thursday staged a protest outside Parliament against the rising prices of fuel and demanded its roll back.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday opposed the CrPC amendment bill brought by the government in the Lok Sabha to amend the laws saying that it violates Article 21 and is beyond the legislative competence of the government.

CHANDIGARH: Training guns at the Congress party on the third day of the first session of 16th Punjab Vidhan Sabha, leader of the House and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday declared holiday on March 23, the martyrdom day of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, as a tribute to the great martyrs.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Congress has nominated Jeby Mather from the minority community as its Rajya Sabha member from the state.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader and member of the G-23 faction Sandeep Dikshit said that no pressure has been exerted on the party high command through the G-23 meeting, even after losing the Assembly elections in five states. However, the pressure is only for doing the right thing.

CHANDIGARH: Days after facing humiliating defeat in Punjab from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday resigned from the post.

CHENNAI: The DMK has lashed out at the Congress for the debacle in the recent elections to the five states.

CHANDIGARH: Holding the Gandhis solely responsible for the complete rout of the Congress in all the recent Assembly polls, PLC chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday hit out at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for trying to put the blame of their party’s dismal defeat in Punjab on him instead of gracefully admitting to their own blunders.

BENGALURU: In the coming four to six weeks, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will emerge as a formidable alternative to BJP, Congress and regional party JD(S) in Karnataka, AAP state president Prithvi Reddy said here on Friday.

NEW DELHI: There is a simmering tension in the Congress after the poll debacle in the state elections and the leaders are miffed with the functioning style of the leadership. The issue may heat up when the G-23 leaders meet in the days to come.

PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar are trailing in their respective constituencies.

IMPHAL: As counting of votes for Manipur's Assembly polls in underway, the state's ruling BJP is leading on nine seats, while the Congress is ahead in four and Janata Dal (United) in three, according to election officials.

CHANDIGARH: The counting of votes started in Punjab with AAP becoming largest party with lead in 70 seats while Congress and SAD are struggling for the second place. BJP plus Punjab Lok Party of Capt Amarinder Singh are leading in only four seats.

PANAJI: Even if the Congress wins a majority in Goa, it would like to bring other non-BJP parties onboard during government formation, former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said on Monday

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday urged Russia-Ukraine and NATO to engage in sincere dialogue to resolve the conflict in the region which is causing widespread destruction and claiming innocent lives.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trouble breaks out in the Congress' Kerala unit every now and then, and after a lull, a rift has developed again with letters and emails being sent to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi complaining against state President K. Sudhakaran and the way he is operating.

CHANDIGARH:BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh today lambasted the Congress and the Akali leaders for their misleading statements on the working of the BBMB.

DHARAMSALA: Ex Minister and national Congress party secretary Sudhir Sharma said that Congress if chosen to power in Himachal shall implement old pension scheme in Himachal on priory

WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that lawmakers on Capitol Hill want to provide Ukraine with "lethal defense weapons" worth $600 million to help Kiev defend itself against military attack from Russia.

CHANDIGARH: The move to transfer a profit-making electricity department having its assets worth thousands of crores to a rich corporate just for rupees 871 Crores while ignoring the interests of the people of Chandigarh is aimed at ensuring a windfall profit to the cronies of the BJP, said Congress Spokesperson Rajesh Sharma in a press statement today.

SHIMLA: The main opposition Congress on Wednesday staged a walk-out during the Governor's address on the first day of the budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

JAMMU:The J&K Congress has criticized the BJP led government for 'playing with the sentiments of people of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory' and rejected the draft proposals of the Delimitation Commission.

KHARAR: Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday said that the grand old party will form the government with a two-thirds majority in Punjab, which went to single-phase Assembly polls on Sunday.

AMRITSAR: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia campaigned in favour of AAP candidate Jeevan Jyot Kaur from Amritsar East assembly constituency. Sisodia appealed to the people to press the button of ‘jharoo’ on Feb 20th to form an honest government of the Aam Aadmi Party.

NEW DELHI: Amid the exodus of party leaders from the Congress, leaders of one of the allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), have suggested to the Congress leaders that if they are unhappy with the central leadership and are leaving the party, they should refrain from joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

BHOPAL: In a bid to rejuvenate the party in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, as well as the Lok Sabha elections due in 2024, the Congress has set a target to enrol at least 50 lakh new members in Madhya Pradesh.

CHANDIGARH:It is unfortunate that Capt. Amarinder Singh is now engineering organized fermentation of brazen communalism to achieve his narrow parochial gains with intent to out-maneuver his potential Sikh challengers in the Congress Party. It is exceedingly disparaging to see the disgraceful assemblage of ‘Hindu Leaders’ only at the luncheon meeting, hosted by the Congress Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, yesterday at Chandigarh. The meeting of urban based ‘Hindu Leaders’ was actually the demonstration of Captain’s new brand of communalism and political opportunism to camouflage his colossal failures and rampant corruption in his ‘Mafia regime’.

NEW DELHI: After disgruntled Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi separately on Wednesday, there is a speculation that Priyanka Gandhi has suggested that Sidhu be made Punjab Congress chief, but Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and some of the other factions in the party are not accepting this formula.

NEW DELHI: Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has raised a banner of revolt against Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday, met Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family of those who died due to Covid as it said the government has profited from petroleum products.

CHANDIGARH: Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today said that senior party leader and former minister Ashwani Sekhri will stay in Congress and there was no question of his leaving the party.

LUCKNOW: For the third time in a year, there is a strong buzz in the UP Congress that party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will now camp in Lucknow and work for the party from ground zero.

HYDERABAD: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Saturday appointed A. Revanth Reddy as the president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC)."Congress chief has appointed president, working presidents, senior vice presidents and chairman of TPCC, " said All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

NEW YORK: Six bills taking aim at the Big Tech market power are hurtling forward in the US Congress with bipartisan support even as a House panel has pushed forward an ambitious legislative package that seeks to rein in Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple by targeting their ownership of mighty online platforms in combination with other lines of business that kill competition.

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing infighting in the Congress' Punjab unit, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has arrived in Delhi and is scheduled to meet the party panel set up resolve the factionalism issue again on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister's meeting with leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress on Sunday said that restoring full statehood and conduct of elections is a way forward to restore democracy.

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 19: Even as he underlined the fact that it is moral duty of the nation and the Government to take care in every way of the families of Freedom Fighters and those who give their lives for the country, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Chief Sunil Jakhar said that it would not be proper to keep recent appointments made on compassionate grounds in the same league.

CHANDIGARH: As a special case, the Cabinet gave approval to appoint Arjun Pratap Singh Bajwa as Inspector (Group B) in Punjab Police. The applicant is the grandson of ex-Punjab Minister Satnam Singh Bajwa, who laid his life in 1987 for the sake of peace and harmony in the State.

NEW DELHI: Amid questions being raised by the BJP over the vaccination of Congress leaders including the Gandhis, the Congress on Thursday said that both Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have taken the vaccine jab.

NEW DELHI: After the panel set up by the Congress on Punjab submitted its report on the factionalism in its state unit, a change of guard looks imminent with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) looking for a suitable replacement for current Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) President Sunil Jakhar.

JAIPUR: There is a full blown factional war raging in the Rajasthan Congress and the BJP these days with the veterans in both the parties showing reluctance in handing over power and positions to their juniors.

BENGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar, opposition leader Siddaramaiah and party's state unit leaders courted arrest on Friday for protesting against fuel price hike.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu was placed under house arrest here on Friday morning, hours ahead of the Congress programme of holding demonstrations at all petrol pumps against the continuous hike in fuel prices.

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday contended that the Narendra Modi government's decision to provide free vaccines to all above 18 years of age was taken after the Supreme Court pulled it up and questioned its vaccine policy.

CHANDIGARH: Even as he castigated those stabbing the Congress ideology for misplaced political ambitions, youth state leader Ankit Bansal underlined that for every party soldier Captain Amarinder Singh is the soul of party without whom it is not possible to imagine any future.

CHANDIGARH: Sukhpal Singh Khaira AAP MLA from Bholath today said that Congress party was only viable platform to fight the fanatic and fascist BJP at the national level and similarly only option to prevent the corrupt and anti Punjab Badal family from hijacking the state again in 2021.

NEW DELHI: Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has appointed four Secretaries in the party while one Secretarys assignment has been changed.

CHANDIGARH: Sukhpal Singh Khaira and two other MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) today joined Congress party here in presence of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife Preneet Kaur MP. All of them were suspended by AAP for anti-party activities.

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Youth Congress has launched a campaign 'Voice of Chandigarh', raising the issue of rising inflation and unemployment and other current affairs/national issues regarding this, the Youth Congress is running a campaign among the youth across the city.

NEW DELHI: On completion of seven years of the Modi government, the Congress has said that Modi Govt is "Harmful for the Country" and has accused it of "committing 7 Criminal Blunders in 7 Years".

NEW DELHI: The three-member Congress committee which was constituted to resolve issues in Punjab between chief minister Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu, has summoned 25 MLAs to Delhi on Monday to take their feedback on the ongoing tussle in the party, sources said.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Mahila Congress' former chief, Lathika Subhash, who tonsured her head in the premises of the state party headquarters after being denied ticket to contest the April 6 elections, on Sunday said that she is all set to join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

LAUSANNE(Switzerland): The 47th FIH Congress session, where hundreds of delegates from all over the world gathered in virtual forum to discuss important matters regarding the global status and development of hockey, has ended with various crucial decisions, reports FIH.

NEW DELHI: On the 30th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday arranged a blood donation camp, distributed food packets and rations to the people in need and provided financial assistance to children orphaned due to Covid-19 pandemic.

CHANDIGARH: A group of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists staged a protest while following Covid-19 protocol at namdev chownk (near Eat well) on Thursday against rising prices of petrol & diesel and demanded that the government should roll back the hike with an immediate effect.

A group of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists staged a protest while following Covid-19 protocol at namdev chownk (near Eat well) on Thursday against rising prices of petrol & diesel and demanded that the government should roll back the hike with an immediate effect.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress to observe May 21 as “Seva Diwas” on former PM Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary.
PPCC president Sunil Jakhar said that the country is going through an unprecedented crisis due to Covid pandemic. Lakhs of people had lost their near and dears, thousands others were battling Corona amidst shortage of resources. Raising above political considerations and irrespective of caste and creed the party will observe the anniversary as a day of service to humanity with a sense of duty.

NEW DELHI: A war of words erupted on Tuesday between the BJP and the Congress after the former accused the latter of using the Covid pandemic to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh today alleged that an aide of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has threatened him to get ready to face Vigilance cases. Pargat Sindhu has taken a strong stand against the alleged threat to him which is aimed to stop him from supporting Navjot Singh Sidhu, MLA from Amritsar East.

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Sunil Jakhar said that the Modi government at the Center has completely failed in Covid management. Instead of making timely arrangements to battle the pandemic, the Central govt continued to send vaccines abroad. Now when people were telling the truth or serving humanity to give relief to affected people, they were being booked and arrested by registering FIRs.

PUNE: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, Rajiv Satav, passed away in a hospital here after a 23-day long battle with Covid-19, party officials said here on Sunday.