Electorate no more gets swayed by ‘charisma’, Priyanka can’t win votes for Cong: TRS

Agencies

February 7, 2019

Hyderabad, Feb 7: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will draw crowds but not win votes for the Congress as today's electorate back parties which deliver and are not swayed by "charisma," said the Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Thursday.

"Those days have gone when people with super-charisma come and sway the voters because voters today are educated, especially the youth who are making an impact," spokesperson for the ruling party in Telangana, Abid Rasool Khan, said.

"They (voters) are towards parties which promise and deliver," Khan said news agency.

The "classic case" in this context is the TRS which swept the recent Assembly and Panchayat polls in the state because of good governance and delivery on promises, and there was no "charisma", he claimed.

Priyanka took charge as AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East on Wednesday, a fortnight after her formal induction into the Congress party.

"Her (Priyanka's) entry or entry in comparison with any film star or celebrity is only to draw the crowd, but they will not transform into votes because voters have decided they wanted parties which will deliver and keep up promises", Khan said.

On the assessment of some analysts that Priyanka's "charisma" is similar to that of her grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said, "there is a difference".

During Indira Gandhi's days, Khan said, charisma was important because most of the voters were illiterate, and it's not the case now. Thanks to social and other media exposure, people are demanding their rights now, not just charisma.

"So, I don't think personally she will make any impact until and unless the Congress party looks at itself...where it has gone wrong, set right all the problems under her leadership and builds up the party base...," he said.

"Over a period of five years if she works hard, definitely there will be an impact, but not coming just before the elections", Khan said.

As for the perception in some quarters that Priyanka may "overshadow" her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he said, "Anybody who does not perform will be overshadowed."

"Rahul Gandhi has definitely not performed as a national leader, and he has not been assertive, he is not seen to take decisions", he said, adding, the Congress would not have won Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh last year if there was a "third alternative."

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‘Pay the worker before his sweat dries’: Madras High Court cites Prophet Muhammad’s teaching while ordering settlement of dues

News Network

December 21,2025

Invoking the teachings of Prophet Muhammad—“pay the worker before his sweat dries”—the Madras High Court has directed a municipal corporation to settle long-pending legal dues owed to a former counsel. The court observed that this principle reflects basic fairness and applies equally to labour and service-related disputes.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan made the observation while hearing a petition filed by advocate P. Thirumalai, who claimed that the Madurai City Municipal Corporation failed to pay him legal fees amounting to ₹13.05 lakh. Earlier, the High Court had asked the corporation to consider his representation. However, a later order rejected a major portion of his claim, prompting the present petition.

The court allowed Thirumalai to approach the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and submit a list of cases in which he had appeared. It also directed the corporation to settle the verified fee bills within two months, without interest. The court noted that the petitioner had waited nearly 18 years before challenging the non-payment and that the corporation could not be fully blamed, as the fee bills were not submitted properly.

‘A Matter of Embarrassment’

Justice Swaminathan described it as a “matter of embarrassment” that the State has nearly a dozen Additional Advocate Generals. He observed that appointing too many law officers often leads to unnecessary allocation of work and frequent adjournments, as government counsel claim that senior officers are engaged elsewhere.

He expressed hope that such practices would end at least in the Madurai Bench of the High Court and added that Additional Advocate Generals should “turn a new leaf” from 2026 onwards.

‘Scandalously High Amounts’

While stating that the court cannot examine the exact fees paid to senior counsel or law officers, Justice Swaminathan stressed that good governance requires public funds to be used prudently. He expressed concern over the “scandalously high amounts” paid by government and quasi-government bodies to a few favoured law officers.

In contrast, the court noted that Thirumalai’s total claim was “a pittance” considering the large number of cases he had handled.

Background

Thirumalai served as the standing counsel for the Madurai City Municipal Corporation for more than 14 years, from 1992 to 2006. During this period, he represented the corporation in about 818 cases before the Madurai District Courts.

As the former counsel was unable to hire a clerk to obtain certified copies of judgments in all 818 cases, the court directed the District Legal Services Authority to collect the certified copies within two months. The court further ordered the corporation to bear the cost incurred by the DLSA and deduct that amount from the final settlement payable to the petitioner.

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