New Delhi, June 10: The Congress will host an Iftar party here on June 13 after a gap of two years, a party leader said on Sunday.

It will however the first Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be hosting after assuming the top party post. 

"The Iftar will begin around 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday," Congress Minority Department Vice Chairman Manish R. Shah said.

It will be held either at the Taj Palace Hotel or Ashoka Hotel. The party's last Iftar was hosted by then Congress President Sonia Gandhi in 2015. 

The Iftar, coming at a time when the opposition is aiming for an anti-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 general elections, is expected to see a host of leaders from all opposition parties and of all faiths.

The Congress move comes a few days after the Rashtrapati Bhavan decided not to host an Iftar this year, with President Ram Nath Kovind stating that there should no religious observance at taxpayer's expense at the public building.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.

The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.

As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.

"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.

"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.

Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.