Noting that the situation on the ground was "very difficult", the Congress leader said it was high time the prime minister announced a relief package for the poor and a financial stimulus for the economy.

Scindia's departure from the Congress also raises question marks about delayed decision-making and status quo in the Congress.

Madhavrao Scindia briefly left the Congress in 1996 and was later pacified to rejoin ranks

'The uncertainty on future leadership needs to be dispelled. It is already late as if today is yesterday. If necessary, a direction can be given to Rahul Gandhi to assume leadership'

They said it was then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who on February 1, 1986 got the permission for starting prayers at the disputed site and got the locks opened.

Many leaders who appealed to Gandhi to stay argued that their political futures depended on his presence in the party and hence he must stay.

The party and its president, it seemed, were also unable to articulate their views effectively enough

Singh asserted that the people have made up their minds to vote out the government

Voters in Rae Bareli said they feel an emotional connection with the Gandhi family.

"For the entire opposition, the job number one is to defeat Mr Narendra Modi and save Democracy and the Constitution."

Accusing the prime minister of pushing a particular narrative in the media through the PMO, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said "Modi will not be able to deflect from real issues".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said the Nyay plan is a game changer and that the scheme is "fiscally perfectly doable" and will not be implemented rashly.

For Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who continues the Gandhi family legacy of active politics that began several generations ago, the formal entry into politics was two decades in the making.

As the party moves forward into the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it not only needs to strengthen the state units and reach out to the grassroots level, but also forge alliances with like-minded parties.

He said he is 'more than satisfied' with his long political career as a five-time Lok Sabha MP, three time Union minister and chief minister for 10 years.

Surjewala made the case for state-specific alliances while arguing for a larger coalition with like-minded parties in 'national interest'.

The 71-year-old MP may have time to pursue her other interests, but many believe that she will continue to play the role of a mentor.

The new party president, the sixth member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to lead the political outfit, takes charge from his mother Sonia Gandhi at a time when the party is facing one of its worst crises, with the Bharatiya Janata Party occupying the centre stage of national and state politics.

The Congress scion will step into his mother Sonia Gandhi's shoes as the party president next week.

Kovind may bag over 62 per cent votes but fall short of the 69 per cent votes polled by incumbent Pranab Mukherjee in 2012.

Going by precedence, the 15th presidential election scheduled to be held on July 17 this year will see a contest, notwithstanding the frenetic political confabulations for a consensus candidate.

He also said that it was up to Sonia Gandhi whether she will continue as party chief for another term.

India on Friday said Bhutan and its security is "intricately interlinked" and it is important for the two neighbours to be sensitive to each other's concerns, as President Pranab Mukherjee held wide-ranging talks with the Bhutanese leadership.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley faces a tough electoral battle in his maiden bid to enter Lok Sabha from Amritsar but is unfazed by his "reluctant" heavyweight opponent Capt Amarinder Singh as he claims the groundswell against Congress "adds to my confidence".

Candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls will be able to spend more on their campaign with the Election Commission considering raising the expenditure cap up to Rs 70 lakh per contestant from Rs 40 lakh now.