The CM also said all papers and files in his office have been gutted.
Former speaker of Lok Sabha P A Sangma, who is in the fray for the Presidential poll, on Wednesday resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party.NCP chief Sharad Pawar had urged Sangma to withdraw from the contest, after the ruling United Progressive Alliance unanimously nominated senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee as it its candidate for the President's post.
Former Chief Minister of Gujarat Keshubhai Patel flew into New Delhi from Ahmedabad on Tuesday and had meetings with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Dr Murali Manohar Joshi.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shahnawaz Hussain, member of Lok Sabha from Bhagalpur, claimed on Sunday that the issue of the next President of India was still open. National Democratic Alliance leaders who met on Sunday deferred the matter for a few days and asked non-UPA chief ministers their point of view.
Wednesday's shock and awe of regional leaders gave Congress leaders such a jolt that they had no choice but to quickly decide on the man who would be least opposed by its allies and adversaries, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Asks a senior Congressman: "When his position on home ground is weak, when his most senior colleague is expected to leave the Cabinet on being selected for the President's post, and when within the party too his handling of economy is being questioned, why should he go abroad for so long?"
We can sort out certain sensitive issues with the Left, we can put aside certain economic reforms, but there will not be day-to-day skirmishes with them, a senior Congress leader tells Sheela Bhatt
Former speaker of the Lok Sabha P A Sangma, who was the first one to announce his candidature for the President is watching the political developments very closely. According to sources, if he finds that former President A P J Abdul Kalam is backed by National Democratic Alliance, Sangma may prefer to join electoral fray as vice president.
BSP supremo Mayawati may have used her plan to nominate a Dalit candidate for the post of President as a bargaining tool with the Congress, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Once the tremors of Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav's political shock dies down, they will return for fresh negotiations with the Congress, notes Sheela Bhatt.
"The party has taken no decision on the vice president's post. We will only comment after the United Progressive Alliance has announced its decision. Whatever Jaswantji is doing is by his own initiative. I already made this clear during my press conference on Tuesday," said Rajya Sabha member of Parliament and BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar
Ajit Singh writes a letter to Akhilesh Yadav asking him to send experts to Muthura for the airport.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has reiterated that there were no differences within the Bharatiya Janata Party and that its leaders were capable of sorting out differences.
By asking Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to move the resolution authorising the Congress president to select the party's presidential nominee, Sonia Gandhi has strengthened her political position. Sheela Bhatt analyses
Non-resident Indian Anshuman Mishra, who was recently in the news over the controversy surrounding the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate for Rajya Sabha polls from Jharkhand, writes an open letter to party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani in which he advices the latter to make a dignified exit and hand over the reins to the party's second generation leaders.
'Modi has to lead the BJP. There is no alternative,' a senior BJP leader tells Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Rediff.com brings you a combined update of the effect of Thursday's Bharat bandh, called by the National Democratic Alliance, Left parties and Samajwadi Party to protest against the latest hike in petrol prices, from various parts of the country.
If the present state of affairs continues, the tourism industry is likely to lose business worth Rs 10-20 crore per week.
'Modi has to lead the BJP. There is no alternative,' a senior BJP leader tells Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Bhartiya Janata Party, Left and Samajwadi Party have decided to protest against the steep hike in the prices of petrol and would hold countrywide demonstrations, dharnas and court arrest to register their anger against the move during Thursday's Bharat bandh.
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