Against the backdrop of Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's unrelenting attack against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday hit back at the BJP, saying the use of "bad" language against political rivals did not bring any dignity to the opposition party.
Ahead of assembly polls, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasahev Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday declared he will support any chief ministerial candidate announced by allies Congress or Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar to 'save' Maharashtra, repeating a demand for the second time since August.
The BJP state unit hailed Vasan and said his advice will be used in the coming days to guide the alliance.
A day after Narendra Modi's long meeting with top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sevak brass, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday met senior Sangh leaders at the RSS office in New Delhi.
In a show of unity, Narendra Modi on Saturday asked party workers to ensure victory of Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch L K Advani by a "huge margin" from the constituency and recalled the "illustrious" political career of the party veteran.
A major controversy erupted on Wednesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party threatening a showdown with the Election Commission after Narendra Modi was denied permission for holding a rally in a crowded area in Varanasi on Thursday.
Hype has been created over the issue of Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate after appointment of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as election campaign chief to "target the party", BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said on Monday.
The 10 who put in their papers include nine Lok Sabha MPs, including Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Prahlad Patel, and the one Rajya Sabha member, officials said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday cruised to a two-thirds majority in Madhya Pradesh assembly, winning as many as 163 of the 230 seats in the House, leaving the Congress a distant second at 66.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed 14 rallies in Madhya Pradesh during campaigning for polls and reached out to young voters by reminding them of the failures of previous Congress governments on various fronts as he doubled down on development of all sections.
Talking tough, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said its alliance with the Shiv Sena for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra cannot proceed if the latter wants to back Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar for the prime ministerial post.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Sarbananda Sonowal, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narayan Rane, all of whom are being seen as probables for induction as ministers in the Modi government, arrived in the national capital on Tuesday amid indications that the Union Council of Ministers is likely to be expanded on Wednesday.
According to insiders, their lack of enthusiasm is showing on the ground. There is nothing to suggest that their enthusiasm will return in the final four phases of polling, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Yoga guru and anti-graft crusader Ramdev, who met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar on Wednesday evening, said that a strong and stable leadership is required for a corruption-free India.
Sources said the opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasise on building a common ground.
In the clearest indication yet about Narendra Modi's elevation, Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said that the party "cannot ignore the expectations of the workers" and a decision would be announced shortly.
Kharge accused PM Modi of inciting people over the issues "that the Congress will never do".
BJP leaders Manohar Lal Khattar, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Ravneet Singh Bittu may be among the new faces in the Union council of ministers which will be sworn on Sunday evening along with Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi.
The BJP game-plan: Take the top slot, or a close second, either for the 'Lotus' or the larger NDA, if it can and push the AIADMK to the third place, explains N Sathiya Moorthy.
Janata Dal-United president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan on Saturday alleged that political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor was 'working for' the Bharatiya Janata Party, as part of its 'conspiracies' to find a firm foothold in Bihar.
With 12 MPs, the JD-U is the second biggest Bharatiya Janata Party ally after the TDP's 16, and leaders of the saffron party are in touch with allies over ministerial berths and other issues.
'All these years of experience and learning cannot be just wasted and should be put to better use...Once all these accusations and allegations are over, I feel I should dedicate a larger role in serving the people'
The Bihar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party removed its spokesperson Ram Kishore Singh from his post on Tuesday, a day after he questioned Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and his development model.
Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Monday joined the party men who have offered to contest against Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's allies in Bihar Lok Janashakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief Upendra Kushwaha on Monday said that the Modi wave is sweeping the state and the ongoing Lok Sabha polls outcome will prove them right.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday said former Army chief Gen V K Singh and Anna Hazare's aide Kiran Bedi should be invited to join the party, a day after the former IPS officer endorsed party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
The five-state assembly elections are seen as a now-or-never, no-holds battle for the Congress, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Buoyed by exit poll predictions, Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party unit has prepared a giant cake and as many as 40,000 laddoos to distribute among the people after the LokN Sabha election results on Friday.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said the situation in Bihar is one of the reasons behind the Parliament session being cut short by the government.
Jaswant Singh said that Advani was the natural choice for prime ministership as the former deputy prime minister has worked alongside Vajpayee for over five decades.
Former army chief Gen VK Singh, who was engaged in a long-drawn battle with the government over his age issue, will join the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday.3
The IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in Ahmedabad saw Narendra Modi supporters cheering for the BJP prime ministerial candidate and shouting slogans in his favour.
The Bharatiya Janata Party got a shot in the arm on Monday with two sitting Independent members of the Lok Sabha from Bihar -- Putul Kumari and Om Prakash Yadav -- joining the party ahead of the general elections.
Pressure is mounting for a resolution to be moved in the assembly when it meets next week for its maiden sitting to demand 'restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A' as committed in the National Conference's election manifesto, reveals Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
A face-off between the government and the opposition was erupted on Wednesday after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency and termed the decision by then prime minister Indira Gandhi an attack on the Constitution.
The Congress president also said that he was 'pretty confident' that Narendra Modi would not be the next prime minister.
Amid raging controversy over statements by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia, BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that he disapproved of "petty" statements by those claiming to be BJP's well-wishers as they are deviating from the campaign.
"Do not worry. This relationship will go long. Our alliance will go a long way," the sources quoted Uddhav as telling the MLAs.
Allaying concerns of the Bharatiya Janata Party that their leaders were under threat, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Friday assured the party that they will be provided security.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh said on Monday there was a "security lapse" at the venue of Narendra Modi's rally in Patna, which witnessed serial blasts that left six persons dead, and extra precautions should have been taken.