Bomb blasts on Thursday rocked Assam and Manipur during Independence Day functions injuring one person even as chief ministers asked extremists to abjure violence and return to the mainstream.
'His success confirms that the infirm 132-year-old party can still get to its feet if it allows regional leaders to come to the fore,' argues Amulya Ganguli.
Congress and RJD are single largest parties in Goa and Bihar respectively.
Sharmila said a section of people even wanted her 'martyrdom' during the 16-year old fast against the AFSPA that she decided to end last year.
In a protests against the decision of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to invite BJP to form the government despite falling short of the required numbers, the Congress has been demanding they be called to form the government in Goa and Manipur as it had emerged as the largest party in the 2017 assembly election.
As the results pour in from the five states which have gone to polls, scenes of celebrations can be seen across the nation.
Even if they score administratively, state governments ruled by the party suffer from an inability to communicate positively, say observers.
The church bells don't toll in Churachandpur any more. The hill district in Manipur has been in mourning for more than a year.
Several states that imposed prohibition in the past lifted it once revenue loss began to pinch
Deepti Priya Mehrotra, who documented Irom Sharmila's struggle for peace in Manipur in the book Burning Bright, puts the icon's electoral loss in perspective.
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