Lalu was apparently referring to his wife Rabri Devi.
After maintaining that the National Democratic Alliance leadership would announce the chief ministerial candidate, following poll notification, the Saffron party appeared to have made a climbdown.
The legislature party of the PDP which met in Srinagar on Thursday afternoon unanimously chose Mehbooba Mufti as the chief ministerial candidate as also its leader.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Sunday declared that he was not going to be the party's chief ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly election slated for September-October.
Congress leader P T Ajay Mohan has discouraged discussions on who should be the CM before the Assembly poll results, expected on May 4.
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan said the party high command was likely to take a final decision on Kerala's next CM within 24 hours as lobbying intensifies among the three top contenders for the chief minister's post.
Former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran, now an Independent MLA backed by the UDF, has criticised Left leaders for targeting him over his late brother Bhuvaneswaran, considered a party martyr. Sudhakaran claims the CPI(M) lost votes by politicising Bhuvaneswaran's memory during the election campaign.
The Congress party is still undecided on who will be Kerala's next Chief Minister, even after discussions between party leaders. Several leaders are vying for the position, and the high command is waiting for the political climate to calm down before making an announcement.
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key ally of the Congress in Kerala, has criticised the public discussions and arguments regarding who should be the chief ministerial candidate of the United Democratic Front (UDF). IUML leader P M A Salam stated that such debates could lead to discontent among party workers and the general public.
Senior Congress leader M K Raghavan has criticised the party's decision to bar MPs from contesting in the recent Kerala Assembly elections, attributing it to the stubbornness of some party leaders rather than a high command directive.
The BJP will focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections, rather than projecting a chief ministerial candidate, according to state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.
The IUML, a key ally of the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, anticipates a more unified Congress party after the assembly election results are announced, expressing disapproval of internal disputes over the chief ministerial candidate.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the BJP's commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code in West Bengal within six months of assuming power, while also promising a Bengali chief minister.
As the CLP meeting passed a resolution authorising the party's high command to decide the next CM, observers will file a report to the Congress national leadership, who will take the final call.
Amidst ongoing uncertainty regarding the selection of the next Kerala chief minister, the Congress high command has summoned key party leaders to New Delhi for discussions.
The announcement was made after a meeting of Parliamentary Board, BJP's highest decision-making body, which was chaired by Singh and attended by Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and other senior leaders.
Ten days after the expansion of the BJP government's cabinet in West Bengal, key portfolios have been allocated, with senior leader Tapas Roy taking charge of industries and journalist-turned-politician Swapan Dasgupta appointed finance minister.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala expresses confidence in the UDF's victory in the Kerala assembly elections, attributing it to Rahul Gandhi's leadership and a strong anti-incumbency sentiment.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded the immediate disqualification of six party MPs who defected to the Eknath Shinde-led camp, alleging a larger political conspiracy. He accused the BJP of exploiting the Ram Mandir issue and systematically sidelining its own state leaders, while also questioning the rebel MPs' motives and wealth.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) authorizes actor Vijay to decide on alliances for the upcoming Assembly elections and announces him as their Chief Ministerial candidate.
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav promised that if the INDIA bloc comes to power in Bihar, it will ensure every family has a member with a government job, enacting legislation within 20 days of forming the government.
The DMK has criticised its ally Congress for supporting Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government, calling the decision a 'backstab'. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai accused Congress of being an 'unstable partner' and betraying the INDIA alliance.
Ashok Gehlot convinced the RJD leadership that the Congress had no issue about declaring Tejashwi as the Mahagathbandan's chief minister face.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has accused the Kerala government of protecting CPI(M) leaders allegedly involved in the Sabarimala temple gold loss case and failing to address other issues related to the temple.
The new Cabinet in Karnataka led by chief minister-designate D K Shivakumar is likely to be a small one with 10-14 ministers including some young faces, sources said on Tuesday. The top Congress leadership on Tuesday held day-long deliberations with outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar on giving final shape to the new cabinet in the state.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
The BJP's West Bengal unit chief, Samik Bhattacharya, criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, accusing it of crushing democracy and fostering lawlessness in the state. He highlighted alleged political violence, economic decline, and disrespect for constitutional posts under the TMC's rule.
Lalu Prasad's son, Tejashwi Yadav, has been appointed the working president of the RJD following the party's performance in recent elections. The decision was made at the party's national executive meeting.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the term 'katta' (country-made gun) in a recent election rally in Bihar, calling it an inappropriate choice of words for a Prime Minister.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
'Age matters and the way Tejashwi has been doing an aggressive campaign, only a young leader like him can do it.'
'He worked over time to become the natural claimant,' a senior UDF leader observed. 'Others had organisational stature, but Satheesan had momentum.' For the Congress, it may signal the beginning of a new leadership template -- one where performance, communication and grassroots credibility increasingly outweigh inherited power structures in deciding who leads the party into its next phase.
'Our party has formed governments independently in all neighbouring states except West Bengal; now it's Bihar's turn.'
Already, within the week of the election results it became apparent that the Congress' DNA has not changed from its traditional approach to politics as but a game of thrones, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
In a state known for high political literacy and ideological mobilisation, the Congress' inability to quickly settle on a leader after securing a massive mandate has fed a narrative that the party remains excessively dependent on Delhi, deeply faction-ridden and vulnerable to internal sabotage
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor met with party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi amid reports of discontent, stating that he is on the 'same page' with the leadership.
With 8,931 days in office as head of government covering his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and as Prime Minister, PM Modi has overtaken Chamling's record of 8,930 days.
