The juggernaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, which triumphed in three of the four east and north-eastern states that went for assembly bypolls on Saturday, was halted yet again in West Bengal where Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress registered a six-on-six clean sweep.
While Manipur's Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has flown to Delhi to lay rival claims to the post of chief minister of the north-eastern state, National People's Party leader Conrad K Sangma, who had earlier flown to Imphal to seek a place for his party in the new government, seems miffed by hints that the BJP will go ahead and form a single-party government.
'...spent 1/10th of his time at 24, Akbar Road...' 'He would have met thousands of party workers and ordinary Congress supporters who have love for the party.' 'Left of Centre intellectuals have shaped Rahul's values, but he lacks earthiness.'
Apart from Sangma, 11 other cabinet ministers were also sworn in by the governor.
'One of our MLA's homes has already been attacked by the mob. This legislator was beaten. This MLA belongs to the Meitei community.' 'There is a complete collapse of law and order in Manipur.'
The development is a major boost for West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has been trying to expand her party's footprint beyond her native state.
Six non-Congress parties and an independent MLA constitute the MDA government.
Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, veteran leader Sharad Pawar led faction moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking that both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) be given new poll symbols.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to use the 'clock' symbol in its publicity material in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections with a disclaimer that the matter was sub judice before it.
The court also directed the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction to publish a disclaimer in newspapers, including Marathi ones, that the issue of allocation of "clock" symbol was pending in court.
Unhappy over the imposition of Central rule in Meghalaya, senior Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma on Friday held discussions on the issue with opposition leader in the Lok Sabha L K Advani and Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat in New Delhi.
Sangma was a nine-time member of Lok Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. He had also held important portfolios in the central government.
Here are some of the famous faces queued up to get ink mark on their fingers.
Sarma claimed the university is demolishing all the hills on its campus to construct new buildings to start a medical college and that is "one of the reasons" for waterlogging in Guwahati.
Conrad said that he has support from 34 MLAs -- 19 of the NPP, six of the the United Democratic Party, four of the People's Democratic Front, two each of the Hill State People's Democratic Party and the BJP and an Independent.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha poll verdict on May 16, former Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma on Monday met Narendra Modi and declared support of the North East Regional Political Front led by him to the Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial nominee.
Maintaining that former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma is gradually "gathering strength" in the race for Presidential polls, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said there should be a consensus in favour of the tribal leader for the top post.
Twenty-eight year old Agatha K Sangma, a lawyer by profession and daughter of P A Sangma, has entered the active politics with the NCP nominating her as the party candidate for the May 22 by-election to Tura Lok Sabha seat in Garo hills, the Sangma fiefdom. She has become the third offspring of the senior Sangma to jump into politics after her brothers Conrad Sangma and James Sangma who were elected to the Meghalaya Assembly as NCP members in the election held in March.
P A Sangma, who broke ranks with the Nationalist Congress Party to fight Presidential election against Pranab Mukherjee, will launch his own party on Saturday.
One of the significant outcomes of the Meghalaya assembly polls is the end of one political dynasty in the state and the rise of another.
The All India Congress Committee, have finally zeroed in on 60 candidates for the forthcoming election to 60-member Meghalaya Assembly from a pool of too many ticket aspirants. Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma's wife Dikanchi D Shira and his brother Zenith Sangma are among those who have made to the list of final 60 party candidates for the election in the northeastern hill state.
Sangma said he had left the NCP due to his differences over Sonia's becoming the PM and since now she had refused the post, he would return.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma has fielded both his sons in the March 3 Meghalaya Assembly elections from two constituencies in his strong bastion in Garo Hills areas of the hill state.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma rang up Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee seeking her support for his candidature in the presidential election, Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghose said on Sunday.
Former Speaker of Lok Sabha and an aspirant for President of India's post P A Sangma on Monday met Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu and sought the party's support for his candidature in presidential election.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has dissociated itself from any move by P A Sangma to legally challenge Pranab Mukherjee's election as the President in the Supreme Court, saying such a decision would be in his personal capacity.
Opposition Presidential nominee P A Sangma on Monday sought cancellation of nomination of United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee under the office of profit rules on the ground that he is the chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute.
Opposition backed Presidential candidate P A Sangma will file his nomination on Thursday, the day when United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee will submit his papers.
As Bharatiya Janata Party backed P A Sangma in the Presidential race, Congress on Thursday rejected as "childish" the Opposition party's complaint that it was not consulted before UPA zeroed in on Pranab Mukherjee as its candidate.
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.
Jesuralem is one of the international destinations for Christians in Meghalaya for its religious importance.
Purno Sangma's daughter Agatha K Sangma of the Nationalist Congress Party won the Tura parliamentary bypoll on Sunday defeating the Congress candiate Zenith Sangma by a margin of 99,855 votes.
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 Lok Sabha speaker and Nationalist Congress Party leader P A Sangma met Bharatiya Janata Party veteran Lal Krishna Advani in New Delhi on Friday to seek support for his candidature for the coveted post of President of India.
The Supreme Court on Monday sought the responses of Ajit Pawar and his 40 MLAs on a plea moved by the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party challenging Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision declaring the group led by the deputy chief minister as the real NCP.
NCP spokesman D P Tripathi said Sangma would also be attending the party's National Convention, which will be held in Surat on June 10.
Banking on the tribal population in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the P A Sangma-led Nationalist People's Party on Friday said it would contest in the assembly elections of the two states to be held later this year.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma has strongly advocated creation of Telangana and Vidarbha states and said the Centre should forthwith grant statehood to these two regions owing to the long pending demand.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa on Thursday joined hands with her Odisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik in backing former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma for the President's post. However, the Nationalist Congress Party virtually disowned its party leader, Sangma, to enter the Presidential race.