Veteran leader, Pranab Mukherjee, who got elected as the 13th President of India on Sunday, will not be a “rubber-stamp” head of the state.

The word “rubber stamp” President was coined when V.V. Gir

Veteran leader Pranab Mukherjee was elected the 13th President of India on Sunday. He becomes the first Bengali to be elected President.

Crisis managers in the Congress tried to keep ally NCP in good humour on Friday, a day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar and NCP leader and heavy industries minister Praful Patel sent their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on issues related to the functioning of the government and the coalition.

Crisis managers in the Congress tried to keep ally NCP in good humour on Friday, a day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar and NCP leader and heavy industries minister Praful Patel sent their resignations to

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi has for the first time since 2004 kept the option of joining the government “open”. This has fuelled speculation about an imminent Cabinet reshuffle and his possible portfolio in political circles.

The Congress has brought rival parties Trinamul Congress, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, BSP, Janata Dal (U) and RJD together in favour of UPA presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee.

The Congress indicated on Monday that it will project its prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha polls. This came in the backdrop of speculation that AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi will play a “decisive” role in the coming weeks.

Vice-president Mohammed Hamid Ansari is all set to get a second term after the Congress-led UPA on Saturday decided to renominate him.

At least three UPA allies — the Trinamul Congress, NCP and the DMK — are sulking for different reasons ahead of the presidential and vice-presidential elections.

Vice-president Mohammed Hamid Ansari is all set to get a second term after the Congress-led UPA on Saturday decided to renominate him.