Controversial writer of Bangladeshi origin Taslima Nasreen on Friday posted sarcastic tweets on the dismal performance of West Bengal's Left Front in the Assembly elections and asked how chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was losing office even after throwing her out of the state "to get Muslim votes".

The Congress launched its campaign for Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll even before the results of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry Assembly elections are announced. The Sonia Gandhi-led party is building up the campaign against the Mayawati government on the issues of law and order situation, violence against farmers and corruption in the state.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Brinda Karat on Friday said the party has accepted the "people's verdict" with "deep humility" and will work to win back the confidence of the people.

A day after his party criticised AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi for “indulging in theatrics” by sitting on a dharna in Greater Noida over farmers plight, BJP parliamentary party chairman L.K. Advani on Thursday came out in support of Mr Gandhi. “Whoever is supporting the cause of farmers is doing a good deed,” Mr Advani said. Even BJP’s Pilibhit MP and Mr Gandhi’s cousin Varun Gandhi said no politics should be seen in AICC general secretary’s dharna.

A day after her father M. Karunanidhi's DMK lost power in Tamil Nadu, a court here will pronounce its verdict on Saturday on the bail plea of Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a co-accused in the 2G spectrum case.

Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday stated that the government intends to introduce the Land Acquisition Bill in the forthcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. With the Parliament Session still two months away, the minister didn’t rule out the option of bringing in an ordinance.

In a major embarrassment to the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court on Thursday set aside notifications issued for acquisition of more than 100 hectares of land in Gautam Buddh Nagar district for “planned industrial development” in Greater Noida.

Launching a scathing counter-offensive against UP chief minister Mayawati for her barb against young party leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress on Thursday claimed the BSP leader has reacted out of “frustration”, as the “barbaric treatment”, which was meted out to farmers in Greater Noida, has never been heard in Independent India.

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and his government on a petition by a senior IAS officer of the state, alleging that at least five “false” cases had been slapped on him due to the “vendetta” for he being the brother of a senior IPS officer who allegedly had “exposed” CM’s role in the post-Godhra riots.

The outcome of the Assembly polls for the four states of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be known by Friday noon when counting would be taken up in all the 839 counting halls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi stated this here on Wednesday.