POLITICS

Sources said she indicated that she may step back if the CWC wants but the CWC did not endorse it. The CWC reposed faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and every single member said that she should continue till organisational elections. Party chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: "The deliberations of the CWC is not open and many people spoke but the CWC statement is the final conclusion of the meeting."

All arrangements have been made for the meeting at Ippatam village near Mangalagiri in Amaravati capital region. Inviting all party workers and well-wishers of Andhra Pradesh for the meeting, Pawan Kalyan said on Sunday that it will not be like another formation day celebration but will set the direction of the future of Andhra Pradesh and state politics.

"A section in the party feels that making a leader Chief Minister who lost the polls will be against the BJP's practice and it must be avoided this time also. We have questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after she lost from Nandigram in last year's state assembly polls. In 2017, the party did not make Prem Kumar Dhumal the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh after he lost the election," a party leader said.

"'Tusi kamaal kar dita' (you did wonders). I love you Punjab. The whole world knew that Punjabis bring revolution, but still could not believe that such an incredible 'inquilab' could sweep. All were defeated, Sukhbir ji, Parkash Singh Badal ji, Manpreet Badal got defeated, Channi defeated on both the seats, Majithia ji, Navjot Singh Sidhu ji tasted defeat," he said.

In a major development, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced that two former Union Ministers -- Shatrughan Sinha and Babul Supriyo -- will contest the upcoming West Bengal bypolls for the Trinamool Congress.The chief minister announced that Shatrughan Sinha will be the party's candidate for bypoll to Asansol Lok Sabha seat, and Babul Supiyo will be the candidate for Ballygunge Assembly constituency.

Overzealous BJP workers in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun district crushed a row of bicycles with a bulldozer to celebrate their party's success in the state's Assembly polls. While the bicycle is the Samajwadi Party (SP) symbol, the bulldozer had become synonymous with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's campaign against the mafia.

Mamata Banerjee does not have "national aspirations" and only wants to bring like-minded parties together to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, TMC leaders said, after the party's high-profile campaign in the Goa assembly polls failed to make any impression. The Chief Minister said after the results that the Trinamool Congress had just entered Goa three months before and the attempt was to make the name Trinamool known to the people of the state.

Punjab Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann on Saturday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raj Bhawan here and staked claim to form the Aam Aadmi Party government. He is set to take oath on March 16 as the 17th Chief Minister of Punjab. Earlier, Mann was elected the AAP's legislature party leader at a meeting of the party legislators in Mohali near here on Friday.

After registering a landslide victory in Punjab Assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Chief Minister-designate Bhagwant Mann and his Cabinet colleagues will be sworn-in on March 16, it was announced on Friday. The AAP recorded a thumping win in the Assembly polls by winning 92 of the 117 seats. The ruling Congress won 18 seats, a massive decline from 77 it had won in 2017, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could manage only three seats.

As the BJP regained power in Manipur, the party has strengthened its hold over the northeastern states. Either the BJP on its own has formed the governments in these states or with allies. Why? Infrastructure development, improved connectivity and successful delivery of social welfare schemes without corruption are the main reasons for the success of the BJP, people hailing from the northeastern states said.