Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Monday appeared emerging as the frontrunner to succeed Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh who has offered to resign in the aftermath of terror attacks in Mumbai.

The BJP, on its part, has used every trick in the book - from releasing huge ads in newspapers and local movie channels on the cable network, billboards and FM radio stations - to project itself as the only alternative.

The stage is set for the crucial assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress for the first time facing a stiff challenge from various political forces in a state where politics has always been bi-polar.

Cracking the whip on the party functionaries who are contesting the December 4 Assembly elections against its official candidates, the Rajasthan Congress on Tuesday expelled 39 rebel leaders, including four former ministers and 15 ex-MLAs.

Cracking the whip on the party functionaries who are contesting the December 4 Assembly elections against its official candidates, the Rajasthan Congress on Tuesday expelled 39 rebel leaders, including four former ministers and 15 ex-MLAs.

Jolly, the BJP candidate for New Delhi constituency, drove to Dikshit's 3-Motilal Nehru Place residence on Tuesday morning along with his wife and two children to seek her "blessings".

A severe shortage of drinking water and the Vasundhara Raje government's handling of the farmers' agitation for water seem to be influencing the electorate in the assembly segments of Dantaramgarh and Sikar.

The Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday dismissed as "baseless and fictitious" the ruling BJP's charge that the UPA Government at the Centre was giving a step-motherly treatment to the state.

It will be a battle for prestige for parties on Sunday when poll-bound Delhi will witness star-studded election rallies organised by BJP's ally SAD, Congress and BSP, which are trying their best to ensure impressive turnout.

Senior BJP leader and party general secretary Arun Jaitley, who is in charge of the election campaign in Delhi, told IANS: "The objective of the campaign is to convince the voters, who are unhappy with the Congress, to vote for the BJP."

The Congress has expressed its surprise that small temples located on common plots of housing societies were being targetted in the name of development while the government glossed over encroachments by big temples and religious preachers.

Terming the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as "absolutely wrong", Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the perpetrators of the violence should be brought to justice.

Accusing BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of being "neck deep in corruption", Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh on Tuesday said the saffron party has been indulging in money-making process for the last five years.

Accusing the BJP-led NDA of failing to curb terror during its tenure, the Congress on Tuesday charged the saffron party with "politicising and criminalising terror" in the aftermath of Maharashtra ATS probe into the Malegaon blast.

Former External Affairs minister K Natwar Singh was expelled by the BSP for indulging in anti-party activities and was accused of indiscipline and lack of faith in the Bahujan samaj movement, four months after he joined Uttar Pradesh's ruling party.

Housing society for government employees and improving the transport system by monorail and light rail transit were on Monday promised by ruling Congress in its manifesto for coming assembly elections in Delhi.

The election season is well and truly here, and political parties are once again taking Bollywood’s aid to get their message across. The BJP and the Congress have prepared special CDs with campaign songs recorded on the lines of famous Bollywood numbers.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress having almost finalised their candidates for the assembly elections in six states, there is a common thread in their lists - low representation for Muslims and Christians.

"National Conference president Omar Abdullah was on way to Wakura village in Ganderbal when a group of Congress supporters tried to interrupt his road show at Barsoo," a police officer told IANS.

Riding the wheels of development, the ruling Congress will use the 'Vikas Rath' to take on the opposition BJP's comeback vehicle 'Vijay Rath' for campaigning in the Delhi assembly polls scheduled for November 29.

Activity related to the elections has so far been mainly protests outside the state offices of both the main rivals - the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress - over ticket distribution.

"Alva was found guilty of violation of discipline. Howsoever high a person may be in the party hierarchy discipline is vital," Congress spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said explaining the decision against her.

The 30 Youth Congress members - all under 35 - are fighting elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Mizoram. In earlier elections, the youth wing had to be content one or two tickets.

Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva breached party discipline by making serious charges and the Disciplinary Action Committee is seized of the issue on how to tackle the matter, party spokesman Veerappa Moily said on Tuesday.

The battle for Chhattisgarh's southern Bastar region with 12 seats, including 11 reserved for Dalits, has reached a climax with just days left for the first phase of elections to pick a 90-member assembly.