AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi could play a major role in formulating strategy for Assembly elections in half a dozen states next year — including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat — given his mo

The current mood in the Congress is not to succumb to the pressure of the Opposition parties on the CAG report on the Commonwealth Games. Its strategy became clear after a meeting of the party’s top brass here on Saturday. After that, the Congress virtually dismissed the Opposition’s demand for Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s resignation.

Team Rahul could face the first political challenge — the CAG report on the Commonwealth Games and Anna Hazare’s proposed fast against the Lokpal bill — in the absence of the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi who is recovering from a surgery.
Mrs Gandhi underwent surgery at a hospital on August 4. But before leaving abroad for treatment, she constituted a four-member group

The Congress is watching developments in the BJP where regional satraps are calling the shots.
In fact, the victory of Mr D.V. Sadananda Gowda as the Karnataka BJP Legislature Party chief is seen as a setback to the party high command which wanted to check his mentor and former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The process of realignment seems to have begun with the DMK said to be building bridges with old comrades in the NDA after getting marginalised in the Congress-led UPA alliance ruling at the Centre.

Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde’s report on illegal mining could damage the BJP not only in Karnataka, but in at least half-a-dozen states going to polls next year. This is because the issue of corruption has already taken centrestage.

The Congress has prepared an action plan for Karnataka and will launch agitation against both the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) in the light of a report of the Lokayukta, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, on the mining scam.

Unrest in South, especially in Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu, is causing concern to the two national parties — the Congress and the BJP — where the issues of mining scam, agitation on Telangana sta

The Monsoon Session of Parliament, from August 1, could see the beginning of the process of realignment because of developments in the UPA and the isolation of supporting parties. Atleast four issues — Lokpal, Telangana, Karnataka Lokayukta’s proposed report on mining and the developments in the DMK — could dominate the session.

A decision on the resignation by 13 Andhra Pradesh MPs could be taken by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Ms Meira Kumar, between July 28 and 31. The Speaker will be on a foreign trip from Friday till July 28.