Sonia Gandhi slams BJP at Congress election rally at Ramgarh in Jharkhand

Ramgarh: Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched a blistering attack on BJP for spreading lies and rumours to grab power. While addressing a mammoth Congress rally in Ramgarh in Jharkhand on Friday, the Congress leader slammed BJP for making false promises and misleading the people. "Nowadays, the BJP leaders are talking big and mislead people by saying no development took place till now and they will bring about rapid progress as soon as they come to power. They make huge promises to the people on development as if no development ever took place in India" said Sonia Gandhi and added, "I wonder whether we need to decide our Prime Minister based on his ability to mislead the people and spread lies more effectively. Politics is linked with the service to the human kind, on development of the country and welfare of the poor. Nobody should have any right in democracy to stoop at any law, to grab power".

Jharkhand: Sonia Gandhi holds discussions with senior Congress leaders on govt formation

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday held discussions with senior party leaders regarding an alliance with JMM for the next Lok Sabha polls and formation of a coalition government in Jharkhand.

Defence Minister Antony, who chairs the sub-group on alliances for the next general elections, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in-charge of Jharkhand B K Hariprasad, AICC General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, Jharkhand Congress chief Sukhdeo Bhagat and CLP leader Rajendra Singh met Sonia Gandhi to apprise her of the progress of the talks with JMM so far.

Earlier, Bhagat, Singh and senior state Congress leader Sarfaraz Ahmed met RJD chief Lalu Prasad. Singh said he was 100 per cent sure that the RJD would back the new government in Jharkhand.

The Congress party has agreed to have a JMM Chief Minister in the state which in lieu has consented to give a lion's share of the 14 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress. Shibu Soren's son Hemant Soren, who is tipped to be the next chief minister, held a meeting with RJD chief Lalu Prasad last night to seek his support for the coalition government.

Hours before his meeting with Prasad, Soren had a long discussion with Antony, the Congress President's political secretary Ahmed Patel where further steps in connection with government formation were learnt to have been discussed.

President's Rule was imposed in Jharkhand on January 18 following the resignation of Chief Minister Arjun Munda. In the 82-member Assembly, BJP and JMM have 18 MLAs each. The Congress has a total of 13 members, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha(P) 11 and RJD 5. CPI-ML(L), Marxist Coordination Party, Jharkhand Party (Ekka), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Jai Bharat Samta Party have one member each besides an independent.