BUDGET UPDATE
IT exemption limit raised to 1 lakh, tax slabs restructured
Budget graphics

Cong sweeps Haryana
* Chautala loses Narwana * Record win by Bhajan

Chandigarh, February 27 The Congress tsunami hit Haryana today. The tsunami virtually wiped away the ruling Indian National Lok Dal, which suffered its worst ever defeat. The party could win only nine seats against the Congress tally of 67, the highest it has ever won in Haryana.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala in a jubilant mood after defeating Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala from the Narwana assembly constituency on Sunday. — Tribune photo by Pankaj Sharma
Chautala submits resignation Outcome of electoral battle Decision on CM tomorrow; many in race Editorial: Negative vote In video: (28k, 56k)

ADVERTISEMENT

NRIs Rush! Citibank Offer

Hung Houses in Bihar, Jharkhand
New Delhi, February 27
Mr Ram Bilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today emerged the kingmaker in Bihar after a heavily fractured verdict as the Congress stormed back to power with a landslide victory in Haryana and the BJP-JD (U) combine came within striking distance of power in a hung verdict in Jharkhand.

RJD to stake claim

NDA close to govt formation in Jharkhand
New Delhi, February 27
Benefiting from the confusion in opposition ranks, the ruling NDA has gained an upper hand in the sweepstakes to form the next government in Jharkhand by getting 36 of the 81 seats for which the results were declared today.

Cong working towards ‘secular’ governments

PM assures more funds to J&K
Jammu, February 27
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, today said that a Central team would visit the snowstorm-affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow to assess the extent of loss. 
In video: (28k, 56k)

Major tax reforms expected in Budget
New Delhi, February 27
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will present the first full budget of the UPA government tomorrow amidst expectations of announcements of major tax reforms even while keeping the farm sector at the epicentre of the new policy paradigm.

Business page: Investors await signal from Budget
Nation page: Repeal outdated laws, suggests economic survey

Rane to face trust vote today
Mumbai, February 27
Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane will face his trust vote in the Goa Assembly tomorrow even as his victory remains uncertain. Already horse-trade has begun in the state and the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have moved their respective MLAs to secret locations to prevent them from being poached by the other side.

ISRO cryogenic engine flight test this year Bangalore, February 27 In what will be a key step towards attaining the geo-synchronous launch capability with significant overlap in the area of strategic technologies, the Indian Space Research Organisation will flight test a cryogenic engine towards the end of this year or early next year, ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said here yesterday.