Congress, BJP search for friends, plot for power

New Delhi, May 14 Even before the results for the 15th Lok Sabha elections are out, major power players have begun jockeying, strategising and looking for friends across the fence to get the magic number of 272.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav shakes hands with LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan as he leaves after a meeting at the latter’s residence in New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI photo

Editorial: Regional satraps in demand

The Left leaves Cong guessing
New Delhi, May 14
Will there be a repeat of 2004? The Left parties, which may well again hold the key to formation of a new government, today kept the Congress managers guessing on their stand in an uncertain post-poll scenario.

Editorial: Comrades on board

BSP’s Muslim leaders tilt towards Cong
Dehradun, May 14
Although the BSP in Uttarakhand is likely to increase its vote share in the Lok Sabha elections, the party stands bruised by the activities of some disgruntled legislators from Haridwar.

Karnataka jinx: Win state, lose Centre
Bangalore, May 14
While everyone awaits the Lok Sabha poll results on May 16, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have an additional reason to worry over how they perform in Karnataka, for the party which bagged the highest number of the state’s 28 seats in the last two polls lost power in New Delhi.

Left sees red as US diplomat calls on TDP chief
Hyderabad, May 14
The United States charge d’Affaires Peter Burleigh’s meeting with TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi has triggered a political storm in Andhra Pradesh.

Industrialist AS Bindra arrested
Zirakpur/Chandigarh, May 14
Chandigarh-based industrialist AS Bindra was arrested by a team of the economic offence wing of the Delhi police from his farmhouse on the Zirakpur-Patiala highway here late this evening.

Transfer of Badal case
SC dismisses Amarinder’s plea
New Delhi, May 14
The Supreme Court today dismissed Capt Amarinder Singh’s petition seeking transfer of the trial in the corruption case against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh and wife Surender Kaur from Mohali to somewhere outside Punjab.