Mumbai, Apr 20: Senior Congress leader and Maharashtra’s Industries Minister Narayan Rane on Monday blamed the Shiv Sena for kidnapping his cousin brother Ankush Rane, who was found dead on Sunday near Kankavli town in Sindhudurg District.

Ankush was missing from his residence in a village in Sidhudurg District since April 17.

The body was confirmed to be that of Ankush after his family identified it.

Rane alleged that Shiv Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Vaibhav Naik were behind his cousin’s abduction.

Bhopal, Apr 20: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would cross the magic figure of 272 in the general elections.

“Not only would the NDA get a majority on its own, the BJP would also emerge as the single largest party,” Swaraj said at a press conference here.

When asked to specify the number of seats that the BJP was likely to win, Swaraj said that her party would win anything between 180 to
200 seats on its own.

Amethi, Apr 20: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the daughter of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, on Monday defended the Congress’ decision to go alone in Uttar Pradesh in ongoing general elections.

Priyanka termed the decision of the Congress as an opportunity to strengthen the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

“This is a good opportunity for the UPA because we are going alone in elections. I think it’s a good opportunity now rather than two years ago,” Priyanka said while addressing an election rally here.

Bhubaneswar, Apr 20: Senior Congress leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma on Monday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani for repeatedly calling Manmohan Singh a ‘weak Prime Minister’.

Patna, Apr 20: Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Anil Kumar Sharma today accused Rashtriya Janata Dal
(RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav of plotting 1989 Bhagalpur riots and protecting the main conspirers.

Chandigarh, Apr 20: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President and Punjab deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday released his party’s manifesto for general elections.

The party in its manifesto reiterated its commitment to continue its peaceful and democratic struggle for inclusion of Chandigarh and other Punjabi-speaking areas left out of the state back into Punjab and for getting the river water issue settled on the basis of nationally and internationally accepted Riparian Principle.