Rae Bareli, Apr 23: Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday urged people to vote strictly on the issue of development.

“Don’t look at any politician as God. Never ever become a worshipper to any politician. Politics will improve only when you will understand that politicians are your servant,” Gandhi said at an election rally here.

Priyanka further said that it was peoples’ responsibility to make the politicians realise that they want development.

In her compliant sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur alias Purnachetanandagiri, one of the prime accused in the September 29, 2008 Malegaon blast, said that her fellow inmate at the Byculla jail has beaten her cruelly.

On Tuesday, Ganesh Sovani, Sadhvi’s advocate has moved an application before the Maharashtra Control for Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in quest of registering a private complaint.

Patna, Apr 23 : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday denied any rift with the Left parties and said that the United Progressive Front (UPA) would welcome a post-poll coalition deal with them if the alliance is not able to succeed in the elections.

Talking to reporters here, Lalu said, "The doors for a post-poll alliance with the Left is still open. We had difference with the Left only over the civilian nuclear deal and nothing else. We have been friends with CPI (M) for a long time."

Chennai, Apr 23 : Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who visited Sri Lanka on a humanitarian mission, said that there is immense trauma among the Tamil people living in refugee camps.

"We did whatever little bit in the relief work possible and there is lot of fear and anxiety among the people. They feel sort of let down by all those whom they believed in. They feel let down by their own people, they feel let down by India," said Shankar, who was in Sri Lanka since Monday.

New Delhi, Apr 23 : Consequent to a couple of attacks by Maoists which disrupted the first and second stages of elections to the Lok Sabha, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta assured that the subsequent three phases of polls will be secure, free and fair.

"The objective of having a free and successful democratic process was achieved and that will be achieved in subsequent phases also. Lets us not try to give a larger than life image (to the Naxals)," said Gupta.

New Delhi, Apr 23 : Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Prakash Karat has ruled out the possibility of forming a post-poll alliance with the with the Congress party.

In an exclusive interview with TIMESNOW, Karat clarified that his party''s aim is to see that there is a "non-Congress secular government."

He revealed that in the event of the CPI (M) failing to do so, it "would prefer to sit in the opposition."