Nervous Cong gears up to support Didi

Meanwhile, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit said he is unlikely to win suggesting that the anti-incumbency factor was at play.

New Congress posters at party HQ.

The ruling Congress betrayed nervousness on the eve of poll verdict with its campaign face missing in action, an MP virtually conceding his defeat and a senior leader asking regional parties to elect TMC chief Mamata Banerjee as their leader, besides all its taking heads gearing up to defend Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the polices of his government.

A day after controversy over the Congress vice president skipping a dinner hosted by its president Sonia Gandhi for the outgoing PM, the party on Thursday signalled its leaders would stand by Rahul and Singh if predictions in exit polls come true.

Congress spokespersons have also been asked to go soft on regional parties during media interactions on Friday as it still hopes that BJP-led NDA would fall short of the magic figure of 272. Although it has more or less conceded that Congress tally would be around 100, lines of communication were intact with regional satraps.

Story continues below this ad

“Regional secular parties should come together and elect their leader. Mamata Banerjee may be the leader of the third largest group. There should be consensus on her name. All secular parties should come together to keep Modi away from power,” Rashid Alvi said as he hinted that Congress might support any such alliance to form the government.

Meanwhile, East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit said he is unlikely to win suggesting that the anti-incumbency factor was at play.

With Rahul away, there were no official meetings on Thursday, but Sonia had some visitors. Both Sonia and Rahul are expected to address the media in the afternoon once the results become clear.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Top Stories

Is Delhi BJP govt playing with fire on crackers? The test comes tomorrow

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha become parents.

Entertainment Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha welcome baby boy: 'Can't remember life before'

Sports Australia vs India 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli show ring rust as visitors thrashed in rain-affected game at Perth's Optus Stadium

employment, infrastructure development, Reserve Bank of India, Ministry of Finance, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, job creation, editorial, Indian express, opinion news, current affairs

Opinion Many perspectives, one conclusion

4 minutes, 1 window: How thieves pulled off the quickest-ever heist at Louvre Museum

World3 hr ago

Thieves steal pieces from France's royal crown jewel collection in a daring heist at the Louvre Museum, using a crane to enter and escaping on motorbikes in just four minutes. The incident raises concerns about the museum's security and outdated measures, despite its popularity among millions of visitors.

View all shorts

Live Blog

Loading Taboola...