Statescape

• KERALA: Chief Minister A.K. Antony on Tuesday asked Sonia Gandhi to re-consider her decision, holding that she had the people’s ...

• KERALA: Chief Minister A.K. Antony on Tuesday asked Sonia Gandhi to re-consider her decision, holding that she had the people’s mandate to head the government at the Centre. Congress workers burnt the effigy of BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and urged Sonia to reconsider her decision.

• KARNATAKA: Congress workers outside the KPCC office burnt effigies of BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Uma Bharti who had opposed Italy-born Sonia from becoming the PM. In a funny incident as the protest was on, a Congress worker sought to pour on himself from a bottle, what he claimed was kerosene, in a bid to burn himself but it turned out be only water.

• ASSAM: The APCC held a demonstration in the party headquarters at Rajiv Bhavan and later organised a blockade on the busy Guwahati-Shillong road to highlight their demand for Sonia becoming the next prime minister.

• ANDHRA PRADESH: CM Rajasekhar Reddy has expressed confidence that Sonia would ‘reconsider’ her decision and accept prime minister’s post in deference to the wishes of millions of people in the country. Reddy said it was ‘unpardonable’ on the part of the Sangh to try to negate the public mandate.

• MAHARASHTRA: Minister of State for Home, Kripashankar Singh, said there was a ‘‘threat to the life” of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from the RSS and BJP. ‘‘The RSS and BJP leaders are launching ‘venom’ campaign against Sonia Gandhi throughout the country,’’ he said.

• JHARKHAND: The Pradesh Congress women’s president Pratibha Pandey began fast at Congress Bhavan. Pandey said she would continue with her fast till Sonia takes a positive decision. The JPCC spokesman, Sailesh Sinha, said the people had given her their mandate and she had been instrumental in routing the BJP-led NDA government.

• WEST BENGAL: Pradesh Congress has threatened to launch an agitation against NDA for raking up the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. The youth and students wing of the state unit would launch an agitation against NDA leaders for making ‘provocative statements’, WBPCC general secretary Manas Bhuniya told newsmen. ‘‘The comments made by NDA leader George Fernandes and BJP stalwarts Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj and Uma Bharti against the Congress leader are undignified,” he said. —(PTI)