Vajpayee goes Tamil

The prime minister was joining Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on the campaign trail after six years. At a huge rally in Chennai, he sent the crowds into raptures with his smattering of Tamil. Addressing his ally in Tamil Nadu as 'anbu sagodhari' (beloved sister), he also spoke of his pet project: 'Naam inaivom, nathigalai inaippom,' (we will unite, and join the rivers as well), reports The Telegraph.

Mulayam's penmanship

Eager to dispel the perception that he is soft on the National Democratic Alliance, the Samajwadi Party chief has penned a lengthy article in a leading Hindi daily underlining his 'secular' credentials and what he claims is his continuing opposition to the BJP, reports The Times of India.

Pranab enters the fray, at last

For Pranab Mukherjee, the Congress party's 'non-playing' captain in West Bengal, the contest in Jangipur is critical, and not merely because he has not won an election in 24 years, says The Indian Express.

Blame game on in Congress

Ahead of the final phase of polling on May 10, party leaders have started questioning why Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were not 'utilised' fully for campaigning, reports The Asian Age.

Paddy in the time of polls

He was hailed as the biggest farmers' leader after Chaudhary Charan Singh. Election time, you will expect him to be busy addressing rallies and hitting the campaign trail. But when Deccan Herald tracked down Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait, he was found tending to his sugarcane saplings.

The hills don't come alive

There are flags all over but none of them represents a political party. The traditional religious flags and buntings flutter atop homes, viharas and commercial establishments seem to leave no space for anything else. No hoardings, no banners, no overt attempts to attract the voters, reports The Hindu.

Another son rise in Jallandhar

Former prime minister I K Gujral's son Naresh is the Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from the constituency that elected his father to the Lok Sabha, but that does not necessarily mean a cakewalk, says The Statesman.

Uneasy times for Ajit Panja

He has represented Calcutta North-East since 1984, and is the Trinamool Congress's sitting MP. This time round, however, popular sentiment seems to be running against him, says The Hindustan Times.

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