In a statement shared on Instagram, Johar said it is "not a film announcement", but people who guess the title and other details correctly would be invited to watch a glimpse of the project. 

This "intriguing" film, he teased, is directed by a first-time director. 

"We have been shooting this intriguing film for the past year, kept it under wraps because not revealing key aspects of the film even to the crew was a decision the debut director took. So, here are the broad hints: A) A superstar from the south who has just delivered a pan India juggernaut! "B) A massively loved actress who continues to awe us with her emotional energy on celluloid. C) A legacy debut actor who is working tirelessly to find his spot in the sunshine of exceptional talent & combatting the obsession with the N word! But keeping his head down and just working! The film is ready and we will be releasing it soon! Any guesses?" Johar wrote. 

Johar most recently hosted the season eight finale of his celebrity talk show "Koffee With Karan". -- PTI

Bharat Goswami (33), a resident of Jaripatka area in the city, was convicted in 2014 in a murder case. 

He was recently out on parole, the official said. 

 

Goswami went to the house of the 43-year-old woman, who is known to him, on January 25 and allegedly raped her. 

He also allegedly sexually assaulted her 14-year-old daughter and threatened to kill the minor if she spoke about the crime, said the official citing the FIR. 

Acting on a complaint by the woman, the police arrested Goswami for rape under the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, he added.

The incident took place around 3 pm and Om Prakash Rajbhar escaped unhurt, party spokesperson Arun Rajbhar said. 

Five or six party leaders sustained minor injuries, he added. 

Addressing the meeting in Humayunpur, SBSP chief Rajbhar Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was in shock after what JD-U chief Nitish Kumar severed ties with Lalu Prasad's RJD and joined hands with the BJP to form the government in Bihar. 

JD-U president Kumar on Sunday took oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the grand alliance and the opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. -- PTI

Kumar was sworn in by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj Bhavan here, hours after he resigned from the post, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Grand Alliance and the Opposition bloc INDIA. 

"I was with them (NDA) earlier, too. We went on different paths, but now we are together and will remain so... I came back to where I was (NDA), and now there is no question of going anywhere else," the 72-year-old leader told reporters after taking oath as the CM. -- PTI

In a post on 'X', Adityanath said, "Hearty congratulations to Shri @NitishKumar ji on taking oath as as the Chief Minister of Bihar and Shri Samrat Chaudhary ji and Shri Vijay Sinha ji on taking oath as deputy chief ministers! Fully confident that the double engine government formed in Bihar will set excellent standards of service, good governance and development in the state under the guidance of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji." 

Janata Dal-United president Kumar on Sunday took oath as chief minister of Bihar for the record ninth time after a dramatic volte-face, ditching the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and the Opposition bloc INDIA and forming a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. 

Kumar was sworn in by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna in the presence of senior leaders, including BJP national president JP Nadda, hours after he resigned from the post, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Grand Alliance and the opposition bloc. -- PTI

Addressing a press conference in Patna, shortly after he attended Kumar's swearing in with his party as an alliance partner, BJP national president JP Nadda asserted that NDA will "sweep" the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. 

He also attacked the opposition bloc INDIA, saying it stands for "bhrashtachar bachao, parivar bachao'( protect corruption and save the family). 

He said the new NDA government headed by Nitish Kumar will make 'Ujjwal Bihar.' 

"The people of Bihar had given the mandate in the last assembly polls to our natural alliance with Nitish Kumar. Bihar has gained whenever we have been in power together, be it in terms of law and order or economic development," he said. 

He asserted that "Bihar will again see growth propelled by double engine, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm at the Centre". -- PTI

In the first Mann Ki Baat broadcast of this year, Modi said the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya brought people across the country together, making visible the collective strength of the country. 

"And that is why on January 22 in Ayodhya I had talked about 'Dev to Desh' and 'Ram to Rashtra'," he said. 

"Everyone's feeling is the same, everyone's devotion is the same. Ram is in everyone's words, Ram is in everyone's heart," Modi said. 

During this period, many people sang Ram bhajans and dedicated them to Lord Ram, while on January 22 evening the whole country lit 'Ram Jyoti' and celebrated Diwali, he noted. 

"During this time, the collective strength of the country was visible which also forms the basis of our pledge of a developed India," the prime minister said. 

The collective power will take the country to new heights of progress, he added. -- PTI

 Podia Madvi (40) was taken into custody at 5 pm on Saturday for interrogation in connection with the Aranpur IED (improvised explosive device) blast in April last year that killed ten police personnel and a civilian driver, he said. 

Suddenly, Madvi suffered fits. 

The police shifted him to the district hospital, where he died at around 00:30 hrs on Sunday, he said. 

Prima facie, it seems that he died due to the seizure, but the exact cause of the death will be known after the arrival of the autopsy report, he said. 

An accidental death report has been registered and a probe is being conducted by a judicial magistrate into the incident, he added. 

On April 26 last year, ten police personnel and a driver were killed after Maoists blew up an MUV, which was part of a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel in the Aranpur police station area of the district. -- PTI

Speaking to reporters after holding seat sharing talks with Congress leaders here, Baalu, when asked on exit of Nitish Kumar from INDIA alliance said it appeared that right from the beginning he had 'some issues' and there would not be any electoral 'damage' due to his move. 

To a question about the 'Bihar Chief Minister's statement that nothing worked as per his plan in the INDIA bloc,' Baalu asked: "What did he plan? He did not spell out any plan, he said only Hindi should be spoken and only that (message) remains." 

Elaborating, Baalu, a Lok Sabha member said: "He (Nitish Kumar) said everyone should talk in Hindi. We tolerated it. Even then, we kept quiet, as a compromise, for the sake of cordiality in the alliance. It was said that English must not be spoken. This is an ordinary matter (hinting at politics). It is okay." 

The DMK leader's reference made was to one of the INDIA bloc meetings in which Nitish Kumar reportedly stressed on use of Hindi. -- PTI

"It is not surprising that he has done this 'Volte - Face' once again because he seems to be addicted to this kind of behaviour," NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said in a statement. 

The NCP dubbed BJP the "madari" of Nitish Kumar, who it said "loves jumping to their commands". 

Earlier in the day, the JD-U chief resigned as the chief minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' and in the opposition bloc INDIA, and staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. 

Later in the day, he took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for a record ninth time. -- PTI

In a post on X, Modi said he is confident that the new government in Bihar will serve the people with full dedication. 

Hours after resigning as chief minister and breaking ties with the INDIA bloc, Kumar took oath of the same office for the ninth time as the BJP extended its support to him. 

BJP leaders Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha took oath as deputy chief ministers, along with several ministers. -- PTI

The epicentre of the earthquake was located near Bhachau in Kutch district, as per the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR). 

The tremor was recorded at 4:45 pm on Sunday with its epicentre around 21 km north, northwest from Bhachau, the ISR said in its latest update. 

"No damage to property or life was reported as per the preliminary information," said Kutch collector Amit Arora. 

Kutch district is located in a "very high risk" seismic zone, and tremors of lower intensity are a regular occurrence. In 2001, a massive earthquake shook the Kutch district affecting several towns and villages, killing around 13,800 people and leaving 1.67 lakh injured. -- PTI

The former deputy chief minister described his ex-boss as a "respectable" but "tired" leader and warned the BJP, which has teamed up with the JD-U chief, that the septuagenarian did not like to share "credit" with allies. 

"Nitish Kumar seems to have a problem with me getting the credit for many achievements of our government. It should ring alarm bells for the BJP," remarked Yadav. 

"Nitishji is a respectable leader. He used to mock me when I was in the opposition for promising 10 lakh jobs during the 2020 state elections. I made him work in that direction", said the young leader. 

He added, "whatever may be the excuses Nitish ji makes for switching sides, his JD-U is all set to be finished (khatam hone wala hai) in Lok Sabha polls". -- PTI

Fortunately, the famous artwork, displayed at the Louvre Museum, remained unharmed as it is protected by a clear casing.  

An environmental group, Riposte Alimentaire, claimed responsibility for the incident on X (formerly Twitter). 

The group stated that two individuals involved in their campaign were responsible for spraying soup on the world-renowned Mona Lisa, according to CNN.  

Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, a small portrait measuring just over 2.5 feet tall and under 2 feet wide, attracts millions of visitors annually. 

Despite its fame, the Mona Lisa has faced previous incidents of vandalism and theft.  

In 1911, it was stolen by a Louvre employee, gaining international attention. 

Protective measures were subsequently heightened, including the installation of bulletproof glass, after an acid attack in the 1950s damaged the bottom of the canvas.  

The Mona Lisa has endured various attempts at vandalism over the years. In 2009, a woman threw a ceramic cup at the painting, causing damage to the cup but leaving the artwork unscathed. -- ANI 

He was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna. 

Along with Kumar, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary took oath as ministers in the Kumar-led government. 

Kumar had earlier in the day resigned as the chief minister, saying "things were not working well" for him in the 'Mahagathbandhan' and in the opposition bloc INDIA, and staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. -- PTI

Kishor also claimed that the BJP could end up paying a "huge price" for realigning with Kumar, after declaring that its doors were shut for the leader by whom it was ditched less than 18 months ago. 

"Nitish Kumar's volte-face is no surprise. I had been saying that he would not remain with the Mahagathbandhan ever since he had joined the combine," Kishor told reporters in Begusarai district of the state which he was touring as part of his 'Jan Suraaj' campaign. 

"But today's development proves that if Nitish is 'palturam' (weathercock), Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are no different. The BJP seems to have made a calculation in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. But it will pay a huge price in the assembly polls due next year," he said. -- PTI

The central minister of state for social justice and empowerment said Kumar has taken the right decision at the right time to be a part of the NDA. 

Earlier in the day, Kumar resigned as the chief minister of Bihar, saying things were not working well for him in the Mahagathbandhan and the opposition bloc INDIA. 

He also staked claim to form a new government with the BJP, which he had dumped less than 18 months ago. 

Before his resignation, Kumar's JD-U and Rashtriya Janata Dal were ruling partners in the state. 

"We had told Nitish ji not to go with Lalu Yadav (RJD chief) saying they won't treat you well'. But better late than never... I had told him to align with Modi ji Now, he has made the right decision, so I am thanking him," Athawale told reporters in Bhopal. 

The Union minister claimed that the Opposition grouping has got a big blow due to Kumar's departure. -- PTI

Talwar, son-in-law of DLF Group chairman emeritus K P Singh, breathed his last on Saturday, sources said. 

He is survived by his wife Renuka and son Rahul. 

Besides DLF, he served on the boards of various companies including Asahi India Glass Limited and Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited. 

The company regrets to inform about the sad demise of Talwar, a non-executive director, on Saturday, January 27, 2024, which was intimated to the company by the family members, DLF said in a regulatory filing. 

Born in 1948, Talwar started his career as a banker in India with Citi Bank after passing out of the prestigious St Stephens College, Delhi. 

During his stint at Citi Bank, Gurvirendra Singh Talwar also known as Rana Talwar, was responsible for building the US-based bank's retail businesses across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. 

He was subsequently responsible for all of Citibank's retail businesses across Europe and the United States. He was a member of the Citibank/ Citigroup Policy and Operating Committees. 

Talwar left Citibank in 1996 to join Standard Chartered Plc as Global Chief Executive. He was the first Asian to become the chief executive of an FTSE 25 company and of a major global bank. -- PTI

The incident took place at a lodge in Hinjawadi area of Pimpri Chinchwad on Saturday and the police got the information on Sunday morning, they said, adding the motive behind the killing was yet not known.

According to a senior police official, the accused has been identified as Rishab Nigam and detained in Mumbai.

As per preliminary information, the accused and the victim, both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, were in a relationship.

The deceased worked in an IT firm in Hinjawadi and the accused lived in UP.

"The accused had come from Uttar Pradesh and was staying in a lodge in Hinjawadi where he called the deceased. As per preliminary information, on Saturday night, he shot the woman and fled. We came to know about the incident this morning," deputy commissioner of police Bapu Bangar said. 

The man was traced and detained in Mumbai and was being brought to Pune for further investigation, he said. -- PTI

Sitting atop an SUV along with state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gandhi traversed through the town of Jalpaiguri, as he waved at onlookers. 

The yatra will halt for the night near Siliguri, a state Congress leader said. On Monday, it will head to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district, before entering Bihar, he said. 

Earlier in the day, Gandhi was received at the Bagdogra airport in Siliguri in the northern part of the state by Chowdhury. 

The yatra is scheduled to re-enter West Bengal on January 31 via Malda and then after travelling through Murshidabad, it will leave the state on February 1. 

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to ensure that the harat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is held smoothly in the state. 

The party had earlier alleged that some of its banners featuring Gandhi were vandalised in Jalpaiguri. -- PTI

The sharp drop in the mercury along with the frost turned the sleepy and idyllic hill station into a mini-Kashmir on Sunday morning. 

However, people's normal lives were disrupted by the bitter cold, as they were seen huddling around bonfires to keep themselves warm.. 

The hilly district of Nilgiri experiences frost every year from November to February. 

However, this year, it started late in January due to storms accompanied by rain. 

Icy plains were observed in Ooty City and surrounding areas such as Kanthal, Pinker Post, and Thalai Kunta. 

Due to the frost, the water drops on the lawns in Ooty and its surrounding areas were seen as frozen lumps. 

Especially in areas like Ooty Racecourse, Thalikunda, Kanthal, Pinkerpost etc., it looks like a white carpet has been draped over the frosty green lawns. 

Up to an inch of snow was found on parked vehicles. 

Due to snowfall, several people are affected by runny nose, cough and rash on hands and feet. -- ANI

Ghosh, the former president of West Bengal BJP, was speaking to reporters after Kumar dumped the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress, and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in the state. 

"A politician usually takes oath as CM once during a five-year term. But Nitish Kumar is such a politician, who takes oath at least twice or thrice during a five-year term, and that too from different camps each time," he said. 

"I think this is political opportunism and it is high time that such things must stop," he added. 

State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya refused to comment on Ghosh's statement. -- PTI

Tyagi said, " ...Congress wanted to steal the leadership of INDIA alliance. In the meeting that took place on 19th December, through a conspiracy, to get the leadership of INDIA alliance, Mallikarjun Kharge's name was proposed (as PM face), earlier in the meeting that took place in Mumbai, it was unanimously decided that without any PM face, INDIA alliance will work...through a conspiracy, Mamata Banerjee was made to propose Kharge's name as PM face...all other parties have made their own identity by fighting against Congress...Congress kept dragging the seat sharing, we kept saying that seat sharing needs to happen immediately...INDIA lacked plans to fight against BJP." -- ANI

Kumar resigned as the chief minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. 

"Garbage goes back into the dustbin. Happy stinking garbage to the group", Acharya posted on 'X'. 

Earlier on Thursday too she had posted controversial remarks and later deleted. 

Later, the RJD had claimed that Acharya's social media posts were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. 

"Comments made in another context are withdrawn when vested interests use these for political purposes," an RJD leader had told reporters when asked about the deleted posts on X, in which Acharya, who is based in Singapore, had mentioned no leader by name. 

Screenshots of the deleted posts, in Hindi, had gone viral on social media. One of these spoke of "those, who are ideologically adrift, claim to be the champions of socialism". 

This was construed as an indirect attack on the Bihar CM, the RJD's ally, who had decried "dynasty politics" a day ago. -- PTI

Kumar resigned as the chief minister of Bihar, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan he had joined less than 18 months ago and the opposition bloc INDIA. 

"Garbage goes back into the dustbin. Happy stinking garbage to the group", Acharya posted on 'X'. 

Earlier on Thursday too she had posted controversial remarks and later deleted. 

Later, the RJD had claimed that Acharya's social media posts were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. 

"Comments made in another context are withdrawn when vested interests use these for political purposes," an RJD leader had told reporters when asked about the deleted posts on X, in which Acharya, who is based in Singapore, had mentioned no leader by name. 

Screenshots of the deleted posts, in Hindi, had gone viral on social media. One of these spoke of "those, who are ideologically adrift, claim to be the champions of socialism". 

This was construed as an indirect attack on the Bihar CM, the RJD's ally, who had decried "dynasty politics" a day ago. -- PTI

Bringing closure to the fast-unravelling political events earlier in the day, Nitish handed his resignation letter to Governor Rajendra Arlekar along with letters of support from the BJP legislators. 

Accepting his resignation letter, the Governor requested him to discharge his administrative duties as the caretaker chief minister till the new government takes shape. 

It is understood that Nitish will take oath as the CM for the ninth time along with two deputy chief ministers from the BJP on Sunday. The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to be held at 5 pm. 

The BJP and the JD-U are keen to avoid a power vacuum in a state notorious for its political realignments.

M I Khan, our man in Patna, is known to be on the ball with his reports, and his January 23 report on Janata Dal-United ministers favouring a return to the NDA ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, is a case in point.  

For those of you who may have missed reading that report, here it is: Is Nitish returning to the NDA?

Several posters mentioning bomb threats were pasted on the walls and scattered on the floor of the ancient temple.  

BJP leader Rohit Sahu, who is also a trustee of Ram Janaki Temple in Kanpur also received a threat letter.  

Notably, a bhava programme was held in the Ram Janaki Temple on the day of the Pran Pratistha ceremony in Ayodhya.  

Rahul Sahu, the younger brother of Rohit Sahu, said, "I got information about threat letters pasted on the temple's walls and scattered on the floor in the morning. When I came here, I too saw threat letters scattered everywhere. I got scared, closed the doors and put up the police barricades in order to avoid any situation that could possibly arise."  

The police immediately reached the spot after receiving information regarding the same.  

"We have found out about threatening posters inside the temple premises. We will file a case against the miscreants involved. The letter has certain objectionable things written on it," police said. -- ANI                        

Bihar BJP president Samrat Choudhary elected leader of legislative party, Vijay Sinha elected deputy leader, Tawde added.

"I will leave the earlier alliance and form a new alliance," the longest serving chief minister of Bihar said. 

The Bihar governor has asked Nitish to continue as caretaker CM till a new government is formed.

His reaction came just moments before Nitish Kumar announced his exit from the Mahagathbandhan creating a path for him to a possible return to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.  

"I don't want to comment on the current political development in Bihar. I don't know what will happen there," Jairam Ramesh told ANI when asked about the possible return of Nitish Kumar to NDA.  

He however said that Nitish Kumar played an important role in the INDIA alliance.  

"Nitish Kumar called the first meeting of opposition parties in Patna on 18th June 2023. The second meeting was held in Bengaluru on 17th-18th July 2023. Then again on 31st August-1st September in Mumbai. Nitish Kumar played a prominent role in all three meetings," Jairam Ramesh said.  

"So we expected that Nitish Kumar would fight the BJP and its ideology till the very end. In the coming two to three days, I don't know what will happen," he added. -- ANI

A 45-year-old woman died and 17 people were injured when a stage set up for a religious function at the Kalkaji temple here collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

The tragic incident occurred around 12.30 am, they said. The identity of the deceased is yet to be identified.

According to police, a 'jagran' (religious function) was organised at the Mahant Parishar of Kalkaji temple on Saturday and around 1,600 people attended it.

"No prior permission was granted for the event. However, sufficient staff was deployed to maintain law and order. There was a gathering of around 1,500 to 1,600 people at around 12.30 am on Sunday," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said.

An elevated wooden platform supported by an iron frame was set up near the main stage for the families of the organisers and VIPs.

Around 12.30 am, the elevated platform collapsed as it could not bear the weight of the people sitting on it and fell on those seated below, the DCP said.

All those injured in the incident were rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre and the Safdarjung and MAX hospitals.

"The fire brigade was called to the spot. Seventeen people were stated to have been injured. A 45-year-old woman was brought dead at the MAX hospital," he said. -- PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is likely to resign after chairing a meeting of Janata Dal-United MLAs at his official residence on Sunday, party sources said.

Kumar is expected to address the meeting after 10.30 am, they said.

Following the meeting, he is likely to visit the Raj Bhavan and submit his resignation letter to Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. 

He will then stake claim to form a new government with the BJP's support, they added. -- PTI 

Faced with the possibility of imminent loss of power in Bihar, the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Sunday put out full-page advertisements in newspapers to "thank" its young leader Tejashwi Yadav for his contributions as the deputy chief minister.

"Dhanyawad (thank you) Tejashwi," say the advertisements put out in Hindi, from "state unit of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Mahagathbandhan Parivar", in an obvious bid to boost the image of the 34-year-old leader, whose father Lalu Prasad heads the party.

The RJD, which emerged as the single largest party in the 2020 assembly polls, ended up in the opposition since the Mahagathbandhan, which includes Congress and three Left parties, fell short of a majority.

It tasted power in August 2022, following a realignment with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JD-U president, who had dumped the BJP-led NDA, which he is likely to join again.

In the last few days of political turmoil, the party has been pleading with Kumar to "clear the confusion" while claiming that it will make "no attempts to pull down the government". -- PTI 

Amid the turmoil in Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan, a meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party MPs and MLAs is underway in Patna.

BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde is attending the meet at the party office in Patna.   

"Meetings are going on for the Lok Sabha elections. The decision that comes from the top will be implemented. (BJP chief) JP Nadda is also coming here. We will win all 40 seats," MLA Ram Singh told ANI.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he will soon share the name and address of the "body double" purportedly used by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state.

Sarma had brought up the allegation of the Congress MP using a "body double" during the Yatra at a press conference on Thursday, during which he quoted a news report claiming that the person sitting and waving at people from the Yatra bus was "probably not Rahul Gandhi at all".

"I don't just say things. The duplicate's name, and how it was done -- I will share all details. Just wait for a few days," the chief minister said on Saturday in Sonitpur district on the sidelines of a programme, when asked by reporters about the allegation against Gandhi.

"I will be in Dibrugarh tomorrow (Sunday), and the next day also I will be out of Guwahati. Once I am back in Guwahati, I will give the name and address of the duplicate," he said.

The Manipur-Maharashtra Nyay Yatra, being led by Gandhi, had travelled through Assam from January 18 to 25, during which the Congress MP had alleged that Sarma was the "most corrupt CM of India".

The opposition party also alleged denial or problems in route permissions through the state by the BJP-led government. The situation reached a flashpoint when Congress leaders and workers broke police barricades erected to prevent them from entering the main city limits of Guwahati.

An FIR was registered against Gandhi and others over the incident, with Sarma later stating that they would be arrested after the Lok Sabha polls as he did not want to "politicise" the issue prior to the elections.

Sarma maintained that the Congress will need "all the Gandhis" -- Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul - to defeat him in the state.

"Let them bring Priyanka Gandhi's son also," he said.

"They have already put up their hands (in surrender). They couldn't do it through Rahul, so they will now get Priyanka and then Sonia," Sarma said, referring to the Congress' proposed programme in the state involving Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. -- PTI