Congress will be single largest party: PM

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With their Lok Sabha members' tally drastically reduced this time, the Left parties are planning to request Speaker Meira Kumar to allow them to sit as a single block - to present themselves as the third largest entity in the house, a senior Left party leader has said. "The four Left parties are seriously planning to sit as a single block in the Lok Sabha.

June 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who was instrumental in the Congress' emergence as the single largest party in recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, turned 39 on Friday. The Congress party has decided to celebrate Rahul Gandhi's birthday as 'Samrasta Divas' and hold the 'sahbhoj'.

May 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - It was projected to be President Pratibha Patil's toughest test since she assumed office 22 months ago. But a clear verdict in favour of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has spared her much anxiety and made her job a lot easier.

May 14th, 2009 JAIPUR - Whatever may be the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, the punters are betting on Congress emerging as the single largest party, according to bookies in Rajasthan. If one goes by present odds being offered in the betting market, then the Congress is likely to win 140 to 145 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 125 to 130 seats.

May 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress insisted Thursday that it was confident of forming a new government and added that it was ready to do business with 'like-minded, progressive and secular parties'. Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said that the prime minister of a Congress-led coalition government would only be Manmohan Singh.

May 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Two days ahead of the poll results, the Congress party Thursday was upbeat about emerging the single largest party and dismissed exit polls carried out by media organisations. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Congress would prove the exit polls wrong by winning many more seats than predicted.

May 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Two days ahead of the poll results, the Congress party Thursday was upbeat about emerging the single largest party and dismissed exit polls carried out by media organisations. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the Congress would prove the exit polls wrong by winning many more seats than predicted.

May 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh has said that with the end of the five=phased elections, the Congress will expect President Pratibha Devisingh Patil to invite that party or coalition of parties that can offer the nation stable governance. Speaking in an interview to a national news agency, Singh said: "We expect the President to go by the book.

May 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - As the voting for the 543-member parliament concluded Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by it will sweep the elections and form the next government at the centre. 'I'm fully confident that the BJP-led government will be formed at the centre.

May 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Confident that the Congress would emerge the single largest party after the elections, general secretary Digvijay Singh said Wednesday that there was no question of talking about fresh allies till May 16. The Congress leader said his party considered only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena as communal parties.

May 8th, 2009 BHOPAL - Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Friday said that he expected his party to emerge as the single largest party after this year's general elections. During a stop over at Raja Bhoj Airport here on his way to Kolkata from Chennai, Advani told reporters he had no doubt that the Congress would be left far behind after the elections.

May 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday accused Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee of indulging in shadow-boxing against West Bengal's ruling Left Front in the company of the Congress. Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's media interviews in which he has said that the Congress was open to a post-poll alliance with the Left, BJP national spokesperson S.S.

April 13th, 2009 VARANASI/KOLKATA - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said that her party pulled out from the United Progressive Alliance Government-led by Congress party as it discriminated in releasing funds for the state. "With a deep heart, I have to say that the Central Government has not financially helped us with even a single rupee.

March 28th, 2009 RAIPUR - Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader M.Venkaiah Naidu Saturday said single party rule was impossible in the country in the near future. 'There is no other option than a coalition government at the centre following the rising numbers of regional parties in various states and single party rule is impossible in near future in the country,' Naidu told reporters here.

December 27th, 2008 SRINAGAR - There was jubilation in the National Conference camp as the party emerged as the single largest party in another hung 87-member Jammu and Kashmir assembly. With almost all its stalwarts including patron Farooq Abdullah, president Omar Abdullah, and senior leaders Abdul Rehman Rather, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Ali Muhammad Sagar and Sakina Itoo winning from their constituencies, the much hyped perception that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed would end up as the largest single party in the state has been proved wrong.