finance

The Congress, along with its ally NCP, was poised to retain power in Maharashtra. The party position in 74 of the 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra- Congress-NCP wins 41, Shiv Sena-BJP wins 24, MNS 3, Third Front 3, and Others 3. The Congress-NCP combine is also leading in a majority of seats.

In the 288-member Maharasthra Assembly, Congress-NCP combine is leading in 137 seats as against Shiv Sena-BJP coalition which is ahead in 100 seats. The Raj Thackeray-led MNS is leading in 15 constituencies.

HARYANA

The Cabinet Meeting was to be held – the ADC inquires, “Sir what will be served in the meeting…Tea or Coffee?”

Sir looked up and replied sternly…the ADC was taken aback! “Whichever of the Ministers wish to have tea or coffee should drink it before leaving his home or when he returns home. The Nation’s money is for the Nation and not for the Ministers!”

After this instruction – as long as he was the Head of the nation …nothing except water was ever served in the Cabinet meetings.

A senior leader of India's Hindu nationalist main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been expelled from the party.

Jaswant Singh's expulsion was announced by the party during a meeting.

This comes a day after the BJP "dissociated" itself from a new book on Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, written by Mr Singh.

Mr Singh had praised Mr Jinnah in the book and said the latter has been "demonised in India".

Mr Jinnah is a controversial figure in India and considered the architect of the partition.

Jaswant Singh, a 71-year-old party veteran who has served as finance and external affairs minister in BJP cabinets, has said he was "saddened" by his expulsion.