A day before the counting of votes begins, NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Tuesday declared that his party stood by its policy of not supporting BJP and Sonia Gandhi and dismissed reports of talks between his party and Congress to form the next government in Maharashtra. "There have been no discussions with anybody. Nor any such exercise has been initiated on our behalf," Pawar told PTI denying reports that he and AICC general secretary Sushilkumar Shinde had a meeting here last week on government formation in the state.

62% turnout in repoll in seven states

An estimated 62 per cent of the electorate on Tuesday exercised their franchise in the repolling held in 244 booths spread across seven states which was by and large peaceful. Repoll was held in 179 booths in Bihar, 20 in Uttar Pradesh, 15 in West Bengal, 17 in Andhra Pradesh, nine in Orissa, three in Tripura and one in Arunachal Pradesh. A turnout of about 70 per cent was reported in Andhra Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, an average 61 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the repolling in 20 booths of six parliamentary constituencies.

Mufti demands repoll in Anantnag

Jammu & Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and state secretary of CPI(M) MY Tarigami on Tuesday demanded repoll in 33 polling booths of Anantnag parliamentary constituency in the state, which went to polls on Monday. In separate statements in Srinagar, the two leaders who are among the 18 contestants from the constituency, charged the ruling National Conference leaders with indulging in rigging in 33 booths.

Basu says Mamata is `insane'

West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu on Tuesday ridiculed Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee for threatening to initiate legal action against three senior police officers of the state and dubbed her as "insane". Commenting on Banerjee's threat to initiate legal action against the three officers for allegedly "colluding" with the CPI(M) during the polling, an angry Basu retorted, "What else can she say? She is an insane person.?"

SDF expels minister, gen-secy

The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Tuesday expelled state women, child welfare and culture minister Ringzing Ongmu and general secretary BM Ramudamu from the primary membership of the party for their alleged "anti-party activities".