Kolkata, May 16 : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee were among the nine opposition candidates who snatched initial lead ahead of their Left Front rivals in West Bengal as counting for 42 Lok Sabha constituencies began this morning.

Calcutta, May 15: The CPM is clinging to an internal pro- jection that has conceded 14 of the 42 seats to the Opposition but the Trinamul Congress warned the ruling party of “nasty surprises”.

Congress politician not in a critical condition anymore, say his physicians.

New Delhi, May 26 : As the new government gets ready for work, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, one of the stalwarts of the last Congress-led UPA government, continues to grapple with poor health.

Raiganj/Islampur, May 21: The North Dinajpur district Congress has decided not to enter into an alliance with the Trinamul Congress for the coming municipal elections in Kaliaganj and Islampur, miffed at being left to fend on its own to get Deepa Das Munshi elected to Lok Sabha.

Kolkata, May 16 : The Opposition Trinamool Congress-Congress combine snatched initial lead in 16 of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, while the CPI(M)-led ruling Left Front was ahead in eight constituencies and the BJP in one as counting was in progress in West Bengal today.

Kolkata, May 16 : The Opposition Trinamool Congress-Congress combine looked set to deal a major blow to the ruling Left Front and achieve a huge success in West Bengal, snatching lead in 25 of the total 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of the state, where counting was in progress today.

Calcutta, May 20: The CPM officially denies the existence of a minority vote bank, but party leaders concede that erosion of Muslim votes was the main reason behind the Left’s poll debacle in Bengal.

Kolkata, May 17 : Amid the euphoria over the Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance mauling West Bengal’s ruling Left Front in the general elections, one victorious Congress candidate has struck a discordant note.