Two Winners And A Photo Finish
According to the INDIA TODAY-ORG-MARG opinion poll, there will be clear winners in two states, but a tight finish in a third.

The Last Rampage
To offset
J. Jayalalitha's slight edge, a pugnacious M. Karunanidhi gives it his all in what is his final electoral campaign.

The Sixth Sense
A mercurial Mamata Banerjee vs a dependable Buddhadev Bhattacharya. The mismatch leaves the Left Front with a premonition of victory.

Secular Stake
Even as the Church makes a blatant move to play a more political role in the state, the CPI(M) nominates a priest to woo minorities.

One Man Barmy
India's apex social sciences facilitating body is rocked by civil war: the chairman says he is being opposed by both RSS ideologues and leftist academics.

Changing Order
An ageing profile and a frustrated officer corps leads the force to consider VRS and restructuring.

Liquid Asset
The Rs 700-crore industry has attracted many players. Now, purity will decide who stays in business.

Board Of No Control
Tax authorities say the BCCI spends more money on meetings than on matches.

NEWSNOTES

After months of acrimony, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and his "friend and guide" RANJAN PRASAD YADAV part ways.

Q. You have been Laloo's "friend, philosopher and guide" since his college days. What happened?
A. Laloo is a creation of the social justice platform. And now he is breaking that platform. All those who helped him or promoted him were either insulted or ousted from the party by him.

Q. You and your colleagues have formed the RJD (Democratic). Is it big enough to oust Laloo?
A. This is just the beginning of the war between vikas (development) and vinash (destruction). On the question of development, I am ready to pay any price and face any consequence.

Q. But you yourself have been instrumental in promoting Laloo and protecting the Laloo-Rabri raj.
A. Enough is enough. The future of Bihar cannot be sacrificed for Laloo's promotion.

Q. The RJD national spokesman Shivanand Tiwary has referred to you as "Shikhandi".
A. It is below my standard to comment on people like Tiwary. I can only reply to Laloo, though I will not use the kind of language he uses. I am a cultured person, a university professor.

—Farzand Ahmed

MetroScape

Bond Free
The Savoy in Mussoorie must be the only hotel, apart from the Raffles in Singapore, to have a thing about writers. So, it was quite kismet when publisher Pramod Kapoor of Roli Books and author Namita Gokhale, who has an imprint with him, hosted the Ruskin Bond Festschrift—a Writers' Retreat in honour of that gentle Indian Roald Dahl, Ruskin Bond.
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Looking Glass

Delhi Cinema:
Canadian film festival

Delhi Art Fest:
Documenta

Bangalore Play:
Little Theatre