Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre likening it to a chariot with 18 horses pulling in different directions and asked how it could provide a stable government. "When the government at the Centre would not long last, when the number of partners were 18, how could it last with the coalition partners having risen to 22," she said addressing a series of election meetings in Cuddapah and Chittoor districts of Rayalaseema and in the coastal Nellore district.

Nominations for second phase close on Tuesday

Filing of nominations for the second phase of elections to 103 Lok Sabha and 353 Assembly seats on September 11 picked up, as candidates made a frantic effort to beat the deadline expiring on Tuesday evening. Nominations for 79 Lok Sabha seats spread over five states and 98 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, in the third phase, are expected to gainmomentum with seat-sharing exercise having reached a decisive stage. Balloting in the second phase will be held for 15 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, two in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 in Karnataka, 24 in Maharashtra, 15 in Rajasthan, 20 in Tamil Nadu and 14 in Madhya Pradesh.