The party announced candidates for a total of 23 seats in Andhra Pradesh; one seat in Assam; six seats in Maharashtra; one in Meghalaya; and five seats in Odisha.

The Reliance statement came a day after a report that the conglomerate was selling fuels to Venezuela from India and Europe to sidestep sanctions that bar US-based companies from dealing with state-run PDVSA

The cash-strapped airline has grounded seven more planes due to non-payment of rentals, taking the number of such aircraft to 54

The February 2019 the consumer price index (CPI) grew by 2.57 per cent against 4.44 per cent a year ago. In January this year, the CPI inflation was 1.97 per cent. The consumer inflation has been around 2 per cent in 2018-19, mainly led by muted food inflation.

The prime minister, in his message, said it was time for the people of the sub-continent to work together for a democratic, peaceful, progressive and prosperous region, in an atmosphere free of terror and violence, they said.