New Delhi, Sep 4 : The Congress is planning to launch a nationwide agitation along with other parties on the rising fuel prices and falling rupee, accusing the BJP-led coalition government of unleashing "economic terror on the nation."

Party sources said the date of the agitation will be decided on September 6 after a meeting with the party general secretaries and state unit chiefs.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "In June, 2008, the petrol price was raised from Rs 45.52 to Rs 50.52 and the price of diesel from Rs. 34.76 to 37.76 (during UPA government). That time the crude price was $138.54 per barrel. In July, 2008, the price of crude oil went up to $145 per barrel," he added.

"When we increased the price of petrol by Rs 5 and that of diesel by Rs 3, a BJP spokesperson had charged UPA government with unleashing economic terror," he said. "Today, when the crude price is almost $70 per barrel and petrol price is Rs 78 per litre in Delhi, I want to ask the government if it is not economic terror", he added.

"A nation-wide agitation on this will definitely take place. Considering the current crude oil prices, the petrol price should be about Rs 39 a litre and diesel Rs 37.50, including all taxes," he added.

"If fuel prices are not reduced, Congress will take to the streets to launch a nationwide agitation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. A meeting was called today to plan the strategy," Tewari added.

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New Delhi: The countdown has begun for the counting of votes for the Assembly elections in five states that have captured the attention of people across the country.

The counting of votes for the Assembly constituencies of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry will begin simultaneously at 8 am, and the fate of candidates in a total of 824 constituencies will be decided shortly.

The counting of postal ballots will take place first, followed by the counting of EVM votes in several rounds.

  • Bhupen Borah, who recently left Congress and joined the BJP, is leading in Assam’s Bihpuria constituency

  • Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is leading in Jalukabari constituency

  • BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is leading in West Bengal’s Nandigram constituencyFive-state elections: Postal vote counting begins

  • TMC, BJP lead in one seat each in West Bengal

  • In Tamil Nadu, DMK leads in 3 constituencies, while TVK leads in 1

  • UDF leads in 5 seats in Kerala, BJP in 1, LDF in 1

  • BJP leads in 2 seats, AIUDF in 1 in Assam

  • AINRC leads in 1 constituency in Puducherry

  • TMC leads in 5 seats in West Bengal; Mamata Banerjee’s party maintains initial lead

  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin leads in Kolathur

  • BJP takes early lead in Assam

  • Congress-led UDF leads in Kerala

  • In Tamil Nadu, TVK chief Vijay leads in the Perambur constituency, lags in Tiruchirappalli South

  • BJP leads in 10 seats in Assam

  • LDF candidate V.P.P. Mustafa leads in the Thrikkaripur Assembly constituency

  • Out of 294 seats in West Bengal, BJP is leading in 14 seats, TMC in 12 seats, Congress in 2 seats

  • Out of 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, DMK is leading in 15 seats, AIADMK is leading in 5 seats, TVK is leading in 2 seats

  • Out of 126 seats in Assam, BJP is leading in 31 seats, Congress in 4 seats, AIUDF in 2 seats.

  • Out of 30 seats in Puducherry, NRC+ is leading in 3 seats, Congress in 2 seats, TVK in 1 seat.

  • Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suffers a setback in theBerhampore constituency in West Bengal.