Congress further weakened in Tamil Nadu

India's second largest party, Congress, has suffered another setback in the southern state of Tamil Nadu with the announcement of a split in its ranks.

The former president of Congress in the state, Vazhapadi Ramamurthy, says he has formed a new party.

Mr Ramamurthy says he will contest the forthcoming general elections with a regional grouping ,the AIADMK which earlier this week withdrew from an alliance with Congress in favour of the Hindu nationalist BJP.

A BBC correspondent in Madras says that even though Congress failed to win a seat in Tamil Nadu at the last general election, the latest news is likely to leave the party even weaker.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service