Sun Pharma, Wipro, M&M, GAIL and Sesa Sterlite are top gainers in the Sensex. Among the losers are BHEL, Cipla, ICICI Bank, Dr Reddy’s Labs and Hindalco.

The 22 percent surge in Ranbaxy shares in six trading sessions before the announcement of the deal with Sun Pharma shows that a section of sharemarket players knew of it, and would have benefited from the information. Ranbaxy shares fell to a low of Rs 306 on January 27, after the USFDA banned exports from the company’s Toansa unit to the US, for violation of manufacturing rules. Between January 27 and March 27, the stock traded in a range between Rs 306-345, mostly with an upper bias.

Promising to usher in an era of strong economic growth, job creation, tackling the corruption menace, zero tolerance on terrorism and a strong foreign policy, the Bharatiya Janata Party released its manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections on Monday, the day the first phase of the polls began in the states of Assam and Tripura.

The BJP manifesto pledges ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat – Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ (One India, Best India – Unity and Development for everyone). The highlights of the BJP manifesto are that it pledges to tackle inflation and corruption and also reiterates its stand to explore all possibilities within the framework of the Constitution to facilitate the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The market slips further while voting begins in Assam and Tripura today. The Sensex is down 132.51 points at 22226.99, and the Nifty is down 35.90 points at 6658.45. About 756 shares have advanced, 852 shares declined, and 96 shares are unchanged. Sun Pharma, Wipro, M&M, GAIL and Sesa Sterlite are top gainers in the Sensex.

Among the losers are BHEL, Cipla, ICICI Bank, Dr Reddy’s Labs and Hindalco. Brent crude prices fell below USD 106 a barrel, snapping a two-day winning streak, as worries about supply disruption eased after Libyan rebels occupying four eastern oil ports agreed to gradually end their eight-month old blockade.