Pakistan is to launch an investigation into how Osama Bin Laden was able to live in the garrison city of Abbottabad undetected, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has told parliament. But he strongly denied allegations of Pakistani complicity and incompetence as "absurd".

It wants to know whether any Pakistani official had links with Osama. Pakistani officials say the Obama administration has demanded the identities of some of their top intelligence operatives as the United States tries to determine whether any of them had contact with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden or his agents in the years before the raid that led to his death early on Monday in Abbottabad.

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was in active control of the terror network from his compound in northern Pakistan, US intelligence services now believe. Reversing assessments that Bin Laden lived a nomadic existence, the US now says his Abbottabad house was a command and control centre. Following the raid that killed him, the US has now released five videos of Bin Laden watching TV and giving speeches.

US President Barack Obama and his key national security team in the White House situation room watched a soundless video feed of the raid on al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan, a media report has said. “In the White House situation room on Sunday night, the President and his national security team watched a soundless video feed of the raid,” eminent author and journalist Bob Woodward wrote in The Washington Post, bringing to light several unknown aspects of the covert US operation that killed bin Laden on May 2.

Former Pakistan President and Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf has admitted that the Abottabad operation is a big embarrassment for Islamabad. Talking to CNN-IBN's Karan Thapar, he said that he would have apologised had he still been the Army chief. Musharraf also called the intelligence failure as big as 26/11 and 9/11.

One of Osama bin Laden’s wives told Pakistani interrogators that the al Qaeda leader and his family had been living for five years in the compound where he was killed by US forces this week, a security official said on Friday.

The official, who identified the woman as Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, the youngest of bin Laden’s three wives, told Reuters she was wounded in the US raid.

Al-Qaeda has confirmed the death of its leader Osama Bin Laden, according to a statement attributed to the group and posted on jihadist internet forums. The statement said his blood would not be "wasted" and that al-Qaeda would continue attacking the US and allies. Bin Laden's death would be a "curse" for the US and urged an uprising in Pakistan, the statement added.

Documents found at Osama Bin Laden's Pakistan home suggest he was planning attacks on the US, including on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, reports say. One plan was to target a US rail route, US officials revealed, although no imminent threat was detected.

Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was betrayed by his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri who led US forces to his hideout as the two were involved in an intense power struggle, a Saudi newspaper has reported. The two top al Qaeda men had differences and the courier who led US forces to bin Laden was working and had more loyalties for Zawahiri, al Watan newspaper reported quoting Arab sources.

Pakistan has warned the US and other countries against future raids on suspected fighters, saying they will face consequences from the military. Salman Bashir, Pakistan's foreign minister, said "there shall no be any doubt that any repetition of such an act will have disastrous consequences", referring to the raid on Monday that killed Osama bin Laden, the head of al-Qaeda.

The same theories used to study endangered birds led scientists to an accurate prediction of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts -- in 2009. The scientists named the city of Parachinar as the most likely hide-out of bin Laden with a probability of 98 percent that he was in the region, which includes the city of Abottabad, where he was tracked down and killed.

 President Obama declared Wednesday that "you will not see bin Laden walking on this earth again" but said he would not release photos of the terrorist leader's corpse as proof that he is dead. President Obama, speaking Wednesday at the White House, said of the photos, "We don't trot out this stuff as trophies. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence, as a propaganda tool," Obama told CBS' 60 Minutes in an interview to be broadcast Sunday.

Osama bin Laden had cash totaling 500 Euros and two telephone numbers sewn into his clothing when he was killed — sure signs that he was prepared to flee his compound at a moment’s notice — top U.S. intelligence officials told members of Congress at a classified briefing in the Capitol Tuesday. A White House spokesman said he would not comment on the matter.

Osama bin Laden was captured alive by US forces but shot dead in front of family members, Osama's' daughter reportedly told Pakistani authorities. NBC News has confirmed an earlier Al Arabiya report, which said the girl told the investigators that commandos had captured her father alive and that they shot him to death in front of the family ten minutes after they located him.

CIA Director Leon Panetta has told US lawmakers that Washington is trying to get to the bottom of Pakistan's "troubling" role in its professed ignorance about Osama bin Laden's whereabouts and whether it was either involved or incompetent. In a closed-door briefing for House of Representatives members Tuesday, Panetta told lawmakers "either they were involved or incompetent. Neither place is a good place to be", CNN reported citing two sources.

Pakistani authorities on Wednesday arrested the contractor who built the three-storey mansion in Pakistan's northern city of Abbottabad where Osama bin Laden was residing, intelligence sources said. Gul Madah, aged between 45-50, a native of Battagram town, about 35 km north of Abbottabad, constructed the house in 2005. He was picked by intelligence agencies from Abbotabad's Jharian locality and shifted to undisclosed location, sources said. 

When the U.S. military released pictures of the bodies of Saddam Hussein's slain sons in 2003, it was to prove that they were dead and to stem attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Photos of Osama bin Laden's body, however, present some thornier issues. "The government, obviously, has been talking about how best to do this, but I don't think there was any question that, ultimately, a photograph would be presented to the public." 

Killing Osama bin Laden was a big victory for the U.S., but how exactly the raid went down is another story — and another, and another. Over two days, the White House has offered contradictory versions of events, including misidentifying which of bin Laden's sons was killed and wrongly saying bin Laden's wife died in gunfire, as it tries to sort through what the president's press secretary called the "fog of combat" and produce an accurate account.

The death of Osama bin Laden has given President Obama's job approval rating a significant boost, but did nothing to temper Americans' concerns about his handling of the economy, a new Washington Post and Pew Research Center poll finds. Fifty-six percent of Americans now say they approve of Obama's performance in office overall, according to the poll -- nine percentage points higher than an ABC News/Washington Post poll found last month, and the highest rating for Obama since 2009.

Dehra Dun/New Delhi, Mar 7 - Having fallen short of majority, rival contenders for power Congress and BJP today began efforts to rope in potential allies to form a government in Uttarakhand with their leaders speaking to BSP, independent and Uttarakhand Kranti Dal MLAs over phone. While Congress has emerged as the single largest party with 32 seats in the 70-member House, BJP finished one less seat in a cliff-hanger contest for the state assembly polls.

Bhopal, Mar 7 - Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti today said that she accepted full responsibility for the party's poor showing in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. "I own full responsibility for the BJP's dismal show in Uttar Pradesh, and I am willing to take any punishment that is given to me for this," said Bharti, who was the BJP's campaign in-charge for the polls in the neighbouring state. She also contested a seat.

Panaji, Mar 7 - Uttar Pradesh may have seen the rise of a prodigal 'son' in Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, but dynastic politics proved to be Congress' nemesis in Goa where several of its top leaders and their kin were defeated in the assembly elections. The Goans inflicted crushing defeat on the Alemao family headed by former Chief Minister Churchill Alemao, the largest beneficiary of the party's generosity, as all four of its members in the fray lost.

New Delhi, Mar 7 - Janata Dal (United) which failed to open its account in Uttar Pradesh despite contesting 200 seats today attacked NDA ally BJP for "breaking" the alliance in the state and admitted to a "rift" between the parties. K C Tyagi, JD (U)'s General Secretary and a close confidant of party chief Sharad Yadav, accused the BJP of being selective on alliances during state polls.

Allahabad, Mar 7 - This district, once a political nerve centre of the country, is a microcosm example of how the two biggest national parties stumbled in UP polls, as most of the Congress and BJP candidates ended up forfeiting their deposits here. The outcome in this district, which besides having the highest number of 11 seats in the state, is the birthplace of a number of stalwarts of the Congress and the BJP, may have come as a huge embarrassment to both the national parties.

New Delhi, Mar 6 - Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today owned "full responsibility" for the party's flop show in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but skirted questions about resigning from the post over the issue. "This matter is between me and Congress President Sonia Gandhi," was his brief response when asked whether he had offered to resign from the post of AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh after party's dismal performance in UP elections.

New Delhi, Mar 6 - The outcome of Assembly elections in five states today came as a dampener to Congress as it did poorly in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, lost Goa, retained Manipur and emerged the single largest party in Uttarakhand, where it could grab power. Uttar Pradesh turned out to be big disappointment for the party which finished fourth despite Rahul Gandhi himself leading the Congress from the front, as people fed up with the "misrule" of Mayawati saw the Samajwadi Party as a saviour.

Amethi/Rae Bareli, Mar 6 - Amethi and Rae Bareli, the pocket boroughs of Congress since the days of Indira Gandhi, gave a shocker to the party as it managed to win only two of the 10 Assembly seats in these twin Lok Sabha constituencies. The most stunning was the defeat of sitting MLA Amita Singh, wife of Congress MP Sanjay Singh, in Amethi seat where she had to bite the dust by a margin of 8,760 votes. Samajwadi Party's Gayatri Prasad emerged the winner here.

New Delhi, Mar 6 - It was a series of mistakes that appeared to have cost the Congress dear in Uttar Pradesh despite Rahul Gandhi's herculean effort to lead the battle from the front. The talk in the party is that Rahul's 'Mission UP 2012' collapsed due to off the cuff remarks, controversial comments and raking up of sentimental issues by senior party leaders including Union ministers.

Lucknow, Mar 6 - The Samajwadi Party will hold its Parliamentary Board meeting tomorrow to decide it's Chief Ministerial candidate. "The parliamentary board of the party will meet tomorrow at 11 AM during which name of the party Chief Ministerial candidate will be decided," party spokesman Ram Gopal Yadav said.

New Delhi, Mar 6 - With early trends putting BJP in number two position in Uttar Pradesh, the party today said it took up issues which were not "sensational" even as it gave credit to Nitin Gadkari for the performance. The party also said "negating" voters did not help the Congress in Uttar Pradesh.

New Delhi, Mar 5 - The model code of conduct for the for the first polls of the trifurcated MCD to be held on April 15 has come into effect from today. "The code of conduct has come into force from today and we have instructed all concerned to comply with it strictly," said an official of the State Election Commission.

New Delhi, Mar 5 - Uttar Pradesh saw the maximum amount of cash being seized during restrictions imposed in the run up to the assembly elections in five states, while Punjab topped the seizures for drugs and illicit liquor. Rs 37.46 crore in cash was seized in Uttar Pradesh during polls, accounting for 72 per cent of the cash seizures.

Imphal, Mar 5 - Militants exploded a powerful bomb at the house of a Congress candidate in Imphal West district of Manipur, the police said today. The militants threw the bomb at around 10.30 PM last night at R K Anand's house at Naoriya Pakhang Lakpa area.

New Delhi, Mar 4 - 'Participatory democracy' emerged a winner in the just-concluded assembly elections, with four of the five states that went to polls recording the highest-ever turnout in their history. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa and Uttarakhand made history registering unprecedented polling percentages. Manipur, however, remained an exception to the trend.

Lucknow, Mar 4 - With his party emerging as the frontrunner in exit polls for Uttar Pradesh, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today thanked party workers for their hard work during the elections. He, however, refrained from commenting on the survey and asked mediapersons to wait till results are out on March 6. "Do din aur bachen hain. 6 March tak ruk jaiye sari anishchitta khatam ho jayegi (wait two more days and all uncertainties will end)," Yadav told reporters when asked about the exit poll surveys which showed SP at the top.

New Delhi, Mar 4 - Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today attacked BJP for its alleged "total failure" in providing civic services from the day it came to power in the MCD in 2007 and appealed to the people to vote for people "with development agenda" in civic polls next month. "The present MCD had been lacking efficiency and a proper work culture right from the day the present leadership took over its reins. There was a total mess and nothing was moving as per any approved plan.

Hyderabad, Mar 4 - The campaigning for crucial March 18 bypolls for seven Assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh gained momentum with TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu hitting the hustings today. Naidu kicked off his campaign from Kovur assembly segment in Nellore district of the coastal Andhra where the bypoll is necessitated by the resignation of sitting TDP MLA N Prasanna Kumar Reddy in support of Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Noida, Mar 4 - Congress leader Salman Khurshid today said the party's top leadership will decide on the issue of post-polls tie-ups in Uttar Pradesh. When asked about Beni Prasad Verma's comment, in which he has favoured BSP as a better option for coalition than SP, Law Minister Salman Khurshid refrained from commenting and said "directions of the top leadership will be followed after two days when election results will be out."

New Delhi, Mar 4 - Rashtriya Lok Dal today ruled out any post-poll alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and reaffirmed its alliance with the Congress. "We have an alliance with Congress in UP and at the Centre. Anything we do will be done in consultation with Congress," union minister and RLD chief Ajit Singh said.

New Delhi, Mar 4 - Congress today distanced itself from Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma pitching for a post-poll alliance with BSP in Uttar Pradesh, saying it was his personal opinion. "Whatever Verma said was his personal opinion. The party high command will take a decision after taking into account all the aspects only after results are out on March 6," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

Dehra Dun, Mar 4 - With exit polls showing a Congress victory in the Uttarakhand Assembly elections, hectic lobbying has begun in the state unit of the party for the post of chief minister. Spokesman Surendra Kumar admitted that lobbying for the top post is on and said, "It is natural that everybody would like to make some efforts."  With its state leaders camping in New Delhi, Congress sources said the party high command may have a tough time in choosing the new leader from the state party unit, which is deeply divided in different groups.

New Delhi, Mar 4 - Uttar Pradesh is set for a change of government, according to exit polls which have predicted a rout for Chief Minister Mayawati, triggering reactions from political parties with Union Minister and Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma pitching for a post-poll alliance with BSP. However, neither the predicted winners nor those projected not to be doing well have accepted the exit polls in full with each contesting the findings.

Panaji, Mar 4 - Congress today said that the record turn-out in the assembly election in Goa may not augur well for the party, but still it would be able to retain power in the coastal state. "The high turn-out is a strong statement made by the public. It may not be ideal for the Congress party, but we are forming the government with the help of allies," said Mauvin Godinho, a senior Congress leader from the state.

Bhopal, Mar 4 - Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said that he did not believe the exit polls' prediction that his party would win less than 40 seats in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election. "We all know that exit polls have gone wrong in the past, and this will happen now again," he said, talking to PTI here. Asked how many seats he expected Congress to win, Singh said: "At least one hundred."

New Delhi, Mar 3 - The Election Commission tonight let off Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma with a warning for his remarks on Muslim sub-quota and closed the model code of conduct violation case against him accepting his "remorse and sincere regret" for the utterances. The Commission said it was ending the matter in view of the regrets expressed by the Steel Minister and in the wake of the complainant BJP deciding not to pursue the matter further.

Congress star campaigner Rahul Gandhi was slapped with a case on Monday for flouting restrictions on his six-hour road show in the city on Sunday. The Kanpur district administration registered a case for violating restrictions imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC. Police slapped cases on Rahul and the Kanpur district Congress chief for 'disobedience to order by public servant', causing 'danger or obstruction in public way' and creating 'public nuisance'. The case was registered on a complaint by area police chowki in-charge Satyendra Singh.

Kanpur, Feb 20 - BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said both Sonia Gandhi and Mulayam Singh Yadav, instead of focusing on development, are concerned only in getting their sons installed as Prime Minister and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister respectively. "Sonia Gandhi is concerned only on how to get her son Rahul the post of the Prime Minister while Mulayam keeps thinking on how his son Akhilesh can become the UP Chief Minister," Gadkari told an election rally here.

Kanpur, Feb 20 - Rahul Gandhi's road show in Kanpur today landed in a controversy with the district administration claiming that it had violated the election code by stretching beyond the allocated time and area. "The district administration had allocated time till noon and fixed a 20-km route for Rahul Gandhi's road show. This was done as today is Shivratri and there could be a traffic problem," District Magistrate Hari Om said.

Chennai, Feb 20 - Principal Opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, DMDK, today named its candidate for the March 18 Sankarankoil (SC) bypoll, making it a four-cornered contest, even as Congress said it would back its ally DMK. DMDK founder and Opposition Leader Vijayakanth announced that the party's senior functionary from Tirunelveli, K Muthukumar, a Computer Science graduate and an MBA, would be the party's nominee.

Panaji, Feb 20 - Congress today released its election manifesto for next month's assembly polls in Goa promising up to 150 units of free electricity and water to the weaker sections, scheduled castes/tribes and other backward classes (OBCs). The manifesto was released by All India Congress Committee general secretary Oscar Fernandes in presence of national and state leaders.

Auraiya (UP), Feb 20 - Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today ridiculed Chief Minister Mayawati for promising a fearless society, alleging that a 1,900 incidents of rape had taken place in the state during BSP tenure. "BSP claims it has given 'bhay-mukt samaj' but the truth is different. There were 1,900 rapes during the Mayawati regime," Yadav said at a poll meeting here.

The alliance partners in Jammu and Kashmir have started flexing muscles to consolidate their vote bank ahead of Municipal polls scheduled to be held in April this year. The Congress party, already facing the heat of sheltering tainted Ministers in the Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government, on Sunday kick started its campaign by holding a large rally here in the Dusshera grounds.

The five-phase panchayat elections in Orissa came to an end on Sunday with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) bagging more than two-thirds of the zila parishad seats. The three-tier panchayat polls were held on February 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19. Over 2.44 crore voters participated in the polls to elect 854 zila parishads members, 6,228 sarpanchs, 6,231 panchayat samiti members and 87,528 ward members.

Kanpur, Feb 19 - BJP leader L K Advani today claimed that while other "BIMARU" or 'sick' states had shown improvement, Uttar Pradesh has moved backward during the last five years of BSP rule. "Earlier Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh used to come in the category of 'sick' states. Bihar and MP have come out of this due to BJP governments. We had taken Rajasthan out as well.

Hyderabad, Feb 19 - With Election Commission announcing schedule for bypolls to seven assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, the political parties become busy chalking out strategy to outsmart each other. The bypolls are necessitated following resignation of five TRS legislators from Telangana region, one MLA from Kovur in support of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy and due to death of a sitting MLA from Mehboobnagar constituency.

Moradabad, Feb 19 - BJP today attacked Congress, BSP and SP on Muslim reservation issue saying these parties are trying to "entrap" the Muslims with the "expired salve" of secularism and religious reservation. Addressing a minority rally in Mundha Pandey here, BJP National Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi dubbed these parties "traditional and professional exploiters" of Muslims and minorities.

Aligarh, Feb 19 - Wooing voters in the city of locks, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi today trained her guns on non-Congress parties alleging their successive governments in Uttar Pradesh in the past two decades had failed to develop infrastructure. Addressing an election rally with RLD chief Ajit Singh here, she alleged the famous lock industry of Aligarh had suffered a lot in the past two decades.

Lucknow, Feb 19 - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP chief Mayawati today claimed her party would win more seats in Uttar Pradesh elections this time as compared to 2007 state polls. "Where ever I have toured and BSP rallies were held, there were huge enthusiasm among people and it seems that the party will pose a very good performance in comparison to 2007 polls," she told reporters here after casting her ballot at Lucknow Montessori inter college.

Panaji, Feb 19 - The ruling Congress will release its manifesto for the March 3 Goa legislative assembly election tomorrow. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to come to Goa for the occasion. The party had formed a committee under the chairmanship of former union minister Eduardo Faleiro to put together the manifesto.

Lucknow, Feb 19 - Polling for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections covering 56 seats spread over 11 districts began today. "Polling for the fourth phase covering 11 districts started at 7am amidst tight security arrangements," Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said. This phase would decide the fate of three ministers, 32 sitting MLAs and 12 former ministers.

Polling for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly election covering 56 seats spread over 11 districts would be held on Sunday that would decide the fate of three ministers, 32 sitting MLAs and 12 former ministers. More than 1.74 crore voters are expected to cast their votes to seal the fate of 967 candidates in the polling to be held in Hardoi, Unnao, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Farukkhabad, CSM Nagar, Kannauj, Banda, Chitrakoot, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh.

Mumbai, Feb 18 - Following is the party-position at 10 municipal corporations in Maharashtra after yesterday's election results, alongwith the position before the polls. 1. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (Mumbai) - Total 227 -- BJP 32, Congress 50, NCP 14, Shiv Sena 75, MNS 28, Independents 28.

Kanpur, Feb 18 - In a bid to woo minority community voters, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will address a rally in the Muslim-dominated Chamanganj area tomorrow. The area has three Vidhan Sabha seats and is yet to be visited by any major political leader. The Muslim vote is the decisive factor in Aryanagar, Sisamau and Cantt seats.

Panaji, Feb 18 - A musician, a priest and an actor are among the 12 candidates offered by the Jagrut Goemkarancho Fauz, a conglomeration of civil society groups, for the March 3 Goa assembly polls. Paul Fernandes, a musician who has been entertaining people through his stageshows, has been fielded by the party from Saligao constituency, 10 kms away from here.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 17 - Over 70 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the fourth phase of panchayat polls in Odisha today which witnesed stray incidents of violence and booth capturing in some places. "An estimated 70.66 per cent of the 46.47 lakh electorate voted in the fourth phase of panchayat elections," state Election Commissioner Ajit Tripathy told reporters here.

Lucknow, Feb 17 - Campaigning for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections covering 56 seats spread over 11 districts came to an end today. "Campaigning for the third phase of elections, polling for which would be be held on February 19, ended this evening," joint chief electoral officer Anita Meshram told reporters.

Ghaziabad, Feb 17 - Authorities have identified 62 polling booths under five assembly segments as hyper-sensitive in this district, which goes to poll on February 28 in the sixth phase. "Twelve polling booths of Loni assembly segment, 20 in Sahibabad, 8 in Ghaziabad, 10 in Modinagar and 12 in Muradnagar have been identified as hyper-sensitive," District Magistrate Aparna Upadhyay told PTI.

New Delhi, Feb 17 - BJP today credited its victory in urban local bodies elections in Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur to the "charismatic" leadersip of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and alleged Congress and NCP leaders had "failed" in their attempt to wrest power from them. "We welcome the trends which have firmed up in favour of Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI alliance in the local elections in Maharashtra. We have retained power and gained in Mumbai, Nagpur and Thane. All this has been possible under the charismatic leadersip of Balasaheb Thackeray," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Kanpur, Feb 17 - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today rubbished media surveys that projected BSP to be in bad position in the Assembly polls and reminded voters that her party had got majority in 2007 despite similar predictions. "I want to tell the people that the surveys being shown on TV channels and in the media are showing BSP winning only a few seats. They should not be misled by these as in the 2007 polls too, BSP was not shown in surveys, yet we formed government with absolute majority," the BSP supremo said.

Yavatmal, Feb 17 - Congress has emerged as the single largest party in both Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls in the district as the final results came in this evening. The 62-member Zilla Parishad is set to have a hung house with no party having a clear majority. Congress got 23 seats, followed by NCP which got 21.

Mumbai, Feb 17 - In the run-up to Mumbai municipal corporation elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had remarked that the Bal Thackeray-led Shiv Sena will become "inconsequential" after the February 16 civic polls. The results today have proved that 86-year Thackeray is still relevant in local politics, as the Sena-BJP combine look set to retain power in Mumbai civic body, where they have reigned since 1996.

Lucknow, Feb 17 - Samajwadi Party today accused Congress of being "very clever and intelligent" in committing scams like 2G as it was difficult to explain the issue to the electorate. "Congress is a very clever and intelligent party. We are finding it difficult to get the poor to understand about 2G scam. How can this be elaborated to poor people?" SP state unit chief Akhilesh Yadav asked at an election meeting here.

Solapur, Feb 17 - Congress today emerged as the biggest party in 102-member Solapur Municipal Corporation in south Maharashtra, and looked set to retain the power by striking alliance with NCP. While Congress bagged 44 seats, NCP won 16. Solapur is the hometown of Congress leader and Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

Panaji, Feb 16 - A total of 215 candidates, nine of them women, are in the fray for 40 Assembly seats in Goa which goes to the polls on March 3. Election Commission officials said 62 nomination forms were either rejected or withdrawn, leaving 215 candidates in the fray. Today was the last day for withdrawal of nominations.

Mumbai, Feb 16 - Around 54 per cent of about 2.02 crore electorate today exercised their franchise for polls in 10 municipal corporations of Maharashtra, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In Mumbai, only 46 per cent of the 1.02 crore voters cast ballots, despite the state government declaring a public holiday today. State Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayan expressed concern about the low turn-out.

Thane, Feb 16 - An average 55 per cent polling was recorded today in the elections to the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), officials said. Addressing a news conference at the corporation headquarters, Municipal Commissioner R A Rajeev said the polling was by and large peaceful.

New Delhi, Feb 16 - Taking note of Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma's remarks on minorities sub-quota and daring the poll body during a rally in Farrukhabad last night, the Election Commission today started examining whether the utterances violated the model code of conduct. The Commission, in its meeting, directed the Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh to provide it with a copy of the recorded speech of Verma made during an election rally in Kaimganj area of Farrukhabad.

Nashik, Feb 16 - An estimated 55 per cent of the 10.35 lakh electorate today exercised the franchise, sealing the fates of 929 candidates in the election to Nashik Municipal Corporation. Voting took place peacefully, barring two incidents.

Mumbai, Feb 16 - Bollywood celebrities today queued up outside polling booths to exercise their franchise to elect corporators for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In Mumbai, the fate of as many as 2,232 candidates, who are in the fray for 227 seats, was sealed in EVMs. Counting for the civic polls will be held tomorrow.

Noida, Feb 16 - BJP today said that SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's flip flop over supporting Congress in post-poll Uttar Pradesh showed he has accepted defeat even before the results are out. "The Mulayam Singh Yadav's statement of alliance with Congress shows that Samajwadi Party supremo has accepted the defeat before the elections," BJP general secretary and chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad today said.

Amethi, Feb 16 - Rahul Gandhi's dramatic act of tearing up a paper with a list of election promises of political opponents at a poll rally drew a sarcastic reaction today with Samajwadi party saying he may now jump from the stage to vent his anger. Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi played down the incident, observing that he just tore a paper and not any party's manifesto.

Rae Bareli - Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi today exhorted the electorate to vote for the party to get rid of fear and backwardness. Addressing an election meeting in Sadar Assembly segment of the constituency from where Akhilesh Singh, the sitting MLA having a criminal record is seeking re-election, Priyanka said the question before the people is whether they want to be “free of backwardness and terror or not”.

Bhopal, Feb 16 - Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Babulal Gaur today said that as per his assessment, Samajwadi Party will emerge as the single largest party in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The Minister, who originally hails from UP, returned recently after addressing election meetings in 12 constituencies in that state.

Mumbai, Feb 16 - Marked by a poor turnout, polling is in progress today in 10 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, with no untoward incident reported so far. Voter apathy was evident in Mumbai with hardly 8.4 per cent of the 1.02 crore electorate casting their votes till 10 am, two-hours-and-a-half after polling began.

Lucknow, Feb 15 - BJP today said the heavy turnout in Uttar Pradesh polls reflected public angst against price rise, corruption and unemployment due to "wrong policies" of the BSP government in the state and Congress-led UPA at the Centre and claimed that people have decided to vote BJP to power. "There is resentment over scams at the Centre, corruption and bad governance of BSP and 'hulla bol' style of SP regime and it is reflecting in the high voter turnout," BJP state chief Surya Pratap Shahi told reporters here.

Lucknow/Unnao, Feb 15 - Accusing BSP and SP of making "only promises", Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today tore a piece of paper at an election meeting to drive home the point that "mere lists" of assurances were of no use. "They promise that they will give power, water, employment and if not employment then unemployment allowance...this is mere list of assurances...," he said at an election meeting and tore a paper it to stress his point.

Mumbai, Feb 15 - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray along with a leading Marathi news channel has been booked for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, a day before polling for ten municipal corporations, including Mumbai will be held, police said today. An FIR was registered against the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray last night after 'Star Maza' aired his interview even as the campaigning for the civic polls ended in the evening, they said.

Unnao, Feb 14 - Elated over the heavy voter turnout in the ongoing Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said that it is an indication that the youth is supporting the Congress. "Youth are supporting the Congress all over and this is the reason that voter turnout is touching 60 to 65 per cent", Gandhi said here.

Lucknow, Feb 15 - Brisk polling continued in the third phase of UP Assembly elections for 56 seats in 10 districts with 47.05 per cent of the over 1.75 crore electorate exercising their franchise till the late afternoon. Sultanpur district recorded maximum 50 per cent polling, whereas minimum 44.88 per cent was registered in Jaunpur.

Nagpur, Feb 15 - About 19.86 lakh voters will exercise their franchise to elect 144 corporators from among 1,233 candidates in the fray for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) polls tomorrow. Out of the total 145 NMC seats, one candidate has already been elected unopposed, as his only other contender had withdrawn his application earlier.

Lucknow, Feb 15 - After a dull start, voter turnout picked up in the third phase of UP Assembly polls for 56 seats in 10 districts with nearly 21 per cent of the over 1.75 crore electorate exercising their franchise in the first four hours. Naxal-hit Chandauli district recorded maximum 25 per cent polling, whereas minimum 17.6 per cent was registered in Varanasi.

Thane, Feb 15 - In tomorrow's Thane Municipal Corporation polls, around 11.96 lakh voters are going to decide the fate of 802 candidates for 130 seats. With the addition of 2.85 lakh voters this time, the number of voters has gone up to 11.96 lakh, who would decide the elect the candidates, sources said.

Mumbai, Feb 15 - An FIR has been registered against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and a leading Marathi news channel for allegedly violating model code of conduct ahead the civic polls, police said today. According to police, the FIR was registered last night after 'Star Majha' news channel aired an interview of Raj Thackeray last evening.

Mumbai, Feb 14 - Around 1.02 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise on Thursday to elect 227 representatives from 2232 candidates who are in the fray for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, civic chief Subodh Kumar said. The campaigning for the civic poll ended today evening. "Among the total of 1,027,9,377 voters, 57,17,972 are males while 45,61,405 are females," Kumar told reporters here in a press conference.

New Delhi, Feb 14 - With polling for assembly elections in the states of Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand completed, the Election Commission today decided to relax the conditions for model code of conduct, allowing ministers to undertake tours and review ongoing projects. In an order today, the Commission said the ministers in these states have now been allowed to tour districts and take officials, besides reviewing and implementing ongoing programmes.

Mainpuri (UP), Feb 14 - Terming the BJP as a "communal" party, Congress leader Digvijay Singh today alleged that its only agenda is to "spread hatred" and deceive people in the name of Ram temple for political gains. "BJP is a communal party, which is deceiving people in the name of Ram temple. It's only agenda is to spread hatred in the community for political gains," Singh said while addressing election meetings here.

Nashik, Feb 14 - A month-long election campaign for the 122 seats of Nashik Municipal Corporation ended this evening, with the local NCP MP Sameer Bhujbal's motorcycle rally. Star campaigners such as MNS chief Raj Thackeray, PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Shiv Sena executive president Udddhav Thackeray, Yuva Sena president Aditya Thackeray held rallies in the city in the last one month.

New Delhi, Feb 14 - The Election Commission is likely to put a lid on the controversy involving Law Minister Salman Khurshid after he expressed regret over his remarks on the minority sub-quota issue. Sources in the poll panel today said that the matter was being discussed in a meeting of the EC to take a final call on it. The poll panel wants to end the matter now in view of Khurshid's regret and assurance of not raking up the matter again.

Panaji, Feb 14 - The Election Commission of India (ECI) is yet to give clearance to the carnival parades in Goa, organised by the tourism department in major cities of the state for the February 17 festivities. ECI officials here had referred government's proposal of holding Carnival parades to the Chief Election Commissioner. Joint Chief electoral Officer Narayan Navti said that they are yet to receive any response from Delhi.

Bhubaneswar, Feb 13 - About 69 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the second phase of panchayat polls in Odisha today which was by and large peaceful. "An estimated 69 per cent of the 56.54 lakh electorate voted in the second phase of panchayat elections held in 83 blocks spread over 30 districts," state Election Commissioner Ajit Tripathy told reporters here.

New Delhi, Feb 13 - In the wake of seizure of Rs one crore reportedly meant for Congress candidates in Amravati civic elections, BJP today hit out at the rival party for allegedly using "money power" to win the polls, especially in an Assembly constituency represented by President Pratibha Patil's son Raosaheb Shekhawat. "The seizure of Rs one crore in Amravati for the local bodies elections there is yet another example of how the Congress tries to win elections on the strength of money power.

Imphal, Feb 13 - Election Commission observers and Manipur election officials claimed to have found impersonation of voters in the January 28 Assembly polls in the state. Official sources said the findings followed checking of photos of voters by three EC observers and Manipur election officials after nearly 76 complaints were received from candidates.

Kanpur, Feb 13 - Former Indian cricket captain and Congress MP from Moradabad Mohd Azharuddin is enthusiastic about his party's prospects among Muslim voters in the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state. The Muslim voter of UP has realised the importance of development and education for the community, to help it join the national mainstream, Azhar told PTI at a party roadshow for local candidates.

Panaji, Feb 13 - Congress in Goa is in a bind as the aspirants who have failed to secure party tickets are vowing to queer the pitch for the official nominees for March 3 Assembly polls. Goa Congress general secretary Vijay Sardesai has announced that he would contest as an Independent from Fatorda seat after he was denied ticket by the party for the sake of M k Sheikh, who was named as the official candidate in the final list of four candidates released yesterday.

New Delhi, Feb 12 - Congress' heavy reliance on Rahul Gandhi in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls will prove to be a "risk worth taking" but if the party does not fare well it will not be end of the road for him, says party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. The former Union Minister downplayed the presence of Robert Vadra in the campaigning saying he is doing it as member of the family, but said he would welcome the Gandhi family's son-in-law as an MP if he wins elections.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are not into talks on a post-poll alliance in case they fail to get a majority on their own in Uttar Pradesh, says BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday. "Right now, we are in the thick of the poll campaign. If we get a mandate, we will provide an accountable and efficient administration. Otherwise, we will sit in the opposition," Sitharaman said in an interview .

Sultanpur, Feb 12 - Venturing out of twin constituencies of her mother Sonia Gandhi and brother Rahul for the first time, Congress' star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi today carried out a roadshow in Sultanpur to woo voters. Priyanka started her roadshow from Lambhua, where Rahul addressed a meeting. Rahul told the gathering that he was waging a struggle to change UP and was asking for only five years.

Rae Bareli, Feb 12 - Taking on Sonia Gandhi in her constituency, BJP leader Uma Bharti today blamed the Congress for backwardness and poverty in Rae Bareli. She also asked the Congress chief to give a clarification on the Batla House encounter issue following "contradictory statements" from her party leaders.

Unnao (UP), Feb 12 - Accusing Congress and BJP of not being serious in bringing back blackmoney stashed away in foreign banks, BSP supremo Mayawati today said it appeared both parties had deposited in those banks black money earned through corrupt means. "Both BJP and Congress appear non-serious on the issue of bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks. It seems they had deposited their blackmoney earned through corruption in foreign countries," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said at an election meeting here.

Jaunpur (UP), Feb 12 - Training his guns on the BSP and the Samajwadi Party, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said corruption and scams were rampant during their regimes. For the past five years, neither BSP supremo Mayawati nor SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had visited any village but now during the election time, they were making tall promises, Rahul said.

Accusing the Congress of paying lip service to the cause of women’s reservation, party legislator Victoria Fernandes on Saturday resigned as an MLA from Goa assembly and also from the party organisation ahead of the March 3 polls. “The Congress’s double speak on women’s reservation has been exposed through recent ticket distribution. I was the lone woman legislator in the House but still was denied ticket from my constituency. What right does Congress have to speak about women’s reservation?” she said after sending her resignation to speaker Pratapsinh Rane.

New Delhi, Feb 9 - The turf war between Congress-BSP in the Gandhi Nehru family's pocketborough of Raebareli and Amethi intensified today with Congress approaching the Election Commission seeking "debarring" of a senior BSP minister and transfer of Rabebareli District Magistrate during the current Assembly polls. In a written complaint to the EC against Swami Prasad Maurya and eight administrative officers including Raebareli DM Amrita Soni, the party said they are "seeking to influence voters in favour of non-Congress parties especially BSP and SP" in assembly seats of Raebareli and Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj (Amethi) districts.

Amethi, Feb 11 - Striking a cord with the farmers and people of his constituency, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today gave them the credit for the political lessons that he has learnt. The Congress general secretary said here that he has returned to his "home" after touring the entire state in the past two months. "Whatever I have learnt is from my visits to the houses of farmers in Amethi... whatever I know has been learnt in Amethi and Rae Bareli," Rahul said at an election meeting here.

New Delhi, Feb 11 - Reaching out to people ahead of the crucial MCD polls, BJP today launched a yatra to create awareness about what it called a "corrupt" Congress Government in Delhi and issues that concern the common man. The "Jansangharsh Yatra" by Delhi BJP President Vijender Gupta, which was flagged off from Burari, will cover the entire city in 15 days and is aimed at exposing "the failures of the Delhi government."

Chandauli (UP), Feb 11 - Attacking Digvijay Singh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today alleged that after "attempting to ruin" his state, the Congress leader is trying to do the same in Uttar Pradesh along with Rahul Gandhi. "Digvijay has tried to ruin MP and is now making a similar attempt in Uttar Pradesh with party 'yuvraj' Rahul Gandhi," Chouhan said while addressing an election meeting.

Lucknow/Hardoi(UP), Feb 11 - Land grabbing, construction of parks and lodging fake cases against opposition party workers were the only three works that the ruling BSP government did in its five-year rule, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today alleged. "The present government is involved in land grabbing, construction of parks and lodging fake cases against party workers in past five years. The common man is fed up with the misrule and wants a change," Yadav said while addressing a public meeting in Bakshi Ka Talab area here on outskirts of the city.

Soraon (UP), Feb 11 - Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said Mayawati government was more sympathetic towards "rich builders" than poor farmers and charged BJP, SP and BSP with only serving their respective "vote banks" when in power in Uttar Pradesh and ignoring the common man. "Elections usually usher in a change. In UP, many elections have taken place in the last 22 years but no change has been noticed. This is because during this period, the state has been ruled by parties which were interested only in their vote banks which normally comprise not more than 10 per cent of the population.

Lucknow, Feb 11 - Moderate polling was recorded in the first four hours of voting in the second phase of UP Assembly polls, with only 19 per cent of the total 1.92 crore electorate exercising their franchise amidst stray incidents of violence. In Dakshin Tola area in Mau district, police used force when a large number of people gathered outside a polling station indulged in unruly behaviour. Unconfirmed reports said six persons were injured in the firing. Police also used force in Mahaveer Akhara hamlet in Rasra area in Ballia district after some local residents indulged in slogan shouting.

Rae Bareli, Feb 11 - Exhorting voters to change the "negative politics" prevalent in UP for the past 22 years, Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi today said leaders should get the message that they will not get support if they do no work for progress. Addressing an election meeting in Ahiyar area under Saraini Vidhan Sabha seat for Congress candidate Ashok Singh, Gandhi said, "Voters will have to give a serious thought and decide on changing 22 years of negative politics".

Lucknow, Feb 11 - Polling began today on a slow note for the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 59 seats in 10 districts that will decide the fate of two state presidents, 31 MLAs and 24 former ministers. More than 1.92 crore voters are expected to cast their votes to seal the fate of 1,098 candidates in the polling to be held in Sant Kabir Nagar, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Azamgarh, Mau, Ballia and Ghazipur, Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said here.

Panaji, Feb 8 - BJP today announced its second list of six candidates, including two former Congressmen, for the March 3 Assembly polls. Nilesh Cabral, who is the sole minority candidate figured on the list, is given ticket to contest from Curchorem constituency while his former colleague in Congress Ganesh Gaonkar will contest from Sanvordem seat.

CSM Nagar (UP), Feb 9 - Congress' star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi today launched a frontal attack on the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh alleging that it was wasting money on statues and parks even as she said there was a wind of change in favour of the Congress in the state. Addressing a series of poll meetings here, Priyanka said there is a chance to effect a change in the state after 22 years and sought votes for bringing the Congress to power.

Pune, Feb 8 - Campaigning for the February 16 civic election here reached a high pitch today with NCP leader Ajit Pawar and MNS President Raj Thackeray staging a road show to woo the voters and in the process causing traffic jams. Thackeray, who was accompanied by his wife and son, hit the streets after having `darshan' at the Kasaba Ganesh temple in the heart of the city, travelling in a car even as MNS activists lined up an hour long stretch.

Panaji, Feb 8 - The Congress in Goa continued to face trouble in its ranks over distribution of tickets for the March 3 Assembly polls with more leaders leaving the party. As the ruling party, which has released names of 29 candidates, struggled to put up a united face, senior leader Oscar Fernandes arrived here to talk to dissidents.

Allahabad/Unnao, Feb 8 - Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today alleged that BJP, SP and BSP were trying to hoodwink people by pretending to attack each other for electoral gains in Uttar Pradesh though they had all shared power and ruled the state without any sincerity of purpose. "Comparing today's UP with what it used to be 22 years ago brings to one's notice lots of unwelcome changes," she told an election rally in Allahabad.

Ballia/Ghazipur, Feb 8 - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today charged the Congress with hatching a conspiracy to divide the Muslim community in the name of reservation. Addressing election meetings, the BSP supremo attacked Congress, saying it has never been the well-wisher of Muslims and is, therefore, trying to "instigate and misguide" them on the issue of reservation.

Lucknow, February 08, 2012 - After a slow start due to rain, polling for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections picked up by the afternoon with 28.35% of the over 1.70 crore electorate exercising their franchise. As the weather started improving, people started coming out in large number to exercise their franchise. In the first six hours, 28.35% polling was registered in 55 assembly seats spread over 10 districts," Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha told PTI.

Lucknow, Feb 8 - Rains played spoilsport in the early hours of polling for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections with only 13.38 per cent of the over 1.70 crore electorate exercising their franchise. With the weather improving as the day progressed, polling gradually picked up. "In the first four hours, 13.38 per cent polling was registered in 55 assembly seats spread over 10 districts," Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha told PTI.

Two days after the announcement of first list of candidates, the Congress in Goa is facing rebellion within the party as the aspirants who were denied tickets have decided to part ways with the organisation. Sameer Salgaoncar, Congress leader and son of independent legislator Anil Salgaoncar was the first one to quit the party as he was refused ticket in Mandrem constituency where Congress fielded Dayanand Sopte, a former BJP MLA.

Bhadohi/Jaunpur, Feb 7 - Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said his fight is not for any post but to take the voice of the people to the government. "Yesterday, during the press conference at Varanasi, I was asked whether I want to become the Prime Minister or not. Many people and some political leaders also ask me the same question. "For me politics is not for securing any post. That is what I learnt in the past seven years," he told in a string of election meetings.

New Delhi, Feb 7 - It's kith and kin galore in the second list of Congress for Goa polls announced today, days after the selection of first batch of candidates sparked off a virtual rebellion in the state unit. The list of seven candidates announced by Congress has the names of Uday D Palekar, Jennifer Monserrate, Pandurang Arjun, Madkalkar Dhaku A Madkaiker, Ritesh Ravi Naik, Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco and Valenka Alemao from Siolim, Taleigao, Cumbarjua, Priol, Marcalm, Curtorim and Benaulim Assembly seats respectively.

Lucknow, Feb 7 - As many as 121 candidates contesting in the third phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have criminal cases pending against them, according to a monitoring group. Out of the 317 candidates analysed by National Election Watch, 121 candidates have declared criminal cases against them, the report -- issued today -- said.

Deoria, Feb 7 - Calling the ruling BSP in Uttar Pradesh a "wholesale kirana party", BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said inspite of abundance of productive land and resources the state is not progressing. "In UP, productive land and resources are available in abundance, but I ask you that despite this why poverty, hunger and unemployment exist in the state," Gadkari said addressing an election meeting at Pathardeva seat from where state president Surya Pratap Shahi is contesting.

New Delhi, Feb 7 - The Election Commission today banned exit polls till March 3, till the completion of assembly elections in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur. In a notification issued today, it also banned release of opinion polls in any manner on electronic media under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 during period of 48 hours, counted backwards from close of poll, in each phase.

Polling for the first phase of the high voltage Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections for 55 seats in 10 districts would be held tomorrow that will decide the fate of two ministers, 31 MLAs and 15 former ministers. More than 1.70 lakh electorate would seal the fate of 862 candidates in the polling to be held in Sitapur, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharth Nagar and Basti amidst tight security.

Allahabad, Feb 7 - Income Tax officials here have seized Rs 35 lakh in cash from a vehicle belonging to senior Samajwadi Party leader Shyama Charan Gupta, though no case of violation of model code of conduct has been lodged. According to police sources, the money was recovered in Georgetown police station area of the city late last night from the cashier of a dairy owned by the SP leader who claimed he was going to Gupta's house to hand over the day's earnings.

Bhadhohi (UP), Feb 7 - Rahul Gandhi today ridiculed BJP's 'India Shining' slogan, maintaining that those espousing such an idea never visited the poor in the villages and workers and understood their plight. Launching the second phase of poll campaign in UP, Rahul asked whether top BJP leader L K Advani, UP Chief Minister Mayawati or Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ever dined with poor in the villages or held hands of workers, asking them about their well-being in the past five years.

Panaji, Feb 7 - Two days after the announcement of first list of candidates, the Congress in Goa is facing rebellion within the party as the aspirants who were denied tickets have decided to part ways with the organisation. Sameer Salgaoncar, Congress leader and son of independent legislator Anil Salgaoncar was the first one to quit the party as he was refused ticket in Mandrem constituency where Congress fielded Dayanand Sopte, a former BJP MLA.

Lucknow, Feb 6 - Campaigning for the first phase of Uttar Pradesh polls, which saw stalwarts of major political parties trading barbs in the key state, came to an end today. The high pitch electioneering saw Congress leader Rahul Gandhi taking a lead and charging ruling BSP and its symbol elephant "eating money" given by the Centre.

Mumbai, Feb 6 - The Election Commission of India (ECI) and State Election Commission (SEC) today informed the Bombay High Court that it would not be possible to install a `No Vote' panel on the Electronic Voting Machines to be used in the municipal and Zilla Parishad elections in Maharashtra, to be held this month. The division bench headed by Justice D D Sinha was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Thane-based Dr Mahesh Bedekar, seeking no-vote option in EVMs, as the present system does not guard the secrecy of the voter casting a negative vote.

Mumbai, Feb 6 - Electioneering for the February 16 municipal corporation polls is picking up with the third generations of Thackerays hitting the campaign trail for their respective parties. Aditya, the 21-year-old son of Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray, participated in a road show in Pune yesterday evening along with his younger brother Tejas and other party leaders.

Patna, Feb 6 - JD(U) is contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election without alliance with any political party, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said today. "It is not necessary that there should be an alliance or understanding with other political parties in every election. JD(U) is contesting UP polls independently," the senior party leader told reporters here.

Kanpur, Feb 6 - Brahmins hold the key in the newly created Assembly constituency of Kidwai Nagar with majority of the political parties fielding candidates from the caste. Keeping the eye on 1,16,000 Brahmin voters in the constituency of 3,16,000 voters, the BJP has fielded Vivek Sheel Shukla, who is very close to senior BJP leader Uma Bharti.

Dehra Dun, Fed 6 - A total of 160 BJP leaders and workers have been expelled so far in Uttarakhand amid reports of widespread anti-party activities during the January 30 assembly elections, a top state party leader today said. Bishan Singh Chufal, state BJP President, told PTI that the party has taken cognizane of all anti-party activities and has asked the district party units to submit all such reports in order to take further action.

Janpad (Bulandshahr), Feb 6 - Cases of violation of the model code of conduct were registered against two candidates from different assembly constituencies here. Violating Article 144, Congress candidate Jitendra Yadav addressed a public meeting in Mitthepur village in Secunderabad assembly constituency last evening without taking permission, said SSP R K S Rathore.

Lucknow, Feb 6 - Notification for the seventh and last phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly election was issued today with which nominations process also started. The seventh phase would decide the fate of Muslim face of Samajwadi Party Mohd Azam Khan from Rampur and Saurabh Singh, son of BSP MP and coordintaor Jugul Kishore from Kasta.

Panaji, Feb 6 - Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has announced a list of 22 candidates for the forthcoming Goa polls. The list, which was announced last night, includes names of its prominent leaders, except its Member of Parliament Sripad Naik, who has refused to contest.

Chandigarh, Feb 5 - Sensing an imminent defeat at the hands of electorate, SAD-BJP government in Punjab is betraying its true colours as "dark days" of power cuts are back in the state, Opposition Congress today said. "Sensing imminent defeat at the hands of electorate the Badal father-son duo have shown their true colours of being opportunist vote seeker politicians rather than statesmen," Punjab Congress spokesman Sukhpal Singh Khaira said here.

Thane, Feb 5 - The State Election Commission (SEC) has ordered that the candidates contesting the civic and Zilla Parishad elections should not be allowed to move around within 100 metres of the polling booth after casting their vote. If any candidate is found doing so, he/she will be subjected to suitable action, the SEC said in an order yesterday.

Dariyabad (Barabanki), Feb 5 - It is said people don't cast their vote, they vote for their caste in this constituency, where Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma's prestige is at stake. Beni's son Rakesh Verma is getting a tough fight from SP and BJP candidates in this seat, where muslim and scheduled caste votes could prove to be the deciding factor.

Panaji, Feb 5 - BJP President Nitin Gadkari today said the Assembly elections in five states were a semi-final ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The current phase of Assembly elections was a semi-final ahead of the general elections in 2014. The BJP is sure to have its Government in Punjab and Uttarakhand, he told reporters here.

Nashik, Feb 5 - As many as 930 candidates, including 645 women, are in the fray for elections to Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). Elections for the 122-member NMC will be held on February 16. Yesterday was the last day of withdrawal of nominations after which 930 candidates remain in the fray, NMC sources said today.

Panaji, Feb 5 - Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party today withdrew support from the Congress-led coalition government in Goa, a move which comes less than a month ahead of the March 3 Assembly polls. MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar said the decision has been taken as per a resolution passed by the party's highest decision making body, Central Committee.

Lucknow, Feb 4 - The Election Commission today directed all the political parties in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to furnish complete details regarding the use of helicopters by them. "The parties should inform EC about the areas covered, number of flights by them through helicopters/choppers with their companies and fare," Chief Electoral Officer, UP Umesh Sinha told reporters.

Panaji, Feb 4 - All India Minorities Front will field candidates in all the 40 constituencies in Goa for the assembly poll. Addressing a press conference here today, president of the front S M Asif said that there is rampant corruption in Goa under the Congress rule and we want to put an end to it.

Sant Kabirnagar/Varanasi(UP), Feb 4 - Seeking to put a lid on speculation of Congress striking a post-poll alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi today asserted that his party will have "no truck" with any party. "We are winning the elections and I will continue to work for you till my last drop of blood and sweat. Even if you give two or four seats to Congress, we will not ally with thieves and goondas," he said at election meetings in Mehdawal area in Sant Kabirnagar and Pindra in Varanasi.

Lucknow, Feb 4 - Live telecast of speeches by leaders of political parties are a form of paid news, Communist party of India today said and demanded that the Election Commission should take strict action against it. "Despite the strict guidelines of Election Commission, speeches of senior leaders of BJP, BSP, SP and Congress were being telecast live in the name of news and shown repeatedly by some channels," CPI Uttar Pradesh secretary Girish said in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha.

Panaji, Jan 4 - The Congress party in Goa today declared the first list of 22 candidates for the March 3 assembly elections in the state. The first list announced tickets for stalwarts including Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, party state Chief Subhash Shirodkar, Speaker of Legislative Assembly Pratapsinh Rane, Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho and Home Minister Ravi Naik among others.

Imphal, Feb 4 - Repolling at 34 polling stations in Manipur's hill districts began this morning amidst tight security deployment in view of threats from insurgent organisations. Extra security measures were taken as the government had received reports that militants particularly belonging to National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) were roaming around the polling stations.

Bahraich/Gonda, Feb 3 - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today attacked the Congress for its "wrong" economic policies, saying they had led to problems of poverty and unemployment and forced people to move out to other states in search of livelihood. Addressing election meetings, Mayawati said people in search of jobs in UP are forced to shift to Congress-ruled states, where they have to face discrimination from the respective state government.

Panaji, Feb 3 - Even as the talks of forging a pre-poll alliance with Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) are underway, BJP in Goa has prepared a list of its candidates for the March 3 Assembly polls, sources said today. Goa BJP Election Committee, which last night met under state chief Laxmikant Parsekar here, shortlisted the candidates for 40 constituencies, they said.

Mumbai, Feb 2 - Maharashtra Election Commission today announced February 17 as the common date for counting of votes for the local bodies polls slightly tweaking its previous schedule. The counting of votes for 27 Zilla Parishads, 309 Panchayat Samitis and 10 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, would now be held on February 17.

Bahraich\Faizabad, Feb 1 - Alleging that successive non-Congress governments in Uttar Pradesh had swindled Central funds, Rahul Gandhi today said the state needed a Congress dispensation to enable money meant for welfare of the people reach them. Addressing a string of election rallies, he came down heavily on non-Congress parties saying these had done nothing for development of the state.

New Delhi, Feb 1 - The Election Commission has issued an advisory to TV/Radio channels and cable networks asking them not to violate the provisions of Section 126 of the Representation of People's Act, 1951 which prohibits display of poll matter during 48 hours before end of voting. Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, prohibits displaying any election matter by means, inter alia, of television or similar apparatus, during the period of 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a constituency.

Chandigarh, Feb 1 - Constituencies from where women candidates staked their political fortunes witnessed high polling in the January 30 Punjab assembly election. A total of 93 women out of 1078 contestants entered the race for the state assembly this time. A turnout of 87.21 per cent was recorded in Malerkotla constituency where wives of two top cops -- one retired and another serving -- crossed swords.

Mumbai, Feb 1 - Top leaders of the ruling Congress-NCP combine in Maharashtra are engaged in a full-blown verbal slug-fest, amid the campaigning for local bodies polls this month. Irked over NCP wooing his former associate Shankar Kambli, senior Congress minister in Maharashtra, Narayan Rane, launched a scathing attack on Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of NCP yesterday.

Gonda (UP), Feb 1 - Kicking off her election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today attacked Chief Minister Mayawati for dismissing her ministers on election eve and asked whether this has cleansed her government. "The present chief minister dismissed 21 of her ministers on election eve. She was not able to see their corruption in the past five years. I want to ask whether taking resignations made her government clean," Gandhi said.

Ahmedabad, Jan 31 - The BJP was today non-committal on whether Narendra Modi, who had refrained from campaigning in Uttarakhand and Punjab, will champion its cause in Uttar Pradesh. "There are no differences within the party with regard to the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh. Everybody is going (there) as per own convenience," was what party leader L K Advani said, when asked whether there were any issues because of which Modi was not campaigning in the key northern state.

New Delhi, Jan 31 - Taking a serious view of complaints against television channels for airing interviews of political leaders and poll analysis on days of voting during ensuing assembly elections in five states, the Election Commission has warned of stern action in case such violations are repeated. "We are issuing fresh instructions to make the norms clear and tight so that television channels adhere to them and not violate the provisions of Section 126 of the Representation of People's Act," a senior Election Commission official told PTI.

Mumbai, Jan 31 - Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), which is grappling with rebellion in its ranks over ticket distribution, today released its second list of 20 candidates, comprising twelve women out of whom two are kin of sitting corporators, for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections slated for February 16. Last night, the party released its first list comprising 119 aspirants.

New Delhi, Jan 31 - The Election Commission today ordered repoll in 34 polling stations of 11 assembly seats in Manipur on February four and in one booth in Punjab on February two. The fresh poll will now be held between 7 am and 3 pm in the two states, the Election Commission said. Issuing fresh orders, the Commission declared the earlier polling held in these booths on January 28 and January 30 in Manipur and Punjab respectively, as null and void.

Lucknow Jan 31 - Playing the quota card in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Congress today promised reservation for socially and economically backward minorities and very backward dalits in proportion to their population. Releasing the party manifesto in the state where Rahul Gandhi is the star campaigner, the Congress also vowed to ensure that all parties to the Ayodhya dispute stick to the court verdict.

Mumbai, Jan 31 - The Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI alliance would get sixty per cent of the north Indian votes in the forthcoming election of Mumbai municipal corporation, RPI chief Ramdas Athawale has said. "We have 60 per cent of the north Indian vote bank," he claimed, talking to reporters here yesterday.

Lucknow, Jan 31 - The Samajwadi Party and BJP's forumula to woo voters with laptops and tablet computers might work in some south Indian states but would not be of any help in UP where the electorate is "much wiser", senior Congress leader Sriprakash Jaiswal said. Exuding confidence that the issue of development would be the main issue in the UP elections, Jaiswal said there is a growing realisation that non-Congress governments have "hindered" the growth of the state.

Chandigarh, Jan 31 - With a record 77 per cent of 1.76 crore electorates casting their votes for the 117 Assembly seats of Punjab, fingers are crossed for both the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP alliance and Congress over formation of next government in the state. However, a look at the data of the Election Commission on polling percentages after Independence from 1951 to 2007, it has been revealed that Akalis have formed the government if the polling in Assembly elections exceeds 70 per cent which has happened thrice earlier.

Gopalganj (Bihar), Jan 30 - Seeking to downplay the absence of pre-poll tie-up between Bihar allies JD(U) and BJP for the UP election, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said it was not necessary for the parties to fight assembly polls together in other states. "It is not always necessary for the BJP and the JD(U) to contest all assembly polls together," Kumar, also a senior JD(U) leader, told reporters.

Jan 30, 2012 - Notwithstanding the controversy over his joining the party, BJP feels that tainted former BSP leader Babu Singh Kushwaha’s support to it could bolster its prospects in the elections in Uttar Pradesh. “Leave aside controversy over his joining….He is not a member of the party now as his membership has been kept in abeyance….His support is helping the party and backwards are rallying around the party due to Kushwaha, who has a say in his community”, BJP National Vice President Kalraj Mishra said.

Chandigarh/Dehradun, Jan 30 - Medium to brisk polling was reported from various parts of Punjab and Uttarakhand till midday today in assembly elections which would decide the fate of 1866 candidates in the two states including chief ministerial aspirants Prakash Badal, Amarinder Singh and B C Khanduri. Polling began on a dull note due to the morning chill in both the states but picked as the day progressed. No untowrd incident was reported during the first four hours of polling, officials said.

Bhopal, Jan 30 - Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said here today that Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are the main contenders in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, as the ruling "BSP is involved in corruption, while BJP is nowhere in the picture." "Congress is going to form the government in Uttar Pradesh, as the main contest there is between Congress and Samajwadi Party," Digvijay told reporters.

Dehra Dun, Jan 30 - Polling for the assembly elections in Uttarakhand to elect 70 legislators began a dull note this morning despite a clear sky. Till 1000 hours, only 10 per cent polling was recorded, said state chief electorate officer [CEO] Radha Raturi. However, the polling was peaceful, she said.

Chandigarh, Jan 30 - An estimated 10 per cent of around 1.76 crore voters exercised their franchise till 10 AM in Punjab Assembly elections today. The polling remained peaceful in the initial two hours with no reports of violence received, special Chief electoral Officer Usha R Sharma said. She said the polling is likely to pick up as the day advances.

Thane, Jan 29 - The list of MNS candidates for the municipal elections in Thane declared today has sparked row with many loyalists who were denied tickets coming out in open and attacking the party leadership. The MNS today announced names of 115 of its candidates which include 55 women while no names have been suggested for 15 seats.

Dehradun, Jan 29 - The stage is all set for the Assembly elections in Uttarakhand tomorrow to elect 70 members to the Vidhan Sabha as tight security arrangements have been made to ensure free and fair polls. More than 63 lakh electorates are expected to exercise their franchise in the elections in which the ruling BJP is locked in a close fight with the Congress.

New Delhi, Jan 29  With- stakes high in the Assembly elections, the Muslim vote is being wooed like never before in Uttar Pradesh where Rahul Gandhi has also joined the race for quota politics. A virtually no-holds-barred battle has erupted between the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP to garner maximum vote of the minority community, which constitutes some 18 per cent of the 20 crore population.

Mumbai, Jan 29 - MNS chief Raj Thackeray today announced the first list of party's candidates for Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik municipal corporation elections, saying that his focus was to come to power. Addressing a press conference, Raj said the lists for Nagpur, Solapur, Amravati, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ulhasnagar and Akola would be declared at the local level.

Kushinagar (UP), Jan 28 - A day after BJP released its UP poll manifesto, Samajwadi Party accused it of "directly lifting" several key sops from the SP manifesto. "The BJP has lifted several key sops and promises from the SP manifesto," SP state president Akhilesh Yadav today said while addressing an election rally here.

Lucknow, Jan 28 - As many as 109 candidates contesting the first phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections have criminal cases pending against them, according to a monitoring group. Of the total 867 candidates in fray for the first phase of elections slated for February 8, Uttar Pradesh Election Watch (UPEW), which analysed affidavits of 284 contestants, found that 109 of them have criminal cases, including that of murder, abduction, robbery and extortion, pending against them.

Kanpur, Jan 28 - Nomination process for the fifth phase of Assembly elections in 49 seats spread over 13 districts begins today. The voting would take place on February 23. The districts going to the poll in this phase are Farrukhabad, Kanshiram Nagar, Etah, Mainpuri, Etawah, Auriya, Ramabai Nagar, Kanpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Hamirpur and Mahoba.

Imphal, Jan 28 - Five persons, including a security man, were today killed and two others injured in violence during Manipur Assembly polling, in which 48 per cent voters exercised their franchise till 1 PM. A CRPF man, three Village Volunteer Force personnel and a civilian were killed and two others injured when militants attacked an interior polling station in Sugnu Assembly constituency in Chandel district, official sources said.

Lucknow, Jan 28 - Accusing that some poll officials were trying to influence the Uttar Pradesh electoral process in favour of the ruling BSP, BJP today made a fresh demand that the Election Commission should immediately remove them. "The BJP had been repeatedly saying that some officers posted in the secretariat were trying to influence the polls and had petitioned the EC to identify them," party spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

The tussle for Muslim votes in UP peaked on Friday when Congress took the initiative to assure minorities that newly-carved 4.5% quota was safe. Congress's assurance followed BJP's vow to disband minority sub-quota carved from 27% OBC reservation. BJP called the minority quota a dangerous move which would harm the chances of general OBCs. It also said Congress planned to increase quota to 9% in the state. 

Imphal, Jan 28 - About 30 per cent of the 17.40 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the first three hours in Manipur legislative assembly elections today, officials said. Long queues of enthusiastic voters were seen at many polling booths across the valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishenpur with people waiting their turn on a sunny morning.

Lucknow, Jan 27 - Fighting elections in Uttar Pradesh where it has been out of power for over two decades, Congress today promised to create 20 lakh jobs, provide sub-quota for most backward classes and eliminate corruption. The 'Vision Document 2020', released in ten different cities in the state, lays out the roadmap for all round development by bringing in key changes in sectors like education, employment and economy.

Gidderbaha (Punjab), Jan 27 - Sending a clear signal to partymen, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi today said those who indulged in corruption would face an end to their political career. "Before allotting tickets I met party candidates and told them in straight terms that if at any level I come to know about involvement in corrupt practices of any partymen his career will end immediately," Rahul said at an election rally in this hinterland of Malwa region of the state.

Imphal, Jan 27 - Manipur goes to polls tomorrow in the shadow of bomb attacks by militants to mark the start of crucial Assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Authorities are keeping a close watch on the security situation in this North-Eastern state during voting to elect the 60-member Assembly amid reports that some insurgent groups might disrupt polling at some places. A total of 279 candidates are in the fray to enter the 10th Assembly.

Kotdwara (Uttarakhand), Jan 27 - With parties busy giving final touches to their campaign ahead of the crucial January 30 Assembly polls, the Kotdwara constituency of Uttarakhand has turned into a political hotspot owing to frequent visits by VIP campaigners. After already grabbing the limelight with the contention of Chief Minister B C Khanduri, the constituency is seeing a spree of allegations and counter-allegations in the high voltage poll rallies addressed by some top campaigners from different parties in the fray.

Lucknow, Jan 27 - BJP, which has been struggling hard to regain its pre-eminent position in Uttar Pradesh, today revived the Ram Temple issue promising construction of a grand temple in Ayodhya if voted to power. The BJP's manifesto for the state Assembly elections brought back the issue which had once propelled the party to the centerstage of national politics in the 80s and early 90s.

Chandigarh, Jan 27 - Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today visited Dera Sacha Sauda at Sirsa in Haryana and sought support for the party from its head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh. According to Congress sources, Amarinder was with the Dera chief for about an hour and sought support for the party for the January 30 Punjab Assembly elections.

Lucknow, Jan 27 - Congress' "Vision Document 2020" for Uttar Pradesh lays out the roadmap for all round development by bringing in key changes in the sectors education, employment and economy in the state where it has been out of power for more than two decades. The document released today from ten different cities focuses on nine main points and has enlisted very ambitious plans like setting up 1000 skill development centres to provide jobs to to 20 lakh unemployed youths and amendments in law to check the persecution of females.

Lucknow, Jan 27 - BSP turncoat Naresh Agarwal was today appointed the Samajwadi Party's national general secretary by its chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. "The appointment has been made by the party president. He hopes that it would help in strengthening the party," SP National Spokesman Ram Gopal Yadav said.

A satirical play allegedly depicting the extravagant lifestyle of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has been banned by her government. Play director Mukesh Kumar denied any connection with the chief minister, but Lucknow district magistrate declared "the play titled 'My Sandal' was in utter violation of the election model code of conduct and therefore its staging could not be permitted" . 

New Delhi, Jan 26 - As Uttarakhand goes to polls on Monday, Anna Hazare today commended the state government for making a "strong" Lokayukta law and asked voters in other poll-bound states to demand an affidavit from parties that they will pass a similar legislation.

Panaji, Jan 26 - BJP today said the decision on the proposed alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) would be taken in the next two days. Goa BJP chief Laxmikant Parsekar said that meeting between the leaders of the two parties last evening remained inconclusive.

Dehra Dun, Jan 26 - With just two days left for the campaign to end for the January 30 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, the election scenario in the state today hotted up with the ruling BJP raking up the issue of Bofors gun deal and other scandals. On the other hand, Congress attacked BJP on changing chief ministers frequently to hide its alleged scams and asked the people to vote for it on development plank. The party promised to give industry status to tourism sector.

Panaji, Jan 26 - Even as BJP is midway through its `Jana Sampark Abhiyaan' (contact with people) ahead of March 3 assembly polls, the election campaign of the ruling Congress is yet to start off. Goa BJP chief Laxmikant Parsekar said his party aimed to reach at least 1.5 lakh voters during the fortnight-long Abhiyaan, which has already completed its South Goa leg.

Panaji, Jan 26 - BJP's move to disallow party MP Sripad Naik from contesting the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state has not gone down well with the Parliamentarian, who is yet to decide on campaigning for the party. Naik told PTI today that he is yet to decide on whether he would campaign for the party in Goa. "There is still time for campaigning. Let the list of candidates be declared. I will take my stand only after that," he said.

Imphal, Jan 26 - Most of the polling personnel for Saturday's Manipur assembly elections have left for their respective polling stations in interior hill districts, election office sources said today. They will reach polling stations this evening or tomorrow morning in the hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel and Churachandpur, the sources said.

Panaji, Jan 25 - Bharatiya Janata party today said it was not in a hurry to declare the list of candidates for the Goa assembly polls. Goa BJP chief, Laxmikant Parsekar, said here that the party was being cautious, hence the delay in coming out with the list. "Why should we open our cards? We are not afraid of rebellions, but we are being careful," Parsekar said, talking to reporters.

New Delhi, Jan 25 - Terming as "irresponsible" remarks of political parties criticising its orders, the Election Commission today said if they feel heat of its directive, "it is their problem". "Anybody making such a statement is making an irresponsible statement," Chief Election Commission S Y Quraishi told reporters here.

Lucknow, Jan 25 - Taking on his former party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rastriya Lokmanch leader Amar Singh today claimed he knew a "lot of secrets" about the Samajwadi Party supremo but did not want to disclose them. "I have kept the trust he had in me and I still maintain that. I have a lot of facts related to him, which I have not disclosed and will never do that...I am doing that to maintain my credibility. The political trust should not be broken," Singh told reporters here.

Chandigarh, Jan 25 - With the Election Commission keeping a strict vigil on expenditure in the Assembly polls, many candidates have roped in tax experts like Chartered Accountants to ensure that their spending remains within the maximum limit. The CAs are not only helping election candidates in avoiding the "nitty-gritty" of maintaining books of accounts, but also providing them ample time to concentrate on their poll campaigning.

Chandigarh, Jan 25 - The political wing of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda will take a final call on Friday on whom to support in the ensuing Punjab Assembly polls due on January 30. "The political wing's seven-member committee will hold an elaborate meeting on January 27 in which our members from various districts of Punjab will take part. The issue (on whom to support) will be discussed threadbare and a final decision will be taken depending on the outcome of the meeting," head of Dera's political wing Ram Singh said today.

Lucknow, Jan 25 - Samajwadi Party today named Rajpal Tyagi, who was sacked by BSP supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati from the state cabinet last month, as its candidate from the Muradnagar constituency in Ghaziabad. Tyagi was named as the party nominee for Muradnagar in place of Dishant Tyagi by state President Akhilesh Yadav, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said here.

Lucknow, Jan 24 - Notification for the fourth phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections was issued today, setting in motion the process of filing nominations. The fourth phase would test the fate of several heavyweights including three ministers, 32 sitting MLAs, 12 former ministers, BJP national vice-president Kalraj Mishra and Congress state president Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Chandigarh, Jan 24 - Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today promised to provide jobs, free laptops and Rs two-lakh worth medical care to the poor if the ruling SAD-BJP combine is voted back to power in the upcoming Assembly polls. In a statement, Badal said a decision to this effect would be taken in the first meeting of the government, after it is formed following the January 30 polls.

Chandigarh, Jan 24 - As many as 93 women candidates are in the fray for the Punjab Assembly polls with Congress fielding a maximum of 11 nominees from the fair sex followed by ruling SAD - ten. Of the total 1,080 candidates in the fray for the 117 assembly seats going to polls on January 30, BJP has fielded three women candidates. Twenty-four women are contesting on tickets given by other parties, while 45 are contesting as Independents.

New Delhi, Jan 24 - In the wake of large-scale movement of drugs and fake currency in poll-bound states, the Election Commission has issued fresh directions to the BSF and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to tighten vigil. The poll body's action comes in the wake of recent seizure of about 45 kgs of heroin from Amritsar and adjoining areas where an alleged Pakistani intruder was killed by BSF troopers when he was trying to smuggle in the contraband.

Gurdaspur (Punjab), Jan 24 - Launching a scathing attack on the SAD-BJP government in Punjab, UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today accused it of using central funds for their own benefits rather than for the progress of the state. Refuting the allegation that the central government had always given a step-motherly treatment to the state, Gandhi said the UPA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had given sufficient grants to Punjab for its progress and development.

BC Khanduri will remain the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand if the party is voted back to power as he possesses all the skills necessary for the post, including vision and transparency, BJP President Nitin Gadkari said today. “The party is fighting elections collectively but BC Khanduri will be the next Chief Minister (of Uttarakhand if the BJP won the polls),” he said.

Chandigarh, Jan 24 - Income Tax department here has so far seized unaccounted Rs 12 crore cash since the model code of conduct was enforced in Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections. "Of the total cash confiscation of Rs 28 crore from various parts of Punjab by State Static Surveillance teams since December 24 last year when the model code of conduct came into force, Rs 12 crore were unaccounted money," a senior Income Tax official said.

Lucknow, Jan 24 - Having revolted against the induction of former minister Babu Singh Kushwaha into the party fold, senior BJP leader Ramashish Rai today joined the Congress along with his supporters. Rai, who had alleged of a deal in the induction of Kushwaha, charged the saffron party of having double standards over the issue and said that he was returning to the Congress after being disenchanted with the BJP.

Patiala, Jan 24 - Malwinder Singh, brother of Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh, will today start his four-day campaign against his nephew Raninder Singh in Samana. "I will not leave any stone unturned to defeat my nephew from Samana," he told PTI before leaving to Rampura Phul area. "I will canvass in favour of SAD candidate Surjit Singh Rakhra in the villages in the morning and will spend evenings in Samana city," he said.

New Delhi, Jan 24 - India has sought the help of Myanmar in reining in north-east insurgent groups which are planning "large scale" disturbances in the upcoming Manipur Assembly polls. Home Secretary R K Singh, who led the country's delegation at the 17th National Level Meeting between India and Myanmar last week, mentioned the camps and training facilities of Indian insurgent groups on Myanmar soil and sought its cooperation in dealing with them.

Lucknow, Jan 24 - BJP Vice-President Kalraj Mishra, who is one of the front-runners for the chief ministership of Uttar Pradesh if some miraculous results give his party the mandate, has ruled out Uma Bharti occupying the post in the state. Though Mishra is all-praise for Bharti, he does not agree that she is a prospective chief ministerial candidate of BJP if the party comes to power.

Lucknow, Jan 23 - Problems in the BJP over promotion of Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj as state general secretary refused to die down with a senior party leader Shailtanya Srivastava questioning his contribution to the organisation. A day after three state secretaries submitted their resignations over the issue, Srivastava today shot off a letter to national president Nitin Gadkari saying that Pankaj's contribution in the party had been confined only to campaigning for his father.

New Delhi, Jan 23 - Raids ordered by the Election Commission across four poll-bound states have led to the recovery of Rs.42.78 crore allegedly illegal money. Authorities have seized Rs 29.65 crore in Uttar Pradesh ever since seven-phased elections were announced in the state, EC officials said here today.

New Delhi, Jan 23 - The Election Commission is considering instituting a national award for the best media campaign for motivating voter awareness and participation in elections. Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said a jury consisting of eminent people like leading journalists and jurists could be set up to pick the media institution which had run the best campaign.

Chandigarh, Jan 23 - Taking a stringent step to ensure free and fair Punjab Assembly elections, the state Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu has ordered immediate suspensions and transfers of a number of officers. The CEO has directed immediate suspensions and transfers of a number of officers to ensure free and fair elections, Special Chief Electoral Officer Usha R Sharma said here today.

Mumbai, Jan 23 - About 1.02 crore people would be eligible to vote in next month's municipal corporation polls in the city, as compared to 83,88,000 voters in 2007. "There has been an increase of 18 lakh voters in the voters list in the last five years," Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Subodh Kumar told reporters here today.

Kolkata, Jan 23 - UPA ally Trinamool Congress which takes on the ruling Congress in Manipur for the January 28 assembly polls there today slammed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSA) in the state saying the party would raise it in parliament, if necessary. "People in Manipur is fed up with the AFSA and it is wrongly utilised. If necessary our party MPs will raise the issue in parliament demanding its withdrawal," all-India Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mukul Roy told PTI here.

Shimla, Jan 23 - With Assembly elections in five states looming large, a large number of senior leaders and workers of Congress and BJP in Himachal Pradesh have joined the campaign trail in neighbouring states of Punjab and Uttarakhand. While former Chief Minister and BJP Vice President Shanta Kumar is in-charge of Punjab, Chief Minister P K Dhumal, BJYM President Anurag Thakur, Krishan Kapoor and Romesh Dhawala, ministers Sat Pal Satti and Varinder Kanwar and over a dozen MLAS, including Vipin Parmar, Rakesh Pathania, former minister Praveen Sharma and some other leaders are campaigning in these states.

Srinagar (Uttarakhand), Jan 23 - Targeting BJP over corruption in party ruled states, Rahul Gandhi today said it opted for change of guard in Uttarakhand ahead of polls to "cover-up" for the wrong-doings under former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal. Mocking at the BJP slogan "Khanduri Hai Jaroori", Gandhi said the Chief Minister B C Khanduri is indeed needed for the BJP to cover up the acts of "thieves". "Khanduri is needed because the thieves need a cover-up.

Lucknow, Jan 23 - Smaller caste-based political parties, which are considered as potential spoilers, have failed to make a strong impact on political equations in Uttar Pradesh. In the last six decades of electoral politics, a number of registered but unrecognised parties tested their luck and appeal in the state, but barring a few they failed to impress the voters.

Panaji, Jan 23 - Congress in Goa today claimed that the party can win majority in the forthcoming state legislative assembly poll on its own, even as it believes that coalition partners would come as an added force. Congress spokesperson in Goa Ramakant Khalap told reporters that the party can win over 30, out of the 40 seats, in the March 3 polls. "We are completely confident of winning 25 seats with or without partners," Khalap said.

Patiala, Jan 23 - Punjab BSP unit chief and Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pardesh Avtar Singh Karimpuri today claimed that the magic of BSP supremo Mayawati would work in Punjab after her four rallies which concluded in the state. Talking to reporters Karimpiri said that "the magic of Bhenji (sister) will certainly work in Punjab as she had addressed four big rallies in the state during the last couple of days." 

Sirsa, Jan 22 - Union Minister Kumari Selja today claimed that factionalism is harming the ruling Congress party's interest in Haryana. Speaking to reporters here, the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister said factionalism does exist in the party's state unit.

The Election Commission’s list of dos and don'ts has just grown longer. It has now banned photographs of national leaders including the Prime Minister on Republic Day advertisements issued by Central agencies in the five poll-bound states. As a result, two sets of advertisements are being published for Republic Day, without the photographs for the poll-bound states and with them for the rest of the country.

Deoria (UP), Jan 22 - Appealing to people to dislodge BSP, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today promised to provide an ideal government if voted to power in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing election rallies in Deoria and Kushinagar, he said it voted to power, his party would present a model of honesty and justice and give an ideal government.

Lucknow, Jan 22 - Cracks surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh unit of BJP when three party secretaries today resigned angry over promotion of senior leader Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj as general secretary in the poll-bound state. Pankaj, who was till now working as the state secretary, has been promoted as the seventh general secretary of UP unit of the party, BJP general secretary Vindyavasini Kumar said. Kumar, however, said he had no official information that three secretaries Daya Shanker Singh, Ashvani Tyagi and Santosh Singh have quit after elevation of Pankaj

Lucknow, Jan 22 - Accusing Congress, SP and BSP of having a tacit understanding, BJP national vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said people would punish them in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. "While Congress indulged in record loot in 2G spectrum case at the Centre, SP and BSP loot the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) money during their regimes in the last six and a half years," Naqvi told reporters here.

Dehra Dun, Jan 22 - The Election Commission of India has banned exit polls during the entire period when elections to the five state Assemblies would be held. In a statement here, Chief Electoral Officer, Uttarakhand, Radha Raturi said that in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission of India has notified the period between 7am on January 28, 2012 and 5.30 pm on March 3, 2012 as the period during which conducting any exit poll or disseminating the result of any exit poll would be prohibited.

Dehra Dun, Jan 22 - With barely a few days left for Uttarakhand polls, the kin of candidates contesting in the elections have taken centre stage in campaigning. Aruna Khanduri, wife of current chief minister B C Khanduri, is drumming up support for her husband by camping in Kotdwar, the seat from where he is contesting.

New Delhi, Jan 22 - After failing to firm up a pre-poll arrangement for Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, NDA allies BJP and JD(U) are competing with each other to sell the 'Bihar model' of development to garner votes. BJP, in its vision document for UP polls, has highlighted the governance of the BJP-JD(U) coalition government in Bihar, especially focussing on infrastructure development, and promised to replicate it in UP if it comes to power.

Lucknow:  Amid the controversy over author Salman Rushdie's India visit, BJP leader Uma Bharti has said that the Congress will be looking to exploit the issue to the hilt to win over Muslims voters in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP leader, who is on a whirlwind tour of Uttar Pradesh, has been attacked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Digvijaya Singh and Pramod Tiwari among others since party president Nitin Gadkari announced that she would contest from Charkhari constituency in Mahoba district.

Bara, Jan 21 - Rahul Gandhi today took a dig at Samajwadi party for its "U-turn" by promising laptops and tablets to intermediate and high school passouts in its poll manifesto, when its leaders had in the last election declared computer and English education as a "taboo". "Just have a look at their manifesto for the previous assembly election. Proficiency in computer and English was declared a taboo by the party leadership then. Interestingly, this was the party's stand despite the fact that Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh is fond of these symbols of modernity," Gandhi said addressing an election rally here, 45 kms from Allahabad.

Panaji, Jan 21 - Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has set a deadline of January 24 for BJP to take a call on the pre-poll alliance. MGP President, Dipak Dhavalikar told PTI that the party was ready to contest 16-18 seats on its own. "We are discussing pre-poll alliance with BJP... we have asked for 10 seats. They have to decide by January 24," he said.

Panaji, Jan 21 - Congress would announce the first list of its candidates for Goa assembly polls next week, a senior leader said here today. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President, Subhash Shirodkar, said the screening committee and the central election committee would be meeting next week to finalise the first list.

Amritsar, Jan 21 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today launched a scathing on the Parkash Singh Badal-led SAD-BJP government in Punjab, saying the state which was once a frontrunner in all spheres had now fallen behind. Addressing an election rally in his hometown here, he asked the electorate to overthrow the present regime and bring back Congress to power in the state.

Bara, Jan 21 - Accusing successive governments under BJP, SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh of plundering public money, Rahul Gandhi today hit out at these parties for "lacking vision" for the state's development and their "mistrust" of Centre's "pro-poor" policies. "I am aghast that none of these parties appear to have a vision for state's development. All of them build their support base on caste and communal line and reduced politics to a narrow agenda," Gandhi said addressing an election rally here, 5 kms from Allahabad.

Bhopal, Jan 21 - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will not only campaign in Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, but also in Charkari next month in favour of his once bete noire, Uma Bharti. "Umaji is definitely a big national leader and I also spoke to her. She asked me to campaign in Uttar Pradesh as well as in Charkari," Chouhan told mediapersons here.

Lucknow, Jan 21 - Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today accused the BJP of polarising elections in UP and said its decision to field Uma Bharti shows its "total bankruptcy" of leaders in the state. However, he dismissed allegations that he was communalising elections by raking up issues like Batla House encounter and reservation for Muslims.

Mumbai, Jan 20 - Lack of consensus over three to four seats is delaying announcement of Congress-NCP candidates for the next month's polls to prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). More than a week after Congress and NCP sealed an agreement to contest 169 and 58 seats, respectively both parties are yet to finalise their list of candidates for the February 16 election to 227-member civic body, India's richest with an annual budget of over Rs 20,000 crore.

Khanna (Punjab), Jan 20 - Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today charged ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the People's Party of Punjab with having a "secret understanding" in the state Assembly elections. SAD and PPP are working to facilitate the victory of Parkash Singh Badal and PPP leader Manpreet Badal from Lambi and Gidderbaha seats respectively, he told an election meeting here.

Lucknow, Jan 20 - The All India United Muslim Morcha, a non-political organisation of Muslims, today announced support to the Congress for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. "I am grateful to the national president of the morcha M A Siddiqui for extending support to Congress during UP elections," party national general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters during a joint press conference here.

Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), Jan 20 - Attacking the BJP government in poll-bound Uttarkhand, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today accused it of failing to sincerely implement central schemes and properly utilising funds provided to the state for carrying out developmental activities. "If the state government had shown sincere interest in implementation of these programmes, the people of the state would have benefited more," Singh said at an election rally here kick-starting his campaign for Congress from Kumaon region.

New Delhi, Jan 20 - Amid its friction with ally Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has entered into negotiations with NDA partner Janata Dal(United) for a seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh but not much headway has been made so far. The TMC, which is keen to expand its profile from a regional party to a national one, is planning to contest at least 200 seats in the 403-member UP Assembly.

Panaji, Jan 20 - BJP today alleged that the state police was siding with the ruling Congress ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Goa and accused the Election Commission of turning a blind eye towards their complaints. BJP Goa spokesman Vishnu Wagh told reporters that there have been several attempts by ruling party leaders to use police machinery against BJP activists who are campaigning for the March 3 polls.

Dehra Dun, Jan 20 - A day after Congress expelled 11 leaders on the charge of anti-party activities, BJP is expected to follow suit. "We are identifying more rebels and also all those party leaders who are working against the interests of the BJP in the state. Like Congress, we will follow hot pursuit policy against them," said Satish Lakhera, a BJP spokesman.

Sirsa, Jan 20 - The political wing of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda has convened a two-day meeting from January 22 here to take a final call on whom to support in the ensuing Punjab assembly polls. The Dera's political wing, Sadh Sangat Rajneetik Wing, will take the decision after considering the feedback received from its followers across Punjab, Dera sources said.

Snowfall and non-stop rain for 12 days in large parts of Uttarakhand have hobbled electioneering. The state's upper reaches are snowed under and biting cold has crippled life in towns like Mussorie, Dhanaulti, Joshimath , Auli, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Icy winds have been whipping the terai region. In Dehradun, Haridwar and Roorkee the sun hasn't been out for almost 10 days. Minimum temperatures have dropped to between one and two degree Celsius. 

New Delhi/Hamirpur, Jan 19 - A day after BJP made her a candidate in UP Assembly polls, Uma Bharti traded barbs with Rahul Gandhi after being dubbed an outsider and vowed to defeat the Congress like she made his "guru" Digvijay Singh once "bite the dust" in Madhya Pradesh. Hitting back at the Congress General Secretary for his remarks that Bharti was contesting from UP though she was from MP, Bharti said the young leader should remember that his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi is from Italy and has been accepted in India.

Chandigarh, Jan 19 - Taking a leap forward towards ensuring fair and free elections in the state, Punjab Election Commission would be for the first time web casting the polling process live in 200 polling booths across the state. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab Kusumjit Kaur Sidhu said that in these elections web casting would be done only in 200 polling booths in 11 districts, for which Technical Education Department would be making the necessary provisions with the help of the 11 Technical Institutes falling in these districts.

Lucknow, Jan 19 - BJP today alleged that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's statement on the loot of Bundelkhand package was nothing more than politics on the helplessness of the people of Uttar Pradesh's most backward region. "If Rahul knew this then he must tell people that what steps Congress-led UPA government took to check this loot and why BSP government was allowed to plunder the package amount for four-and-a-half years," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak told reporters.

Nagpur, Jan 19 - Congress and NCP have forged an alliance ahead of the February 16 election of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, vowing to dethrone the ruling BJP. The tie-up of Congress and NCP, coalition partners at the state level, was finalised last night in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre, NCP state president Madhukar Pichad, minister Anil Deshmukh and Congress MP from Nagpur Vilas Muttemwar.

Kapurthala (Punjab), Jan 19 - Congress President Sonia Gandhi today lashed out at the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab, accusing it of failing to properly utilise the money given to the state by the Centre for various development works. "The Centre gave huge amount of money to the Punjab government for the state's progress, but it did not reach the people," she said at a rally here while kickstarting the Congress election campaign from the Doaba belt of the state.

Dehra Dun, Jan 19 - With the weather continuing to play truant in poll-bound Uttarakhand, the state Election Commission has sought the services of three IAF helicopters to deal with any emergency that may arise during the January 30 Assembly elections. "We have made a request to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to provide three helicopters during the Assembly polls to deal with any emergency situation that may arise in the wake of inclement weather," Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi said here yesterday.

Dehra Dun, Jan 19 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will kick-start his election campaign for Congress for the coming Assembly polls by holding a rally at Rudrapur in Kumaon region of Uttaranchal tommorrow. He would arrive at the headquarters of the Udhamsingh Nagar district in the afternoon to address the rally which comes barely three days after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi addressed two rallies in Garhwal region.

Dehra Dun, Jan 19 - Voters without election photo ID cards in Uttarakhand can cast their votes in the January 30 assembly polls by using other documents like driving license and PAN card. The State Election Commission has allowed the use of 14 alternative documents, including passport, photo identity cards issued by the state government, central government, public sector enterprises, local bodies or public limited companies to their employees, passbooks of banks or post office having photographs of account holders and caste certificates, for casting of votes, Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi said.

Ballia (UP), Jan 19 - Cases have been registered against Congress and BJP candidates from here for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. An FIR has been registered against sitting MLA and Congress nominee Subhash Yadav and 10 others after two unauthorised vehicles and a revolver were recovered from him during checking Basrikapur late last night, they said.

Panaji, Jan 19 - After exposing the Digambar Kamat led government on illegal mining front, Goa BJP has now woven its election campaign around the raging issue, promising people to save legal mines and providing them amenities through revenue earned from iron ore exports. Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar told PTI that the amount of revenue which should have been directed to the mining affected areas is not coming through. "If BJP comes to power, we have assured that all the money collected in the form of mining revenue would be used here," he said.

Lambi (Pb), Jan 18 - The family feud between the Badals is likely to benefit the Congress owing to split of votes in Punjab, but it won't be easy to dislodge Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his traditional ground in this constituency in Malwa region. Badal has won many a battle against formidable foes within his party and outside during his political career spanning 60 years. However, he won each of the battles with the support of his brother Gurdas Singh Badal, and it is the same person whom the chief minister has to confront in the upcoming polls.

New Delhi, Jan 18 - The Election Commission has rejected BSP plea to reconsider its order to cover statues of party symbol 'elephant' and that of Chief Minister Mayawati in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh built using public funds. Replying to BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra's complaint, the EC dismissed his argument that the statues were erected using party funds and the posture of the elephant was different from that of the party symbol.

Patna, Jan 18 - LJP will contest on all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, party chief Ramvilas Paswan said today. He rejected the perception that its candidates will not be 'votekatwas' (a candidates who gets bare minimum votes to spoil fortunes of other parties).

Dehra Dun, Jan 18 - Biting cold wave and snowfall took a toll on campaigning for Assembly polls in Uttarakhand, with BJP President Nitin Gadkari forced to cancel his visit to the state. Gadkari, who was schedule to address a series of rallies in Haridwar and Dehradun districts, could not arrive due to bad weather conditions.

Dehra Dun, Jan 18 - After failing to stem revolts, both the ruling BJP and Congress in Uttarakhand have started expelling rebellious leaders in the run-up to the January 30 assembly elections in a desperate bid to discredit them. The two parties have had their share of post-ticket distribution revolts in over 20-22 out of the total 70 constituencies.

Patiala, Jan 18 - Adding colour to the glitz of polls in Punjab are the nicknames most politicians here are known by even in public life. Raninder Singh, son of Congress leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh, is better known in political circles as well in the sports fraternity as 'Tikku'.

Panaji, Jan 18 - Congress leaders in Goa have began their poll campaign in the state, even though there is still uncertainty over party's coalition with the NCP. While aspirants have already submitted their claim for tickets to Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), the party leaders, including chief minister Digambar Kamat have already hit the roads.

Malerkotla (Pb), Jan 17 - A keen contest is on cards in this Muslim-dominated constituency where wives of two top police officials take on each other in a high-stake political battle in the Punjab Assembly elections. Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has fielded first-timer Farzana Alam, wife of retired DGP Mohammed Izhar Alam against main opposition Congress' two-time MLA, Razia Sultana, wife of Additional Director General of Police, Mohammed Mustafa.

Rae Bareli, Jan 17 - Priyanka Gandhi today indicated that she was open to the idea of campaigning for Congress outside Amethi and Rae Bareli constituencies in the UP Assembly elections, saying she would do anything to help her brother Rahul. "I have not decided yet....So far I am here for a meeting in Rae Bareli and my brother and me will talk to each other and decide," she told reporters when asked whether she would campaign in the coming polls.

Lucknow, January 17, 2012 - BJP national president Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of playing a game of reservation on the basis of religion for vote-bank politics in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. “The game of reservation on religious grounds is being played which will be dangerous not only for UP, but for the country,” Mr. Gadkari said while talking to reporters in Lucknow.

Roorkee (Uttarakhand), Jan 17 - Alleging "loot" of natural resources and corruption in implementation of central schemes in Uttarakhand, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today asked people in the hill state to recognise the "fraud" being played with them and oust the BJP government from the state. "If the land, soil, water and hills of Uttarakhand are sold or leased at throwaway prices, then it is not progress but a fraud with people of the state.

Lucknow, Jan 17 - The BJP has entered into an alliance with Janwadi Party and decided to contest on 399 seats out of a total of 403 Assembly seats in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls. "The party has entered into an alliance with Janwadi Party for which four seats have been left," BJP state president Surya Pratap Shahi told reporters here.

Patiala, Jan 17 - Campaigning energetically for what many would call a losing battle, SAD candidate Surjit Singh Kohli, who is pitted against Congress candidate and PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh from Patiala constituency is citing his "accessibility" as a major poll plank. "Look, I am with you and more accessible than the Congress candidate Maharaja sahib", Kohli told a small gathering in the house of S K Pathi, a BJP leader of Badunger Basti here.

Lucknow, Jan 17 - Cutting across party lines, senior leaders have trusted their kin over party workers for contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls apparently in a bid to carry forward their political legacy. The trend has caught on not only with parties like the Congress, BJP and SP, but also BSP which has in the past claimed that it was a cadre-based party and had been targetting other parties for their "dynastic culture".

Amritsar, Jan 17 - Toeing a line similar to Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission has directed the city administration to cover the statue of former SAD MLA late Raminder Singh Bularia before the polls here. The move was initiated by the EC in wake of a complaint lodged by the Congress party. The district administration here has carried out the orders as per EC directives.

Imphal, Jan 17 - Three decades after it was imposed in Manipur to deal with insurgents, the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is still an issue used by parties during electioneering for the January 28 Assembly poll in the state. While parties like the BJP and NCP are in favour of creating an atmosphere for removing the AFSPA, CPI(M) and Manipur People's Party (MPP), the oldest regional party of the state, were for outright removal of the Act.

New Delhi, Jan 16 - Team Anna today unveiled its campaign plans for the Assembly polls in five states starting with Uttarakhand on January 21 and spending a major part of February in Uttar Pradesh but will not ask people to vote in favour or against any particular party. However, they will not target a single party during the campaign but put forward the need for a strong Lokpal. "During these tours, the response of various parties to the movement and their stand on Lokpal Bill would be told to the people. People would be encouraged to ask all parties whether they would bring a strong Lokayukta Bill.

Amethi (UP), Jan 16 - Priyanka Vadra today announced Mohammad Naeem as the Congress candidate from Gauriganj seat, besides changing a sitting party MLA on his request. As octogenarian Ram Sewak Dhobi sought ticket for his grandson because of his ailing health, Priyanka said Radhey Shyam Kannaujia would be the party nominee from the Jagdishpur seat, Congress sources said.

Azamgarh (UP), Jan 16 - Samajwadi Party state President Akhilesh Yadav today said if his party succeeded in forming the next government SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav would become the Chief Minister. "Mulayam Singh is the first choice of party MLAs, MPs and senior party office bearers. He has experience of running the government and he will be the CM, if party is voted to power", Akhilesh said in reply to a question.

Dehra Dun, Jan 16 - Notwithstanding the biting cold, political bigwigs and Bollywood stars are ready to hit the election scene in the run-up to January 30 Assembly polls in Uttarakhand. From Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to BJP President Nitin Gadkari, most political heavyweights are coming to the hill state to drum up support for their parties.

Lucknow, Jan 16 - Notification for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly election was today issued with which nominations also commenced. Nominations for the second phase would be filed till January 23, to be followed by scrutiny on January 24 and withdrawal till January 27, officials said here.

Amethi, Jan 16 - On a tour of Congress strongholds Amethi and Rae Bareli ahead of UP Assembly polls, Priyanka Gandhi today told party workers to bury internal differences for the party's success while making it clear that groupism will not be tolerated. To keep a watch on groupism, flying squad teams would be constituted at the village level which would be known by a secret code, Priyanka, who began her three-day tour of Amethi and Rae Bareli, told the workers of Tiloi Assembly segment, according to party sources.

Panaji, Jan 16 - Ahead of the Goa Legislative Assembly polls on March 3, former Congress legislator Jitendra Deshprabhu, who left the party during the 2009 parliamentary elections, has returned to the party fold. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Subhash Shirodkar welcomed Deshprabhu in the party terming his entry as significant for the party's prospects in the state.

Amethi, Jan 16 - Priyanka Gandhi today began her tour of Congress strongholds Amethi and Rae Bareli and met with party workers to devise a strategy for the upcoming UP Assembly polls. Priyanka, who arrived this morning, is holding parleys with workers of her brother Rahul Gandhi's constituency at the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital Guest House here.

Panaji, Jan 15 - Leader of Bharatiya Janata party in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley today said that Congress was scouting for new friends in Uttar Pradesh after its discord with allies like Trinamool Congress. "Congress is weak in Uttar Pradesh and is scouting for new friends there," Jaitley said talking to reporters here today.

Kolkata, Jan 15 - In a bid to establish its presence at the national level, the Trinamool Congress today said it will contest on its own over 100 seats in Uttar Pradesh, apart from fighting assembly elections in Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand. All India Triamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy told PTI that his party would contest on its own in 45 out of 60 seats in Manipur, all 40 seats in Goa in alliance with regional parties and in some constituencies in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly.

Dehra Dun, Jan 15 - Congress today said it would not project any chief ministerial candidate in Uttarakhand, a day after BJP projected B C Khanduri for the post ahead of the January 30 Assembly polls. Buoyed by the declaration of the chief ministerial candidate, BJP spokesman Satish Lakhera today challenged Congress to declare its chief ministerial candidate saying the opposition party is only banking on its top leadership like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

Dehra Dun, Jan 15 - Ahead of the January 30 assembly polls, Uttarakhand today experienced another round of heavy snowfall bringing in a fresh cold wave in the hill state that also marred the process of electioneering. Higher reaches of several areas in Garhwal and Kumaon regions experienced heavy snowfall and the plains were lashed by intermittent rains, the meteorological office said.

New Delhi, Jan 15 - Keen to better the party's performance in Uttar Pradesh, Congress has decided to give special focus on reserved constituencies as well as the seats from where it has fielded Dalit candidates in the state. Rahul Gandhi on Saturday had a strategy meeting with party leaders to fine tune Congress strategy in Dalit dominated constituencies of the state.

Lucknow, Jan 15 - At a time when Election Commission is leaving no stone unturned to check use of money and muscle power in elections, as many as 77 candidates in Uttar Pradesh have a history of serious criminal charges against them. According to the data released by the National Election Watch, at least 77 out of the 617 candidates announced by various political parties carry criminal cases on them which include charges like murder, attempt to murder, abduction and dacoity.

Just a day after it disowned law minister Salman Khurshid’s promise of 9% reservation for backward minorities, the Congress was all for carving out a sub-quota from the OBC pie. “The Election Commission shouldn’t have banned implementation of the 4.5% sub-quota for minorities,” party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said Saturday, adding that it would be rolled out as soon as elections were over in the five states.

Lucknow, Jan 14 - Team Anna would start its campaign for Uttar Pradesh elections from Faizabad next month. Team Anna members would start "peoples contact" programme and hold public meeting from Faziabad next month, member of the core committee of India Against Corruption, Sanjay Singh told PTI.

New Delhi, Jan 14 - Congress leader Digvijay Singh today attacked Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav accusing him of making "hollow" promises on Muslim reservation and "keeping the doors open for RSS support". "If Yadav was such a well-wisher of minorities, why did he not give reservation to Muslims when he was the Chief Minister of the state," Singh told reporters here.

Mumbai, Jan 13 - Even though Congress and NCP have announced their alliance for the prestigious Mumbai civic polls, differences have cropped up in the Congress over NCP's demand for allocating one ward in each taluka. City unit leaders met here today to work out the nitty gritties of the alliance and finalise the wards in each other's quota.

New Delhi, Jan 13 - Janata Dal United and Lok Janshakti Party today announced their candidates for Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Both parties have decided to contest all 403 seats in the state arguing that this will give a moral boost to their party cadres. Ram Vilas Pawan's LJP named 53 candidates today in its third list taking the number of candidates announced so far to 341. JD-U released names of 148 candidates. It has so far announced 180.

Lucknow: The BJP on Thursday said that it will not enter into a post-poll alliance with SP and BSP in Uttar Pradesh and asked the Congress to announce the same. Claiming that the SP and BSP have adopted "Delhi me pyar aur Lucknow me takrar (Love in Delhi and fight in Lucknow)" tactics for Congress, BJP Chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Congress could not make an announcement that it would not enter into an alliance with the two parties after the UP polls.

Imphal, Jan 13 - UPA allies Congress and Trinamool Congress will cross swords in the Manipur Assembly polls with both parties putting up 60 and 47 candidates respectively. While Congress is contesting in all the seats, this will be the first time that Trinamool is entering the assembly poll fray in a big way.

Chandigarh, Jan 13 - Candidates contesting the forthcoming Punjab Assembly elections apparently have a penchant for expensive Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) and high-end sedans. According to the declaration of assets, many candidates have listed a wide range of vehicles including Toyota Fortuner, BMW, Merc, Toyota Innova, Honda CRV among other luxury brands falling in the price range of over Rs 10 lakh.

Imphal, Jan 12 - In their continued attacks on Congressmen, insurgents today hurled grenades in the houses of two candidates and several partymen in various areas of poll-bound Manipur, but none was injured. Grenades were lobbed at the houses of Congress nominees of Langthabal and Khongman assembly constituencies in Imphal West district this morning, but none was injured, police said.

Mumbai, Jan 12 - Shiv Sena will contest 135, BJP 63 and RPI 29 seats in the Mumbai municipal corporation polls scheduled next month, it was announced here today. The decision was announced at a joint briefing held by leaders of the Sena-BJP-RPI combine in Dadar this evening. The development comes two days after Congress-NCP formalised their alliance for the BMC polls.

New Delhi, Jan 12 - Stepping up measures to combat the flow of black money during forthcoming polls in five states, the Election Commission has written to the RBI to ensure that banks are not "misused by unscrupulous persons" for bribing voters with cash. The EC has written the letter to the Reserve Bank of India in the backdrop of an incident where the Income Tax department recently seized cash of Rs 12.38 crore belonging to ICICI bank at Delhi's border with Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh).

Dehra Dun, Jan 12 - Over 600 candidates have so far filed their nominations for 70 assembly seats in Uttarakhand where polling is scheduled to be held on Jan 30. The exact number of candidates who have filed nominations till expiry of deadline this evening, would be known later, Uttarakhand Chief Election Officer Radha Raturi said.

Kapurthala, Jan 12 - Congress candidate Rana Gurjit Singh from this constituency has been served a show cause notice for violating the model code of conduct during a road show on January 10. The Returning Officer has asked the Congress candidate to reply within 48 hours, failing which action would be taken against him, Assistant Returning officer Arvinder Singh said today.

Lucknow, Jan 12 - BSP today claimed that Election Commission decision of covering statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and party symbol elephant is one-sided and unjustified and was a violation of Article 14 of the constitution. BSP National General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra said that due to the decision taken on the memoranda of SP, Congress and BJP, Dalits and backwards were feeling cheated.

Imphal, Jan 12 - The attack on Congress candidates and party workers by insurgents was continuing in Manipur since the past fortnight despite adequate security and an appeal to the candidates not to campaign for the January 28 assembly polls in the late evening hours. Official reports said insurgents lobbed grenades at the house of Congress candidate from Langthabal assembly constituency W Shyama in Imphal East district besides hurling explosives at party works at Haobam Marak, Sagolband, Keisampat (all in the same district) and at Nambol in Bishenpur district late last night.

Chandigarh, Jan 12 - Activists of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and opposition Congress in Punjab clashed in Dyalpura Bhaike village of Bathinda district here, Police said today. The incident, in which gun fires were shot in the air and window panes of several vehicles were also smashed, took place yesterday, they said.

New Delhi, Jan 11 - Congress is expected to promise a nine per cent sub-quota for minorities in its manifesto for the ensuing Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, notwithstanding the Election Commission notice to Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his commitment to voters on the issue. "The issue can find a mention in the Manifesto for U P", a senior party leader said as Khurshid remained unfazed by the notice sent by the Election Commission and maintained that he had not violated the model code of conduct by talking of the sub-quota within the OBC reservation.

Shravasti (UP), Jan 11 - Samajwadi Party state unit chief Akhilesh Yadav today took potshots at opposition parties, including ruling BSP, saying Chief Minister Mayawati was cutting a share in the corruption money and the Congress Party was confused in its stand on reservation to Muslims. "Mayawati takes share of corruption by her ministers. She per day counts at least Rs 100 crores given to her by corrupt leaders and officers", Yadav said while addressing a gathering here.

Hathras (UP), Jan 11 - A case has been registered against a BSP minister and SP nominee in two separate cases for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, officials said today. An FIR was lodged against Energy Minister Ramvir Upadhyay, contesting from Sikandra Rao Assembly seat, at Hayasan police station here yesterday when he along with his supporters allegedly campaigned in more than 10 vehicles and distributed pamphlets and calendars, they said.

Balrampur (UP), Jan 11 - A case has been registered against Samajwadi Party (SP) Uttar Pradesh president Akhilesh Yadav and 35 of his partymen for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, police said. Akhilesh addressed party workers while on way to Siddharth Nagar from Sharavasti last night without permission, District Magistrate Sunita Chaturvedi said.

New Delhi, Jan 10 - International shooter Jaspal Rana today quit BJP and joined Congress and is likely to be one of the party's key campaigners in poll-bound Uttarakhand. 35-year-old Rana's admission into the party was approved by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi amid reports that the ace shooter and Asian Games gold medallist was sulking in BJP over denial of ticket in the Assembly polls.

New Delhi, Jan 10 - BJP today urged the Election Commission to postpone assembly elections in Uttarakhand in view of heavy snowfall in many parts of the hill state and also sought removal of certain officials from key positions in Uttar Pradesh said to be close to ruling BSP. The demands were made by a party delegation led by BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi when it met Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi.

Chandigarh, Jan 10 - With the upcoming Assembly polls in Punjab, most political parties, including Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, are grappling with rebellion by leaders, who did not get tickets to contest the elections. It has been a tough task for the political outfits to manage the rebels as they appear set to tilt the balance during the polling on January 30 affecting the performance of the parties.

A powerful Naga organisation has ‘restrained’ political parties from contesting in Manipur’s Naga-dominated assembly constituencies. The diktat comes almost a week after seven non-Naga militant organisations issued a boycott call against the Congress in the January 28 polls. The rein-in order by the United Naga Council (UNC), Manipur’s apex Naga body, is allegedly aimed at ensuring victory for the Naga People’s Front (NPF), the party heading the ruling coalition in Nagaland. 

Ballia/Deoria (Uttar Pradesh), Jan 9 - Targeting SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi today accused him of misguiding Muslims on the reservation issue and urged the people to give a chance to Congress to usher in a corruption- free and development-oriented government in UP. Addressing election rallies in Ballia and Deoria, Gandhi said the SP chief sometimes demands 18 per cent reservation quota and at other times 28 per cent quota for them.

Chandigarh, Jan 9 - Former Indian Hockey Captain Pargat Singh has taken the plunge into active politics, with ruling Shiromani Akali Dal fielding him from the Jalandhar Cantt seat for the January 30 Punjab Assembly polls. His name figured in the list of eight other candidates which the SAD announced today in the fifth list of the party nominees for the upcoming polls.

New Delhi, Jan 9 - Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is seriously ill for the past two years, and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who did not canvas in the Bihar polls due to objections from ally JD(U), figure in the BJP's list of election campaigners. Vajpayee's name is the first in the list of BJP campaigners which the party is sending to the Election Commission for the mandatory approval in connection with the upcoming Assembly elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Panaji, Jan 9 - The Congress-NCP alliance for the March 3 assembly polls in Goa would be announced this week, a senior Congress leader said today. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar told PTI that the announcement would be made in Delhi, where senior leaders of both the parties are working out the alliance.

Kotdwara, Jan 8 - Uttarakhand Chief Minister B C Khanduri today dismissed reports of factionalism in the BJP and claimed that initial anger of those who were denied party tickets had subsided. "There is no factionalism in the party, and initial anger of those denied party ticket has subsided. Everybody in the party is working for the win of BJP candidates," Khanduri told reporters at his home constituency here.

New Delhi, Jan 8 - The first phase of Assembly polls in UP to be held on February 4 has been rescheduled and fresh date will be announced soon, the Election Commission said today citing uncertainty about the date of 'Barawafat' festival, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad, which may also fall on the same day. The poll panel said the law and order enforcing agencies and District Election Officers of the state had also referred to the possibility of the Barawafat festival coinciding with the with the first phase of polls, during the Commission's two-day review meeting in Lucknow last week.

New Delhi, Jan 8 - Political parties today took exception to Election Commission's order to cover statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and elephants - BSP's poll symbol - in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, saying it will give rise to several complications. "This decision will give rise to several complications. It is impractical to implement," CPI National Secretary D Raja said.

Ludhiana, Jan 8 - Three Akali Dal rebels, who had announced their candidatures for the Punjab assembly election from three different constituencies in the city, today decided to withdraw from the contest. They made the announcement in the presence of SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and several Akali and BJP leaders here.

Rampur, Jan 8 - With the announcement of candidates in all five constituencies in this UP district, the stage is set for a tough contest between Samajwadi party (SP), which considers it as its stronghold, and the Congress. The centre of attraction is likely to be the contest between SP's seven-time winning MLA Mohammed Azam Khan and popular physician and philanthropist Tanveer Ahmed Khan, fielded by the Congress.

Lucknow, Jan 8 - In a jolt to Rashtriya Lok Dal, its Rajya Sabha MP Shahid Siddiqui and Anuradha Chowdhury, a former aide of party chief Ajit Singh, today joined the Samajwadi Party ahead of the UP assembly polls. The two along with MLA Vimlesh Singh joined the party in presence of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, state president Akhilesh Yadav, leader of opposition Shivpal Singh Yadav and senior leader Mohammad Azam Khan.

New Delhi, Jan 8 - The Election Commission feels that Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Goa may pose problems on use of money power in the upcoming Assembly elections. "We feel that Punjab and Uttar Pradesh will give us problems on the money front. And so will Goa, because money plays a big role," Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi told PTI in an interview, when asked if EC foresees problems in any of the poll-bound states.

Lack of unanimity, many claimants and confusion about background of some prospective candidates has forced the Congress to withhold decision about its nominees for 36 of the 403 constituencies going to poll in Uttar Pradesh next month. The Central Election Committee of the party, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, met on Saturday to discuss the candidates for the remaining 87 seats but due to pending disputes 36 seats could not be decided, sources said.

Chandigarh, Jan 7 - Exuding confidence that Congress would "sweep" the Punjab polls, party's Punjab chief Amarinder Singh today said while deciding on party tickets "winnability" criteria was given prime importance. "Winnability criteria was kept at the top while giving tickets. We chose the best. In some seats, we even had 3 to 4 candidates who were equally good, out of which we had to pick one," he said.

Chandigarh, Jan 7 - Seeking to downplay opposition from some party leaders due to denial of party tickets, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said that the reactions were momentary and things would settle down soon. "I don't see any rebellion. Initial reactions take place and things should settle down soon," Amarinder told a press conference here.

Lucknow, Jan 7 - The Election Commission today said statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and elephants, BSP's poll symbol, installed at a number of places in Uttar Pradesh would be covered during the state assembly election. "The Commission has decided that statues of the CM and elephants will be draped," Chief Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi told reporters here.

Garhwal (Uttarakhand), Jan 7 - As Uttarakhand braces up for the crucial Assembly polls due later this month, the Rudraprayag constituency has become a centre of attraction with two heavyweights from the same family gearing up for a no-holds-barred contest. Situation stands interestingly poised as Congress has fielded Leader of Opposition Harak Singh Rawat against BJP's Matbar Singh Kandari, a cabinet minister and two-time MLA from the constituency.

Bhadohi (UP), Jan 7 - Senior BSP leader and PWD minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui today said main opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh were fighting together against the ruling party in the state assembly election and asked party workers to be adequately prepared for this. "Congress, BJP and SP are contesting the election against BSP. Therefore, it is all the more necessary for party workers to dedicate themselves for ensuring the win of BSP nominees," Siddiqui told party activists here.

Jaunpur (UP), Jan 7 - A Congress candidate was today arrested for staging a dharna without taking permission from the district administration, police said here. B L Verma, the Congress candidate from newly-constituted Mungra Badshahpur assembly seat, was arrested along with his supporters for staging a dharna at Machlishahr area, they said.

Agra, Jan 6 - JD(U) today targeted ally BJP in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh saying the saffron party like several of its political rivals had succumbed to the contagion of corruption. "Like the BSP, Samajwadi Party and Congress, BJP has also become corrupt now," JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav told reporters here.

New Delhi, Jan 6 - Declaring that the goverment is committed to decriminalising the electoral system, Law Minister Salman Khurshid today said far-reaching electoral reforms are on the anvil after the coming Assembly polls. "The Chief Election Commissioner is asking the government to step in to clean up the system....We will do as soon as the elections in five states are over", he told reporters.

Panaji, Jan 6 - Election Commission of India has asked central forces to guard the borders of Goa to provent smuggling in of fake currency ahead of the March 3 assembly polls in the state. Joint Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti said here today that Border Security Force and special forces will be deployed to watch state's borders.

Moradabad, Jan 6 - The Samajwadi Party today appeared to be keeping its options open on post poll tie ups with parties including Congress in case of a hung verdict in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party also made clear that its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the Chief Minister in case it is in a position to form a government.

New Delhi, Jan 6 - Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today complained that Congress has not been treating his party well but despite that he ruled out withdrawal of support to the UPA government. "The Congress is not treating us well. But our politics is based on principles and we will not give that up," he said.

Firozabad (UP), Jan 6 - A case has been registered against the Congress nominee from Sirsaganj Assembly seat after his supporters allegedly indulged in brick-batting and chased away a team led by a government official, who objected to putting up of flags and banners here. The monitoring committee led by BDO P M Yadav while on a visit to Chaichapur village under Nasirpur police station area yesterday had objected to banners and posters being put up by the supporters of Congress candidate Hari Shankar Yadav, Superintendent of Police Manjil Saini said.

New Delhi, Jan 5 - The notification for the January 30 assembly elections in Punjab and Uttarakhand was issued today, thus setting the poll process in the two states in motion. With the Governors of Punjab and Uttarakhand issuing the notifications for election to their state assemblies, the process of filing of nominations for both the poll-bound states has started.

Chandigarh, Jan 5 - A big haul of foreign currency amounting to over Rs 1.42 crore was made in Jagraon, near Ludhiana, in poll-bound Punjab and the matter had been handed over to the Enforcement Directorate for probe. Static Surveillance teams have seized over Rs 1.42 crore since yesterday while total amount of unaccounted seizures made from various places in the state touched nearly Rs 14 crore since the poll schedule was announced on December 24, Speical Chief Electoral Officer Usha R Sharma said today.

New Delhi, Jan 5 - In an unprecedented step to curb rigging and impersonation in polls, the Election Commission today decided every voter in assembly poll-bound Manipur the state will be photographed during voting and ordered the removal of state police chief Y Joykumar Singh. The actions were taken by the Election Commission during its comprehensive review of election-preparedness in Manipur which is the first of the five states to go to polls on January 28.

Chandigarh, Jan 5 - The Sehajdhari Sikh Party today jumped into the poll fray by releasing its first list of 21 candidates for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. "The party has fought a long legal battle to revive the voting rights of the Sehajdhari or non-baptised Sikhs," party's president P S Ranu said.

Chandigarh, Jan 5 - The process for elections to the 117-member Punjab Assembly commenced today with Governor Shivraj Patil formally issuing notification for the polling to take place on January 30. The nominations will close on January 12, scrutiny will take place on January 13 and the withdrawals would end on January 16, an official spokesman said here today.

Lucknow, Jan 5 - The Communist Party of India (CPI) today released the second list of 15 more candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The party had earlier released a list of 30 candidates and with the second list the party has so far fielded 45 candidates, CPI state secretary Dr Girish said.

Panaji, Jan 5 - The Election Commission (EC) has put a spanner in the Goa government's drive of dolling out jobs even as the model code of conduct is already in force for the March 3 Assembly polls. In an indication that it is taking its job seriously, the EC has put on hold the order sanctioning around 400-odd recruitments and has also warned of appropriate action against the respective heads of departments.

New Delhi, Jan 4 - Amid the raging controversy over induction of former Mayawati confidant and Cabinet minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, BJP today gave ticket to Sakshi Maharaj, a Lodh OBC leader of Uttar Pradesh who has earlier faced rape charges. Sacchidanand Hari Sakshi Maharaj, who has been Lok Sabha MP from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh three times, will be the BJP candidate from Bhongaon in Western UP.

New Delhi, Jan 4 - The Centre is closely monitoring the activities of NSCN-IM which is likely to field some proxy candidates in the coming Manipur Assembly elections as two top leaders of the group today held a prolonged meeting with Naga civil society and political leaders in Dimapur. NSCN-IM 'general secretary' Thuingaleng Muivah and senior leader V S Atem engaged in hectic confabulations with at least six MLAs of Nagaland's ruling NPF, leaders of the apex civil society organisation Naga Hoho and others at Niathu Resort on the outskirts of Dimapur, raising eyebrows in the Home Ministry.

Imphal, Jan 4 - Notification for the January 28 Manipur assembly elections was today issued by the state election office, official sources said. As per the notification, candidates would be allowed to file their nomination papers between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. from today till January 11 next.

New Delhi, Jan 4 - An apparently embarrassed BJP today said it will not give ticket to tainted former Uttar Pradesh Minister Babu Singh Khushwaha, against whom CBI conducted raids today in the NRHM scam case, and made it clear that he will not be its star campaigner. The party's announcement came at a press conference amidst reports that senior leaders including L K Advani had expressed unhappiness over the induction of Khushwaha, an OBC leader who was sacked by Chief Minister Mayawati at the height of the scam and was expelled from the party in November.

New Delhi, Jan 4 - Congress today attacked the BJP for inducting former UP Family Welfare Minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, who is under CBI scanner in the NRHM scam, saying the party has become an "inn" of such corrupt people. "L K Advani took out a rath yatra on corruption probably looking for such corrupt people. Till the time they are in other parties, they are corrupt but the day they join BJP, they have taken a holy dip in the Ganges," Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said here.

Mumbai, Jan 3 - The meeting of leaders of the Congress and NCP tonight to discuss seat-sharing for Mumbai civic elections remained inconclusive, sources said. The leaders of the two parties met at the residence of PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal. NCP has demanded more than 65 seats to which Congress did not agree, they said.

Hoping to ward off the threat of anti-incumbency, BJP, which went in for a last-minute change of guard in Uttarakhand, has denied tickets to 10 MLAs, including a minister, and rewarded loyalists of chief minister BC Khanduri. In the 70-member assembly, BJP has a strength of 36. By denying tickets to a little less than a third of its legislators, the party high-command has tried to offset local-level anti-incumbency, and put a premium on the candidate's performance and image. 

New Delhi, Jan 3 - With opinion polls projecting a hung Assembly in Uttar Pradesh, political parties in the fray there are not ruling out any post-poll alliances to form a government if they fall short of the required numbers. Samajwadi Party, hoping to emerge as the party with the maximum number of MLAs in these elections, said it is too early to talk of post-poll alliances but did not rule out the possibility.

Mysore, Jan 3 - AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said the 'anti-Congress' campaign by social activist Anna Hazare would not affect the party's poll prospects in the coming assembly polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh. "I have been saying all along that Anna Hazare is not in favour of Jan Lok Pal bill or against corruption, but his movement is against Congress. It has been proven now," Digvijay, on a private visit here, told reporters after addressing Congress workers.

New Delhi, Jan 3 - Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi today rejected charges of interference levelled by Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal against some officials of the poll panel through media and asserted that the Commission was aware of its constitutional mandate. Quraishi said the allegations of interference against the poll officials were "without any basis".

Lucknow, Jan 3 - With a clarion call to unite all the 'kshatriyas' of the state, Parivartan Morcha, a front of 11 regional parties, today released a list of 52 candidates for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. "The front has decided to unite kshatriyas divided in different castes and sub-castes and bring them on one platform," said Harivansh Singh, patron of the Morcha and national president of Akhil Bhartiya Chattriya Mahasabha.

Lucknow, Jan 3 - The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, today released a list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. "The list has been released with the permission of national president Sharad Pawar and national general secretary and UP in-charge Tariq Anwar," state president Fazle Masood told reporters here.

Lucknow, Jan 3 - Internal bickerings within the Samajwadi Party (SP) again came to the fore with party state President Akhilesh Yadav today saying that BSP MLA D P Yadav will not be taken into the party. "The party will not take D P Yadav", Yadav said while addressing a gathering during his ninth leg of Kranti Rath yatra here.

Lucknow, Jan 3 - Alleging that hoardings and posters of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati were not removed despite enforcement of model code of conduct in the state, the BJP today asked the Election Commission to take action against officers concerned. "Mammoth hoardings and life size posters of BSP supremo Mayawati have been installed in all the districts of the state on government expenditure," BJP National Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here.

New Delhi, Jan 2 - BJP tonight declared its second list comprising 81 candidates for Uttar Pradesh, along with candidates for 48 seats of Uttarakhand and 20 seats of Punjab for the forthcoming Assembly elections in these states. After declaring candidates for 143 seats of UP earlier, the BJP Central Election Committee declared candidates for 81 seats of the politically crucial state. Of these six are former ministers, six are former MLAs, eight are women, 14 are from Scheduled Caste while one is from the minority community.

Chandigarh, Jan 2 - A day after being charged by the government with creating confusion about administrative control in poll-bound Punjab, the state election office today hit back saying its officials were only performing their duty within the laid down EC guidelines. "I and my officials are only performing their job, which is to ensure that elections in the state are held in a free and fair manner," Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu told reporters in reply to a question here.

New Delhi, Jan 2 - In a move to ensure free and fair polls in five states, Election Commission today directed 1200 observers to keep a hawk eye on movement of unaccounted cash and any violation of the model code. At a day-long briefing, the full commission headed by S Y Quraishi and comprising V S Sampath and H S Brahma, apprised the observers in detail of their duties with special focus on measures to check use of black money in the polls.

New Delhi, Jan 2 - Rashtriya Lok Dal, which recently became part of UPA, today joined the race to woo Muslims promising eight per cent reservation to them in government jobs if voted to power in Uttar Pradesh. RLD chief and Union Minister Ajit Singh said Muslims accounted for 17-18 per cent of the state's population and according to Mandal Commission recommendations almost half of the backward and minority population should get reservation in government jobs.

Impal, January 1, 2012 - Manipur unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday joined hands with the main regional political party Manipur People’s Party (MPP) to fight the forthcoming assembly polls on January 28. A spokesman of the MPP said his party joined hands with the MPP to defeat the Congress-led government.

Firozabad (UP), Jan 2 - The district administration has issued a notice to a BJP MP from Agra for violating the model code of conduct by flagging off a Shatabdi train from the Tundla station where it stopped for the first time. A notice has been issued to BJP MP Ramshanker Katheria last evening for flagging off the Shatabdi from Tundla railway station and the Election Commission has also been informed, District Magistrate Surendra Singh said.

Bahraich (UP), Jan 2 - The Bahujan Samaj Party has changed its candidates in three Assembly seats for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The party which had earlier given ticket to Haji Mehfooz Ahmed from Bahraich Sadar seat has now decided to field Mohammad Abdulla, chairman of urban cooperative bank, BSP Regional Coordinator Udai Bhan Gautam said at a party workers meeting in Gonda yesterday.

Chandigarh, Jan 1 - The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab today released its third list of 10 candidates for the January 30 state assembly election. SAD general secretary Prem Singh Chandumajra's name figures in the third list and he will contest from Fatehgarh Sahib constituency.

Lucknow, Dec 28 - The coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh would turn out to be a litmus test for many scions of political families, including Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and his cousin BJP's Varun Gandhi. The "yuvrajs" in the fray include son of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ajit Singh's son Jayant Chaudhary. After his party's bitter defeat in Bihar elections, UP polls have become a prestige issue for Rahul.

Lucknow, Dec 31 - Ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP today demanded that the Election Commission should order removal of statues of elephants - the poll symbol of BSP - installed in the state. "Though government hoardings and advertisements were removed after model code of conduct came into effect, the statues of elephants have not been removed," BJP national spokesman Ramnath Kovid told reporters here.

Farukkhabad, Dec 31 - Congress candidate Louis Khurshid, wife of Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, has been slapped with a notice for violation of model code of conduct after she allegedly used red beacon on vehicles during campaign for UP Assembly elections. "A show cause notice has been issued to Congress candidate Louis Khurshid asking her to submit her explanation and directive has been issued to remove beacon lights," district magistrate Sachidanand Shukla said.

Ballia (UP), Dec 31 - Janwadi Party has forged an alliance with BJP for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The party has entered into an alliance with the BJP and a formal announcement in this regard will be made in Lucknow tomorrow, JP president Sanjay Chauhan said here today.

Saharanpur, Dec 30 - In an indication of Congress strategy to aggressively woo minority voters in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Rahul Gandhi today attacked BSP and SP for their "changing" stance on the issue of Muslim reservation. Addressing a public rally in this minority-dominated district, Gandhi said that it was Congress which initiated the move for reservation for Muslims as it felt that they were not getting adequate opportunities.

Lucknow, Dec 30 - In a jolt to the ruling BSP, its National General Secretary and Member of Parliament Naresh Agarwal is likely to join the Samajwadi Party today. Samajwadi Party sources said the move comes after Agarwal's son Nitin Agarwal, a sitting BSP MLA from Hardoi was denied ticket for the coming UP assembly elections.

Chandigarh, Dec 29 - The Election Commission has deferred the disbursement of relief funds till the election process in Punjab, which goes to polls on January 30, is over, Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu said here today. She said that reports received on distributing Ration Cards/Blue cards with the pictures of Chief Minister Punjab in district Bathinda were also ordered to be stopped immediately.

New Delhi, Dec 29 - To curb instances of black money use during the polls in five states, 204 Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officials have been deployed as 'expenditure observers' by the Election Commission. A total of 204 IRS officers, in the ranks of Additional Commissioners of Income Tax, largely drawn from various investigation wings of the department from across the country will head specially created 'flying squads' to check and take action against illegal movement of cash and transactions in the poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.

Lucknow, Dec 29 - The Samajwadi Party has announced candidates for three Assembly constituencies for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh elections. SP state president Akhilesh Yadav has announced candidature of Beena Bharadwaj from Bilaspur Assembly seat, Naseer Ahmad Khan from Chamraua and Vijay Singh from Milak constituency, party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said here.

Ballia, Dec 28 - The BSP today replaced its four sitting MLAs with new candidates to contest the Uttar Pradesh assembly election slated for February next. A announcement in this regard was made by party coordinator and MP Jugul Kishore. He said the four MLAs are Manju Singh (Sadar), Subhash Yadav (Dwaba), Shiv Shanker Chauhan (Bansdeeh) and Bhagwan Pathak (Sikandarpur).

Sitapur, Dec 28 - The district administration has sought from the Congress party details of expenditure on rallies of party national general secretary Rahul Gandhi which were held here. "As per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, a notice has been issued to Congress district president as Rahul Gandhi's rallies were held after the model code of conduct came into effect," Additional District Magistrate Arvind Kumar Chaurasiya said.

Lucknow, Dec 28 - The Samajwadi Party has ruled out further changes in the list of candidates announced for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections to be held next year. With the consent of national president Mulayam Singh Yadav, the state chief Akhilesh Yadav has released a final list of 394 candidates, SP spokesman Rajendra Chanudhary said.

Lucknow, Dec 27 - CPI(M) today said it has so far identified 16 seats to field its candidates in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. "We have identified 16 assembly seats in which we will field candidates. Three or four more seats could be added to it in days to come," CPI(M) State Secretary SP Kashyap told reporters here.

Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi today appealed to the Election Commission (EC) to prevent the implementation of the “sub-quota” for Muslims in the OBC quota, saying that the announcement to the effect was clearly influenced by vote bank politics. Joshi added that if the EC didn’t do anything about the “sub-quota”, “it would mean that it (EC) was waiting for this announcement to be made before declaring the poll programme for five states”. “It (move for Muslim quota) impedes free and fair elections,” Joshi said here today.

Chandigarh, Dec 26 - The BSP today announced to go it alone in January 30 Punjab polls, putting to rest all speculations about the party forging pre-poll alliance with People's Party of Punjab. "We did not have any meeting with (PPP head) Manpreet (Singh Badal) and neither did he meet us," BSP general secretary Narender Kashyap said after releasing the first list of 90 candidates.

The Election Commission has expressed its inability to change the date of the Uttarakhand Assembly polls, January 30, 2012, as it has been decided on after considering various factors, including weather. Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi was reacting to the concern expressed by Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri and State Congress chief Yashpal Arya, who said there could be snowfall in some regions during January-end and hence, the polls should be postponed to the middle of February.

New Delhi, Dec 25 - Team Anna's proposal to campaign against Congress in the forthcoming assembly elections in five states raises questions of "propriety and ethics", Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi said today warning that anything that comes in the way of free and fair elections is not acceptable. However, he said from the aspect of election laws there was nothing wrong in their campaign if they ask people not to vote against any party.

New Delhi, Dec 25 - Seat sharing talks with NDA ally JD-U in Uttar Pradesh today appeared to have run into rough weather with BJP saying it will go it alone in all poll-bound states except Punjab where it will tie up with Akali Dal. "We will fight the elections on our own. There will be no alliance with any party except in Punjab where we will ally with Akali Dal. We will contest elections on our own in other states," BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

Chandigarh, Dec 25 - The Congress is yet to announce its candidates for the January 30 Punjab Assembly polls, even as ruling Shiromani Akali Dal has already announced its first list of candidates. "We will announce the candidates' name in the next 3-4 days," Congress in-charge for Punjab, Gulchain Singh Charak said here today.

Imphal, Dec 25 - Political parties in Manipur today welcomed the January 28 single-phase poll schedule announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI). "We warmly welcome the schedule of the Assembly poll on January 28. There will be no change in the campaign strategy of our party as we are fully prepared for the election," said ruling Congress party president Gaikhangam.

The announcement of Assembly elections in five States was welcomed by political parties, with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party stating on Saturday that they were geared up for the battle of the ballot. However, Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri said as it would snow in the mountain regions of the State throughout January, the elections should be held in the second half of February.

New Delhi, Dec 24 - Upsetting Mayawati's plans, the Election Commission today announced a seven-phased poll in Uttar Pradesh between February 4 and 28, while assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa will be held in a single-phase. Punjab and Uttarakhand will go to polls on January 30, while it will be held on January 28 in Manipur and on March 3 in Goa. The counting of votes in all the states will be held together on March 4.

New Delhi, Dec 24 - Uttar Pradesh will have assembly elections in seven phases from February 4 to 28, while Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab will have single-phase elections, the Election Commission announced today. Counting in all the five states will be held on March 4, Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi told a press conference here.

New Delhi, Dec 24 - The Election Commission will announce today the dates for assembly polls in the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur. The poll body yesterday held discussions with Home Secretary R K Singh on the availability of para-military forces for the assembly polls in the five states.

Jaunpur(UP), Dec 20 - Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh today met the jailed BSP MP Dhananjay Singh here and accused BSP supremo Mayawati of being an "opportunistic" politician. "UP Chief Minister did not take action against elected representatives for four-and-a-half year and now they started look like criminals and mafias to her," Amar said after meeting the ruling BSP MP in jail, who was arrested in a murder case in his Jaunpur constituency on December 11.

Chandigarh, Dec 19 - Both the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP finished close to each other in the elections to 26 wards of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, results of which were declared here today. This puts the onus on nominated councillors to elect the new mayor. The final tally of the parties in the 26-member elected civic body are Congress-11, BJP-10, its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) two, BSP two and one independent, election officer Tarsem Singh said.

The Delhi high court has granted a permanent injunction against publishing or distributing the contents of a CD on the plea of Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Justice Reva Khetrapal decided to pass the injunction after Singhvi's former driver Mukesh Lal submitted a written statement in court saying he had fabricated and morphed the CD and circulated it out of anger. 

Congress has admitted that building a consensus on big-ticket reforms in the insurance, banking and pension sectors may not be possible anytime soon, given the resistance from not only the Opposition but allies like Trinamool Congress. "There is still work to be done on the big-ticket reforms. We need to build consensus, which may not happen," a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.

Pakistan has launched an investigation after a passenger jet crashed while attempting to land during a thunderstorm, with all 127 people on board believed dead. The Bhoja Air flight from Karachi burst into flames after coming down in fields near a village on the outskirts of capital Islamabad on Friday evening as it approached the city's international airport.

Tens of thousands of protesters packed Cairo's downtown Tahrir Square on Friday in the biggest demonstration in months against the ruling military, aimed at stepping up pressure on the generals to hand over power to civilians and bar ex-regime members from running in upcoming presidential elections. Both Islamists and liberals turned out in force for the protest, to show the widespread anger at the military over the country's political chaos ahead of the first presidential elections since the fall of Hosni Mubarak more than a year ago. 

xThe BSE Sensex snapped a four-day-rally as Reliance Industries fell ahead of its earnings results while state-run banks declined on worries about their margins due to a government directive to lower their lending and deposit rates. Shares were also hit in the afternoon after Nifty futures dropped suddenly amid market speculation of a trading error. The National Stock Exchange later said it had not spotted any errors on its trading systems. 

Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday gave a new ultimatum to the government. Hazare along with yoga guru Baba Ramdev will be fasting on June 3. Hazare said that Lokayukta in Maharashtra will give a new direction to the country.

The government on Thursday said it expects the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to notify the budget announcement of allowing the cash-strapped Indian civil aviation sector to borrow up to $1 billion in external loans for a period of one year within seven days. "RBI is expected to issue a relevant circular or notification giving effect to the aforesaid budget announcement within seven days," the Finance Ministry said in a statement. 

The Maoist abductors of Odisha legislator Jhina Hikaka on Friday said they would organise a people's court on April 25 to take a final decision on his release. Mr. Hikaka would be released only if the people's court takes a decision to this effect, the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of the outlawed Communist Party of India(Maoist) said.

Anders Behring Breivik has arrived in court in Oslo for the fifth day of his trial for killing 77 people in bomb and shooting attacks last July. The defendant, who admits the killings but denies criminal responsibility, returned to the stand and again avoided his earlier right-wing salute.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh arrived in Assam for a day-long visit to the state on Friday despite a 12-hour bandh called by ULFA's anti-talk faction led by Paresh Baruah. Shortly after his arrival at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at around 1050 hrs, the Prime Minister said, “I am delighted to be here again in my adopted home state, particularly happy to be here today a week after Bihu."

Central Railway Friday assured normalisation of crucial suburban services by evening, three days after a fire disrupted its network resulting in overcrowded trains that claimed three lives, an official said. By Thursday night, barring minor glitches, Central Railway claimed to have normalised up to 85% of its suburban operations. By Friday evening, services would be normalised up to 95 percent.

As searches for thousands of missing continued Saturday, police in Japan said more than 7,300 people had died since the monster earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck last week. On Saturday evening, 7,348 people were confirmed dead, according to Japan's National Police Agency. An additional 10,947 people were missing and 2,603 were injured, the agency said.

Japanese nuclear experts are working to contain a partial meltdown at an earthquake-stricken nuclear power plant north of Tokyo, as fears grow that the death toll from Friday’s massive quake and tsunami could reach the tens of thousands.

The monster earthquake that rocked Japan packed so much power that it shifted the Earth on its axis by nearly four inches and moved Japan’s main island by eight feet, according to geologists.

One police official says the toll could hit 10,000 in his prefecture alone. The reeling nation also contends with a possible meltdown in at least one reactor at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. Dozens are believed to have been exposed to radiation.

PJ Thomas, who was removed as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) by the Supreme Court recently, has appealed to the President.

Ending all speculation on the issue, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) P J Thomas is all set to file a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the court’s judgment setting aside his appointment. His lawyer, Wills Mathews, told The Sunday Express, “We have prepared the review petition and it will be filed on Monday or Tuesday.”

The Congress admitted that P.J. Thomas' appointment as Chief Vigilance Commissioner was an "error" but rejected demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram who were part of the selection panel in the wake of the Supreme Court order quashing the appointment. Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that it was wrong to politicise what is a legal verdict based on legal considerations and added that he disagreed with the generalisation that what is legally wrong is morally wrong. 

Six years on, a mixed record of implementation, but military sales hold the key. Most observers of the Indo-U.S. relationship remember 2005 for the civil nuclear initiative that was launched during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington in July. 

In the eyes of American diplomats, Congress president Sonia Gandhi appeared more comfortable working with the Left than with the regional parties in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The stalemate in India-Pakistan ties after the public falling out during foreign minister S M Krishna's visit to Islamabad in mid-July last year is likely to end with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepting his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh's invitation. 

New Delhi, Jun 19 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced Rs 1,000 crore for disaster relief measures in flood-devastated parts of Uttarakhand where 102 persons have been killed and thousands left stranded at tourist spots and pilgrim centres.

Patna, June 19 - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today dismissed the so-called wave in favour of Narendra Modi, perceived by many BJP workers, as one created by corporate houses and is short-lived sans any magic. Kumar in his reply to the debate for the motion of confidence in government moved by him in the Bihar Assembly said that the wave was nothing but created by corporate houses.

Chandpara (WB), Jun 19 - Blasting the CPI(M) for allegedly joining hands with Maoists to kill her in their bid to return to power, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today also charged the Marxists for being hand-in-glove with Congress and BJP in plotting against her.

Dehradun, June 19 - With skies clearing, rescue of stranded people and relief operations intensified today in Uttarakhand where the death toll in the rain and floods shot up to 150 as thousands of pilgrims still remained stranded. Reports today suggested that the famous Kedarnath shrine, where 50 people died in the landslide that accompanied torrential rain and flash floods, is intact notwithstanding the heavy damage all around.

Patna, June 19 - After dumping ally BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today comfortably won a vote of confidence in his government in the Bihar Assembly amid signals of a new political alignment as Congress backed the motion. A total of 126 votes, including four of Congress and one of CPI, were cast in favour of the confidence motion while 24, including 22 of Lalu Prasad led RJD, voted against the motion as BJP members staged a walkout before the vote.

Washington, Jun 18 - In a significant development, the Taliban today opened its political office in Doha to hold peace talks with the Afghan government and separate parleys with US that could boost reconciliation process in the Afghanistan after 12 years of war. The 'Political Bureau of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' has been opened in the Qatari capital of Doha to initiate dialogue between the Taliban and the world, the Taliban said.

Dehradun, June 18 - At least 102 people were killed in the flash floods triggered by incessant rains in Uttarakhand, while the toll in the calamity is likely to rise manifold as 500 people are still reported to be missing. Kukhimath SDM Rakesh Tewari told reporters after his return from Himalayan shrine of Kedarnarth that 50 bodies are lying in areas adjacent to the shine.

Dehradun/Shimla, Jun 18 - The famous Kedarnath shrine was virtually submerged in mud and slush where 50 people died in the unprecedented flash floods that claimed over 130 lives in Uttarkhand and Himachal Pradesh and left over 70,000 pilgrims for Himalayan shrines stranded. The shrine, one of the four holy dhams, in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand bore the brunt of torrential rains.

Peshawar, Jun 18 - At least 28 people including a provincial legislator were today killed and over 60 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a funeral at Mardan in the troubled northwest Pakistan. More than 100 people were at the funeral of a businessman in Shergarh area of Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province this afternoon when the bomber detonated his explosive vest near legislator Imran Khan Mohmand, police officials and witnesses said.

New Delhi, Jun 18 - Monsoon rains wreaked fresh havoc in northern India leading to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslips as the death toll climbed to 81 and hundreds of pilgrims bound for Himalayan shrines remained stranded. Landslides left scores of tourists and pilgrims stranded in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh while thousands have been displaced in Uttar Pradesh where several rivers are in spate.

Peshawar, Jun 18 - At least 20 people including a provincial legislator were today killed and over 50 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a funeral at Mardan in the troubled northwest Pakistan. About 100 people were at the funeral of a businessman in Shergarh area of Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province this afternoon when the bomber detonated his explosive vest, police officials and witnesses said.

Raipur, Jun 18 - Chhattisgarh Congress chief Charan Das Mahant has said he will "sweep the party office with a broom" if asked by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, inviting ridicule from BJP, which called him a "sycophant" who considers his post as that of a "fourth grade" employee.

New Delhi, June 18 - On his first visit to Delhi after being made head of BJP's election campaign committee, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today met senior BJP leader L K Advani and is understood to have discussed the recent political developments including the split in the NDA.

Patna, Jun 18 - A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described him as secular, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today thanked him for the praise, saying the words give him comfort. "He (Singh) has spoken the truth and one should always speak the truth and coming from the Prime Minister of the country, certainly gives me comfort and I offer my heartiest thanks to him for saying so," Kumar told reporters.

Washington, Jun 18 - Indian-American legal luminary Sri Srinivasan was today sworn in as a judge in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, the second most powerful court in the United States after the Supreme Court. With this, Chandigarh-born 46-year-old Srinivasan has become the first Indian American judge in the second most powerful court of the country.

New Delhi, Jun 17 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today appeared to be warming up to Janata Dal (U), which has dumped BJP, by describing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as secular and saying that "in politics there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends". "In politics, there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends. We will decide as the situation evolves," he told reporters at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Chennai, June 17 - In a dramatic turn of events, Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK today decided to withdraw its fifth candidate for Rajya Sabha elections in favour of CPI as DMK and DMDK entered the fray to fight for the sixth seat. Lady luck virtually smiled on CPI candidate D Raja who succeeded in enlisting the support of ruling AIADMK after calling on Chief Minister Jayalalithaa as she agreed to withdraw the candidature of K Thangamuthu who was nominated for the fifth seat.

New Delhi, Jun 17 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today indicated readiness to make way for Rahul Gandhi if the UPA wins the Lok Sabha elections next year. "I have always said, as far as I am concerned, I would be very happy to see Rahul step into my shoes. I always believe we will have a third go at the elections as the UPA and people will again repose their faith in us," he told reporters here.

Shimla, June 17 - Landslides triggered by incessant heavy rains and snow killed 10 persons in Himachal Pradesh and a high alert was sounded and army assistance sought for rescuing stranded people, including Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, in the tribal border district of Kinnaur. However, bad weather thwarted efforts to evacuate Singh from Sangla valley where he had gone to campaign for Mandi Lok Sabha by-election, Chief Secretary S Roy said.

New Delhi, June 17 - In perhaps the last reshuffle and expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, Mallikarjun Kharge was today made the Railways Minister as eight more were inducted with veterans Sis Ram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a comeback. After yesterday's reshuffle in the party, senior woman leader from election-bound Rajasthan Girija Vyas and K S Rao from Andhra Pradesh were brought in as Cabinet Ministers in today's exercise which was an all-Congress affair.

New Delhi, Jun 17 - Monsoon woes gripped several parts of north India today as heavy rains wreaked havoc in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, leaving over 50 people dead and hundreds stranded, while several parts in Haryana were flooded after water level of Yamuna rose alarmingly.

Patna, Jun 17 - Embittered by JD(U) snapping ties with NDA, Bihar BJP has decided to expose "duplicity" of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by playing CDs of his speeches before people in which he "consistently praised" Narendra Modi since the 2002 riots. "We have a number of CDs in which Kumar has publicly and uninhibitedly praised his Gujarat counterpart and even praised him to the effect that his services and leadership will be beneficial to the country...We have collected all these CDs for display before the people of Bihar so that his duplicity could be exposed thoroughly," senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters today.

Lucknow, Jun 17 - Thirteen people, including seven women and a teenaged boy, were today killed and 19 others injured in separate incidents in Muzaffarnagar, Faizabad and Ballia districts, police said. Seven persons were killed and six others injured when the tempo they were travelling in collided with a stationery truck parked on the road side in Muzaffarnagar, they said.

Dehradun, June 16 - Eight persons were killed in Uttarakhand today as incessant rains lashed the hill state causing landslips in the higher reaches and sweeping away several roads and bridges in Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts leading to suspension of the Char Dham Yatra. Three persons of a family were killed when a house caved in at New Mithi Beri in Prem Nagar area of Dehradun this morning, Prem Nagar SHO Vikas Rawat said.

New Delhi, June 16 - The dead-end for the BJP-JD(U) alliance, which had seen many ups and downs in the last 17 years, marks a new low for the NDA which has seen several trusted allies parting ways since the coalition lost power in 2004. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who scripted the snapping of ties with BJP over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's elevation as Election Campaign Committee head of the party, was ironically one among the founders of the NDA.

Tehran, Jun 15 - Moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani was declared Iran's new president today, the Interior Minister said, in an outright election victory that ends eight years of conservative grip on the top office. Rowhani, 64, a former top nuclear negotiator who has championed more constructive engagement with world powers, won outright with 18.6 million votes, or 50.68 per cent of those cast.

Patna, June 15 - The BJP and JD(U) appeared set for imminent parting of ways in Bihar tomorrow when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar meets his top party leaders to take a final call in the wake of Narendra Modi's elevation. Further hints of the break-up in the 17-year-old alliance were given today by senior JD(U) leader Shivanand Tiwari who said the announcement of a split was a "mere formality".

Patna, Jun 15 - With the ruling coalition in Bihar appearing headed for a split, BJP leaders in the state today refused to meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. "We were called by Nitish Kumar, but this morning we read in a newspaper that he has raised the issue of prime ministership. Our national leaders can only speak on this issue and we are not authorised to discuss it.

New Delhi, Jun 14 - In a stunning comment, Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily today said petroleum ministers are "threatened" by import lobbies not to take decisions that will cut India's USD 160 billion oil imports. Moily, who has been under attack from the CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta for proposing to hike natural gas prices by 60 per cent, said he has been striving to attract investments in almost stagnant oil and gas exploration which will lead to higher domestic output and lesser reliance on imports.

Patna/New Delhi, Jun 14 - Ahead of its weekend review, JD(U) today gave clear signs yet again of an emerging split with BJP, saying there are problems and the situation is "difficult" even as a senior party leader lashed out at BJP. Returning from a two-day 'seva yatra' for consultations with the JD(U) leadership tomorrow over the alliance issue, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "The situation is such that there are problems (in continuing the alliance)." 

Lahore, Jun 14 - For the first time in 16 years, a Hindu has entered Pakistan's Punjab Assembly as a lawmaker, less than a fortnight after the first ever Sikh became a member of the House since the country's creation in 1947. Kanji Ram is only the second Hindu to be part of the provincial assembly after Seth Bharta Ram, who was elected a lawmaker in 1997. Ram and Sikh representative Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora were both nominated by the PML-N to seats in the Punjab Assembly reserved for non-Muslims.

New Delhi, Jun 14 - JD(U), a key constituent of NDA, today voiced concern over the Opposition alliance "deviating" from its national agenda but said it has not given any ultimatum to BJP over walking out of the coalition. "The alliance of NDA exists for now but the alliance has to continue under the norms of national agenda of NDA under which the coalition has functioned so far," JD(U) President and NDA Convenor Sharad Yadav told reporters here.

Officers of the rank of Joint Secretaries will be also covered under a key directive to CBI, CVC and other departments in probing corruption with the government rectifying an error 20 months after it crept into an office order. A Group of Ministers(GoM), which was then headed by Pranab Mukherjee when he was Finance Minister, had in its report submitted to the government recommended that refusal to grant permission to CBI among others to probe a corrupt official "of the rank of Joint Secretary and above" will have to be put up to the Prime Minister. 

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has waded into Australia’s bitter gender debate raging around Premier Julia Gillard by stating that his successor might be a woman as women have all leadership qualities. “If the circumstances are such that a female Dalai Lama is more useful, then automatically a female Dalai Lama will come,” the Dalai Lama told reporters ahead of a 10-day tour of Australia.

New Delhi/Patna, Jun 13 - BJP today mounted hectic efforts to save its alliance with JD(U) which still appeared keen on breaking the coalition and move towards a Third Front of regional parties to fight the Lok Sabha polls. The Third Front idea got a new supporter in Samajwadi Party, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav welcoming formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP alliance.

Gadchiroli (Mah), Jun 13 - Vice President of steel-maker Lloyd Metals Jaspal Singh Dhillon (60) and two others were killed by the Naxals last evening in Etapalli tehsil of Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, police said. The other two victims were identified as Mallikarjun Reddy from Hemlata Minerals, a subsidiary of Lloyd Metals, and village police official (Police Patil) Raju Sadaphad from Surjagad.

New Delhi, June 13 - Dubbing Narendra Modi as India's "first authentic fascist", Union Minister Jairam Ramesh today conceded that the BJP leader poses a "challenge" for the Congress party in the coming elections. "He will certainly impose a challenge on us. He represents not just a managerial challenge. But he also represents an ideological challenge," Ramesh, who has been one of the key Congress strategists, told PTI.

New Delhi, Jun 13 - India has taken up with the US the reports that it was the fifth most tracked country by the American intelligence using a secret data-mining programme to monitor worldwide internet data and sought further details in this regard. India, which has already termed as "unacceptable" the violation, if any, of domestic laws relating to privacy of information of citizens, said the matter was taken up by National Security Advisor with the US Ambassador two days ago.

Patna/Lucknow, June 13 - Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today did not rule out emergence of a Third Front, which was also favoured by the Samajwadi party, after the BJP-JD(U) face-off triggered the possibility of a non-Congress, non-BJP grouping to fight the next Lok Sabha polls.

Patna/Jamui, June 13 - Over 150 armed Maoists today carried out a daring attack on a Patna-bound train, killing three persons, including an RPF jawan, and injuring five others in Bihar's Naxal-affected Jamui district before looting passengers and fleeing with weapons.

Mumbai, June 13 - With JU(U) looking set to walk out of the NDA, Shiv Sena today sounded a note of caution for Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying BJP was like "oxygen" to his government, which could land in "ICU" in the event of a split. "BJP is like oxygen to the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar as it is for Shiromani Akali Dal government in Punjab," Sena, the BJP's oldest ally, said in party mouthpiece "Saamana".

Washington, Jun 13 - The World Bank today forecast a 6.7 per cent growth rate for India by next fiscal as exports and private investment are projected to strengthen and provide a boost to growth. In its latest 'Global Economic Prospects' report, the World Bank said South Asia's regional growth will be driven mainly by a projected pick up in India, whose GDP in factor cost terms is projected to grow 5.7 per cent in the 2013 fiscal year (ending in March 2014), and then accelerate to 6.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent in FY2013-14 and FY2014-15, respectively.

Patna, Jun 12 - With key ally JD(U) signalling parting ways with NDA, Bihar BJP core committee today held a hurriedly convened meeting at the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to take stock of the situation. After the meeting, Bihar BJP president Mangal Pandey told reporters that the party was in favour of continuation of the alliance and would be the "last to go for a break-up". "BJP worked hard for formation of NDA and even made sacrifices to end jungle raj (of RJD) in Bihar. So, we will try our best to see that it is not broken," he said.

New Delhi, Jun 12 - Army's top secret details about operational plans and deployment along the India-China border could have been compromised and around six military personnel have been indicted by a Court of Inquiry (CoI) in this regard. Sources said the indicted personnel are in the process of facing disciplinary action on various counts in the incident which happened around a couple of years ago.

New Delhi, Jun 12 - A day after senior BJP leader L K Advani withdrew his resignation following the RSS chief's call to him, the Sangh founthead today said that it is not interfering or managing the affairs of the right-wing party. "When a senior person of the stature of L K Advani needed to be given some advice, naturally some senior people in the country and society will give him advice.

Port Blair, June 12 - The Early Tsunami Warning System installed at Rangachang in Andaman and Nicobar Islands can predict a tsunami immediately after an earthquake, Chief Scientist of National Institute of Ocean Technology Vinith Kumar said. "The system can predict tsunami within 3 minutes after the occurrence of the initial tremors and send alerts," he said addressing a meet held at Dollygunj here yesterday.

Mumbai, Jun 11 - The proposed US legislation on immigration reforms will increase the visa-related costs for domestic software firms like TCS and Infosys, research firm Gartner said. The bill proposes to increase the H1-B visa fees to about USD 5,000 per application. The bill before the US Congress relates to immigration reform, including restriction on deploying resources on-site, higher visa costs and increase in wages for H1-B visa holders.

Jammu, June 11 - In a second ceasefire violation in less than 24 hours, Pakistani troops today fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. Today's incident in which there was no loss of life or injury to any one in the firing is the third ceasefire violation in the past four days and the fifth in 19 days. All but one of the five ceasefire violations occurred in the Poonch sector.

New Delhi, Jun 11 - Italy's Deputy Foreign Minister Staffan de Mistura has met with External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here seeking speedy trial for the two Italian marines who are facing trial for allegedly killing Indian fishermen. "Mistura reached Delhi yesterday and prior to his (Khurshid's) departure (for Norway) late last night, he did meet Mistura. "They had a discussion and this was related to the desire of Italian government to have a speedy trial for the two marines," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said here.

New Delhi, Jun 11 - Voicing surprise and concern, India today said it will seek information and details from US over reports that it was the fifth most tracked country by the American intelligence which used a secret data-mining programme to monitor worldwide internet data. New Delhi also made it clear that it would be "unacceptable" if it was found that domestic laws relating to privacy of information of citizens were violated.

Barmer/New Delhi, June 11 - Notwithstanding L K Advani's resignation, BJP President Rajnath Singh today made it clear that there will be no going back on the decision to appoint Narendra Modi as campaign committee chief. His assertion came even as a host of leaders like M M Joshi, Jaswant Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, Gopinath Munde, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Kalraj Mishra and Gopinath Munde flocked to Advani's residence to persuade him to reconsider his decision, saying his "guidance" was required by the party.

New Delhi, Jun 11 - Virtually threatening a pull out, NDA ally JDU today said it would be difficult for it to continue in the alliance in the absence of L K Advani, who resigned from key posts in his party a day after Narendra Modi was anointed as BJP's campaign committee chief. "If he (Advani) is not at the helm of affairs, it will be very difficult for us to continue in the alliance," party general secretary K C Tyagi told reporters.

Beijing, Jun 11 - China today successfully launched its fifth and longest manned space mission with three astronauts, including a woman, on board 'Shenzhou-10' as part of the Communist giant's efforts to build a permanent space lab of its own by 2020. Watched by President Xi Jinping, Shenzhou-10 (Divine Craft) spaceship carrying the three astronauts blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province for a 15-day-long mission during which it would dock with Tiangong-1 space lab orbiting round the Earth and conduct a host of experiments.

New Delhi, June 11 - V C Shukla, a former union minister and Congress veteran from Chhattisgarh, died today in a Gurgaon hospital after battling injuries sustained in a deadly naxal attack on a convoy of party leaders a fortnight ago. Shukla (84) died at 14:38 hours, said Yatin Mehta, Chairman of Institute of Critical Care and Anaesthesiology in the Medanta Medicity Hospital in nearby Gurgaon.

Jammu, June 11 - Pakistani troops fired on Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the second ceasefire violation in the past four days. Pakistan troops opened small arms firing on Indian posts in Nangi Tikri forward area along LoC in Krishnagati sub-sector of Poonch last night, Defence PRO S N Acharya said today.

New Delhi, Jun 10 - In a major setback to Delhi Police, a court here today indicted them for slapping the stringent provisions of MCOCA on cricketers S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and 17 others and granted the accused bail in the IPL spot-fixing case. "There is no reason for believing that the accused are guilty under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) at this stage," Additional Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Khanna said.

London, Jun 10 - India has emerged as the fifth most tracked country by the US intelligence which used a secret data-mining programme to monitor worldwide internet data. Britain's Guardian newspaper claims to have acquired top secret documents about US' National Security Agency's (NSA) data-mining tool, called Boundless Informant.

New Delhi, Jun 10 - The rift in BJP was today wide open with L K Advani quitting from all the party posts, apparently opposing the elevation of his one-time protege Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as election campaign committee chief. 85-year-old Advani, a founder member of the BJP and considered the party patriarch after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, resigned from all main fora of the party -- Parliamentary Board, National Executive and Election Committee.

Purulia (WB), June 10 - Thirteen infants have died at the Purulia Sadar Deben Mahato Hospital here since last Friday, the hospital said today. Most of the infants were in the age group of 0-11 months, Hospital Superintendent Nilanjana Sen said. While eight deaths were reported on Friday, three infants died on Saturday and two deaths were reported yesterday, the superintendent said.

Purulia(WB), June 8 - Eleven infants have died in the Purulia Sadar Deben Mahato Hospital here since Friday, hospital sources said today. The infants died as most of them were malnourished, born under weight and also due to dehydration, Hospital Superintendent Nilanjana Sen said.

Islamabad, Jun 7 - A US drone targeted a compound in the lawless North Waziristan tribal region of Pakistan today, killing seven persons just two days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for an end to the drone campaign. The drone fired two missiles at a compound in a village of Shawal sub-division of North Waziristan Agency late tonight. The compound was destroyed in the attack, security officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.

Jammu, Jun 7 - A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed when Pakistan opened heavy fire with automatic weapons and rockets on Indian posts along the LoC in Poonch sector today, in the third ceasefire violation in a fortnight. One of the rockets hit Lonawali post on the Line of Control (LoC) in which one splinter hit JCO Naib Subedar Bachan Singh of Garhwal Regiment resulting in his death, a senior Army officer said.

Islamabad, Jun 7 - Hours after an Indian soldier was killed in a rocket attack across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan Army today said its troops had not carried out any firing across the ceasefire line. The "Pakistan military spokesperson has categorically denied the allegation of cross-LoC fire, saying that no Pakistani troops carried out any firing across the LoC on Indian positions", the army said in a statement posted on Twitter.

Beijing, Jun 7 - At least 20 people were killed and over 30 others injured today when a bus burst into flames on an elevated road in southeast China, the local government said. A BRT (bus rapid transit) bus caught fire in the city of Xiamen in Fujian Province at about 6:30 pm (4 pm IST), said an official from the municipal government.

New Delhi, Jun 7 - A case of alleged disproportionate assets against Congress President Sonia Gandhi's aide Vincent George has been closed by CBI citing insufficient evidence. The CBI case was that George had allegedly amassed huge wealth after 1990 which included commercial and residential properties in posh South Delhi area, properties in Bangalore, Chennai, Kerala and agriculture land bordering Delhi besides cash over Rs 1.5 crore in bank accounts.

New Delhi, Jun 7 - The Delhi Police today sought issuance of open non-bailable warrants for fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel in connection with the IPL spot-fixing racket, which it said was being run on their command. In an application moved before Additional Sessions Judge Vinay Kumar Khanna, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said, "It has come to our notice that main bookies and the fixers were in touch with Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel. "It has come to the notice that Dawood and Chhota Shakeel gave directions to bookies and fixers in India to fix the cricket players and betting on cricket matches," it said.

New Delhi, June 7 - The beleaguered Rajasthan Royals management today sought to distance itself from co-owner Raj Kundra, who has been accused of betting during IPL matches, saying that he had no involvement in running of the franchise and would be suspended if found guilty. Reacting to reports over Kundra's involvement in betting, the Rajasthan Royals said that he would also forfeit his shares in the franchise if he has breached any regulations.

New Delhi, Jun 7 - Actress Shilpa Shetty placed bets of Rs one lakh for an IPL match, Delhi Police claimed today even as investigators said they do not believe her husband and co-owner of Rajasthan Royals Raj Kundra's statement that he lost Rs one crore in betting. Kundra and Shilpa have denied allegations against them. Police sources said they may quizz Kundra again and call Shilpa for questioning if there is a need.

Abuja, Jun 7 - Fourteen Indian sailors on a hijacked cargo vessel have been safely rescued as Somali pirates on board the ship fled after counter piracy ships from the EU and NATO launched a mission in the Gulf of Aden following an SOS message. "Fourteen Indian sailors are now safe, after pirates, who took control of their cargo vessel on June 5 in the Gulf of Aden, abandoned the attack hours later after EU Naval Force warship HSwMS Carlskrona, together with NATO counter piracy Dutch warship HNLMS Van Speijk, closed in," the EU Naval Force said in a statement.

Hyderabad, Jun 7 - Former Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy, YSR Congress chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others today appeared before a special CBI court here in connection with the case relating to alleged quid-pro-quo investments in Kadapa MP Jagan's companies.

Shimla, June 7 - At least 20 people were today killed and several others injured when a bus plunged into a 500 ft deep gorge in remote Sangrah area of Sirmaur district, 200 km from here, police said. Eighteen persons, including eight women died on the spot while two succumbed to injuries, they said, adding the injured have been hospitalised in Rajgarh, Solan and Shimla.

Guwahati, June 6 - Reserve Bank of India today said food prices will remain at a higher level despite average inflation in the country being expected to moderate to around 5.5 per cent this fiscal. "We see food prices continue to remain high, partly because income levels have gone up.

Srinagar, June 6 - The 19-hour gunbattle between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir ended this afternoon with the killing of a holed-up ultra, taking the number of militants killed to two. Divisional Commander of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit Altaf Baba alias 'Gazi Baba' was killed in the encounter yesterday, while his associate Mohammad Abbass Nengroo was shot dead today, police said.

Colombo, Jun 6 - At least 49 Indian fishermen have been arrested by Sri Lankan navy when they were fishing in the waters off the country's northern coastal areas. Ten trawlers of the fishermen were also seized by the Sri Lanka Navy yesterday. Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya said 49 fishermen had been arrested on two separate occasions off the northern coastal areas of Kankesanturai and Talaimannar.

Islamabad, Jun 6 - Five militants were killed and 16 security personnel injured during a clash in the restive Quetta city of southwest Pakistan today, officials said. The clash broke out when security personnel were conducting a search operation in Kharotabad area of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, this morning.

New Delhi, Jun 6 - Rajasthan Royals' owner Raj Kundra's passport has been seized by Delhi Police which questioned him for about 10 hours in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal and allegations that he was into betting. Police have asked Kundra not to leave the country. Delhi Police sources said that Kundra was quizzed for about 10 hours yesterday.

Kolkata, June 5 (PTI) Buoyed by Trinamool Congress victory in the Howrah Lok Sabha bye-election in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said her party did not require Congress and through their verdict, people have given a message to go it alone. "Congress requires us. We don't need Congress. The people in Howrah have given the message that we should go alone. Our victory reflected the mahajot (grand alliance) of people against all immoral alliance. Our's was a solo fight. It ushered in a new arithmetic, a new chapter," Banerjee told reporters after TMC candidate Prasun Banerjee's victory.

New Delhi, Jun 5 - Rejecting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's contention that NCTC is a "poorly conceived" idea, the Centre today said the country will have to pay heavy price if the anti-terror hub does not come into existence. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, the architect of the NCTC, said it was "deeply regrettable" that a few chief ministers opposed even the modified version of the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

Islamabad, Jun 5 - PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was today formally elected Pakistan's Prime Minister by an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, setting the stage for an unprecedented third term as premier. Sharif, 63, received 244 votes in the 342-member lower house of parliament during the election conducted through a division of the House.

New Delhi, Jun 5 - India today blamed Pakistan for trying to revive Sikh militancy and said youth are being trained in ISI facilities to carry out terror attacks in the country. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said there have been significant developments on the Sikh militancy front and its commanders based in Pakistan are under pressure from the ISI to further the Pakistani intelligence agency's terror plans not only in Punjab but also other parts of India.

New Delhi, June 4 - Ruling out any dialogue with naxalites, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said that fight against Left wing extremists will be intensified in the coming days. "The recent Naxal attack in the state has ruled out any option of dialogue with them. There will be no talks. The fight against naxalites will be intensified," Singh told PTI in an interview here.

Aurangabad/Sasaram, June 4 - Nine persons were killed when lightning struck them today in Bihar's Aurangabad and Rohas districts, official sources said. Four persons, including two girls died, in Rajabigha village and another person died in Vishunpur village after lightning struck on them in Aurangabad district, the sources said.

New Delhi, June 4 - In the backdrop of recent violations of banking norms by some public sector as well as private banks, RBI Governor D Subbarao believes that penalties for such offences in India amounted to "peanuts" compared to those in the western countries. Erring banks can face a maximum penalty of Rs one crore in India, he told PTI, adding that it was upto the lawmakers to decide whether this should be increased.

New Delhi, June 4 - The spot-fixing scandal in IPL turned murkier with the names of global terrorist and India's most wanted man Dawood Ibrahim and his close aide Chotta Shakeel surfacing in the case. Delhi Police today slapped stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all the 26 accused, including three cricket players of Rajasthan Royals, and claimed bookies like Ashiwani Aggarwal were working at the behest of Dawood gang.

Dhaka, Jun 4 - Bangladesh's cabinet has approved a draft law for development of Hindu religious properties and to protect them from encroachment and land grab, a move welcomed by the country's minority community. The cabinet yesterday gave final approval to the draft and officials said the government would make a list of the Hindu charitable endowments or 'Devottar' property, and constitute a management board once the law is passed by the parliament expectedly during the current budget session.

New Delhi, Jun 4 - The CIC order on bringing parties under RTI ambit today divided the political class, with Congress and few others rejecting it while main Opposition BJP saw nothing wrong in such a move. A day after the CIC gave its ruling, Congress termed it as an "adventurist" approach that would harm democractic institutions. Its view was echoed by CPI(M) and BJP's ally JD(U), which also rejected the order passed by the quasi-judicial body.

Islamabad, Jun 4 (PTI) Nawaz Sharif is expected to be sworn in for a record third term as Pakistan's Prime Minister tomorrow with a very small cabinet comprising close aides shortly after he is formally elected to the post. Sharif's election in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament is a foregone conclusion as his PML-N party has over 180 members in the 342-member strong House. The election of the Prime Minister will be done by a division of the House.

New Delhi, Jun 4 - Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has come under sharp attack from some former cricketers for his alleged conflict of interest for having stakes in the sports management company which handles him and three of his Indian teammates. Dhoni found himself in a controversy when it came to light that he had 15 per cent stake in Rhiti Sports, which also manages Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha, besides the Indian captain.

New Delhi, Jun 4 - Does he consider being termed an "inflation warrior" a compliment or criticism, RBI Governor D Subbarao was asked today. "I do not take that as a compliment," reacted Subbarao during an interview to PTI. But he went on to add that if people had said the Governor and the RBI had got the mix between growth and inflation judiciously and drawn a right balance "I would take it as a compliment".

Dehradun, June 4 - Accusing the UPA of being steeped in corruption, BJP in Uttarakhand today said dislodging the Congress from power in 2014 General elections is on top of the party's agenda. "After four years of UPA-II in power there is not even an iota of doubt left in people's mind that corruption has flourished like never before under the Congress-led alliance.

Mumbai, Jun 3 - Actor Vindoo Dara Singh and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) principal Gurunath Meiyappan, arrested in connection with the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal, were today granted bail by a local court. Besides Vindoo and Meiyappan, the son-in-law of N Srinivasan who recently stepped aside as BCCI president, six bookies too were granted the relief on the bond of Rs 25,000 each.

Beijing, Jun 4 - The death toll from the fire at a poultry plant in northeast China's Jilin Province had risen to 120 with about 70 people injured.  The fire broke out on Monday at a poultry processing workshop owned by the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company in Mishazi Township in the city of Dehui, about 100 km northeast of the provincial capital Changchun.

Raisen (MP), Jun 3 - Six persons of a marriage party were killed and four others injured when their jeep overturned near village Jamunia Ghat near Begumganj town in the district today, police said. The incident took place when one of the front tyres of the vehicle, driven by the bride's brother got punctured, due to which it overturned, police said.

Beijing, Jun 3 - At least 113 people were killed and 54 others injured today in a major fire at a poultry processing plant in northeast China, in what could be the country's deadliest inferno in over a decade. The fire broke out at around 6:06 AM (local time) at a slaughterhouse owned by the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company in Mishazi Township of Dehui City, Jilin Province, according to firefighters.

New Delhi, Jun 3 - A fresh PIL was today filed in the Supreme Court claiming that the appointment of Shashi Kant Sharma as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) was arbitrary and made without any transparency. The latest challenge to Sharma's appointment comes just over a week after the apex court on May 23 agreed to hear a similar plea. This fresh petition has been filed on behalf of former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, former chiefs of Naval Staff Admiral (retd) R H Tahiliani and Admiral (retd) L Ramdas, former Deputy CAG B P Mathur and five other retired bureaucrats.

New Delhi, Jun 3 - Senior BJP leader and BCCI Vice President Arun Jaitley today said N Srinivasan will maintain an arm’s-length distance from the probe against his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan in the IPL-6 betting charges. “There will be an enquiry which will be on, the charges being criminal will be investigated.

New Delhi, Jun 1 - Activist Anna Hazare on Saturday threatened to sit on an indefinite fast again in Delhi from October demanding passage of ‘Janlokpal Bill’. Hazare announced his decision in a letter shot off to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his disappointment over the government failure to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill as promised in 2011.

New Delhi, Jun 1 - RSS on Saturday asked Congress to clarify ‘conspiracy theories’ that some BJP leaders were behind the Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh last week which left 27 people, including Congress functionaries, dead. “The irresponsible behaviour of some Congressmen has stunned many…people are questioning the role of some state Congress leaders in 25 May incident.

Jaipur, Jun 1 - There was no let up in the searing heat sweeping entire Rajasthan, where Churu was the hottest place with a maximum of 47.2 degree Celsius. While Sriganganagar sizzled at 46.1 degrees, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Barmer recorded maximum of 45.4, 43.9 and 43.2 degrees Celsius respectively.

New Delhi, Jun 1 - IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla today resigned from the high-profile position in the wake of the raging spot-fixing scandal that has rocked Indian cricket, piling up pressure on N Srinivasan to follow suit. A day before the emergency meeting of the working committee in Chennai, Shukla took the decision to quit saying that he felt it necessary to do so in the light of the recent developments.

Oklahoma City, Jun 1 - Violent thunderstorms on Friday produced tornadoes in central Oklahoma that killed five people including a mother and her baby and menaced Oklahoma City and its hard-hit suburb of Moore, authorities said. The mother and baby were killed while traveling on Interstate 40, just west of Oklahoma City, when their vehicle was picked up by the storm, said Betsy Randolph, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Howrah (WB), May 31 - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the Centre of issuing threats of engaging CBI against the state government since Trinamool Congress quit the UPA on the issue of FDI in retail. "They (Centre) are threatening us with CBI. There is no use of intimidating or threatening us. We had quit UPA on the single issue of FDI in retail.

Mumbai, May 31 - President Pranab Mukherjee today pitched for the involvement of the private sector in government's efforts to ensure economic growth and social welfare of the people of the country. "Government's efforts must be supplemented by the commitment of more resources by the corporate sector to development and social welfare activities," the President said at a function here. He also stressed that our foremost goal should be the revival of country's proud traditions in morality, ethics and social conduct.

Onboard PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today indicated that a Cabinet reshuffle could be on the cards to fill up the vacancies. "There are some vacancies. The issue of filling them up is being considered," Singh told reporters on his way back from Japan and Thailand. The Prime Minister was asked whether he was contemplating a Cabinet reshuffle in view of vacancies created by the resignations of P K Bansal and Ashwani Kumar.

New Delhi, May 31 - The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the Centre on a PIL seeking a direction to it to take control of BCCI and all its cricketing affairs including the IPL. A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayanth Nath also issued notices to the Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) and the Delhi government on the petition filed by NGO Association for Social and Humanitarian Affairs.

On Board PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that both he and new Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif want to take bilateral relations forward and resolve outstanding issues peacefully. Singh told reporters on his way back from Japan and Thailand that both leaders had invited each other to visit their countries but dates for this have not been fixed as yet.

Onboard PM's Special Aircraft, May 31 - Rejecting reports of a rift between him and Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asserted that there was no truth in it as the two worked together almost on all issues. "In all truthfulness, there is no difference of opinion between me and the Congress president," he told reporters on his way back from the five-day visit to Japan and Thailand.

New Delhi, May 31 - Pulled down by poor performance of farm, manufacturing and mining sectors, economic growth slowed to 4.8 per cent in the January-March quarter and fell to a decade's low of 5 per cent for the entire 2012-13 fiscal. The economic growth or gross domestic product (GDP) had expanded by 5.1 per cent in January-March quarter of last fiscal. Economy had grown at 4 per cent in 2002-03.

Howrah, May 30 - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today claimed that the 'anti-people policies' of the UPA compelled her quit the alliance. "Be it its attitude towards small and marginal farmers or sharecroppers, hike in the price of LPG cylinders and fertilisers.

New Delhi, May 30 - Social activist Aruna Roy, who has decided to dissociate herself from Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council, today hit out at government saying it was focussing on economic reforms and growth at the cost of poor people. Roy, who has attacked the Prime Minister for rejecting a proposal of NAC to raise minimum wages under MGNREGA, said pro-poor issues have been pushed to the back burner by the UPA-II government.

Chennai, May 30 - Tamil Nadu government today strongly protested the Centre's decision to partially decontrol sugar sector, saying the move to remove levy obligation on sugar mills and decontrol the regulated release mechanism will adversely impact supply of the sweetener through PDS.

New Delhi, May 29 - Pressure from within mounted against N Srinivasan's continuance as BCCI chief with heavyweights Rajeev Shukla and Arun Jaitley coming out in the open as Sharad Pawar slammed the incumbent who still refused to heed calls for resignation. Pawar, a former BCCI President, with whom Srinivasan has fallen out, today broke his silence and demanded a Home Ministry probe into all the 75 matches of the IPL in the wake of spot-fixing and betting allegations.

New Delhi, May 29 - Reflecting frustration over long delays of strategic projects like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Defence Minister A K Antony today came down hard on DRDO, saying there is a "limit to time slippages" and that it should "perform or perish". Antony told the country's premier government-run organisation responsible for manufacturing defence equipment that it should adhere to the timelines and satisfy the user.

London, May 29 - India has probably surpassed Japan to become the world's third largest economy after the US and China, Paris-based think-tank OECD said today even as it lowered the country's economic growth projection for 2013 to 5.3 per cent. "China will likely pass the United States as the world's largest economy in the next few years and India has probably recently surpassed Japan to be third largest," said the OECD Economic Outlook report.

New Delhi, May 29 - Frustrated with the spot-fixing scandal and a series of other controversies that have plagued the Indian Premier League, the event's chairman Rajeev Shukla today said he was not keen to take up the position again. Shukla said his tenure was for a one-year period which is renewed every year and he was not willing to take up the high-profile post for a third consecutive term.

Tokyo, May 29 - Japan today pledged to jointly work with India to make it a full member of international export control regimes like NSG and "accelerate" negotiations for early conclusion of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement. A joint statement issued at the end of exhaustive talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe said both sides expressed their commitment to continue to work to prepare the ground for India to become a full member in the international export control regimes.

New Delhi, May 29 - N Srinivasan's cup of woes seems to be spilling over with the Sports Ministry today joining the growing chorus of demand for his resignation as BCCI President pending inquiry into the ongoing IPL spot-fixing scandal. After senior Board officials such as IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, vice-President Arun Jaitley and Jyotiraditya Scindia urged him to step aside, the Ministry has also sought his ouster.

Islamabad, May 29 - A US drone targeted a house in Pakistan's lawless North Waziristan tribal region today, killing four persons in the first missile strike since the country's landmark general election on May 11. The CIA-operated spy plane targeted a house in Chashma Pul area of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan Agency, early this morning.

New Delhi, May 28 - Jyotiraditya Scindia today became the first BCCI office-bearer to openly call for President N Srinivasan's resignation in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal and said that the Board should take entire responsibility for the fiasco. While Scindia wanted Srinivasan to step down till the case of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is decided, Union Minister and senior Board functionary Farooq Abdullah backed the beleaguered president, saying there was no reason for him to quit.

New Delhi, May 28 - Delhi Police today brought the angle of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in the IPL spot-fixing scandal in a Delhi court which sent suspended cricketer S Sreesanth to Tihar jail rejecting police's plea for his remand for two more days. During the course of arguments in remand proceedings, senior public prosecutor Rajiv Mohan told the court that interception of various calls suggested that several big names may be involved in the episode as calls were made to Dawood.

New Delhi, May 28 - The Law Ministry has proposed punishment ranging from three to seven years' jail for various "dishonest" practices in a sporting event, including spot- fixing and match-fixing. The draft 'Dishonest Practice in Sporting Event (Prevention) Bill', submitted to the Sports Ministry, provides for punishment of up to three years in jail with fine for accepting gratification for fixing the result of a sporting event.

New Delhi, May 28 - Anti-Naxal operations will be intensified in the aftermath of the Maoist attack on Congress leaders, the government today said but ruled out holding peace talks with the extremists unless they abjure violence. Minister of State for Home RPN Singh said Maoist barbarism and cold blooded murders have peaked in the last six months and there was an urgent need to re-look the policy dealing with the Naxals.

New Delhi, May 28 - Former Indian corporate lobbyist Niira Radia told a special court that Tata Teleservices Ltd, which was ahead in the queue for allocation of the 2G spectrum, lost the race while an "ineligible" Swan Telecom, said to be owned by ADAG Reliance Communications, was granted the radiowaves. 53-year-old Radia, who appeared for the first time in the court in the case as a CBI witness, said she was advising the Tatas on telecom issues and the Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) had opposed the allocation of spectrum to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL) and Reliance Communications Ltd.

Tokyo, May 28 - Warning against "continuing threats" in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India sees Japan as a "natural and indispensable partner" in its quest for stability and peace in Asia that is washed by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Prime Minister also underlined the need for maritime security across the linked regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans for regional and global prosperity.

Raipur, May 28 - The Home Ministry today ruled out involvement of the Army in anti-Naxal operations but said more paramilitary forces will be deployed for intensified operations in Maoists-hit areas to flush out the extremists. Union Home Secretary R K Singh said a judicial inquiry has been ordered by the Chhattisgarh government to find out the lapses and fix responsibility for the Saturday's attack on Congress leaders in the state's Bastar region where 27 people, including PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, were killed.

Thane, May 28 - Six labourers were killed and nine others grievously injured when a truck in which they were travelling overturned and the heavy bore pipes inside it fell on them, police said today. The incident took place in Torangan Ghat in Mokhada taluka here yesterday killing four labourers on the spot, while two others died on their way to the hospital, they said. 

Baghdad, May 27 - A wave of car bombings tore through mostly Shiite Muslim neighbourhoods of the Baghdad area today afternoon, leaving at least 57 dead in the latest outburst of an unusually intense wave of bloodshed roiling Iraq. The blasts are the latest indication that Iraq's security is rapidly deteriorating as sectarian tensions exacerbated by months of Sunni-led anti-government protests and the war in neighbouring Syria are on the rise.

Bangalore, May 27 - Former Karnataka Minister and mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy and six others were today charge sheeted by CBI in a court here in connection with alleged illegal mining of iron ore which caused a loss of Rs 198 crore to the exchequer. CBI booked Reddy, his personal assistant M Ali Khan, the then Deputy Conservator of Forest, Bellary, S Muthiah, the then Deputy Director of Mines and Geology, S P Raju, the then Conservator of Forests, Manoj Kumar Shukla, and two private persons Swastik Nagaraj and K Mahesh for alleged criminal conspiracy, an agency spokesperson said here.

Raipur, May 27 - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today admitted the "security lapses" that had led to the killing of key Congress leaders last week but rejected the charge that adequate security was not provided to the leaders. Singh also ruled out using the army in fighting the Naxals in the state.

Kozhikode(Ker) May 27 - Network marketing firm Amway's India Chairman and CEO William S Pinckney and two company Directors were arrested here today on charges of financial irregularities. The two directors are Sanjay Malhotra and Anshu Budhraja, crime branch sources said. The arrests were made on a complaint of a woman who claimed to have incurred loss through the network and on the basis of three cases registered against the company last year in Wayanad district, they said.

New Delhi, May 27 - Rattled by India's sharp cut in purchase of its oil, Iran today offered oilfields on lucrative terms, routing gas pipeline through sea to avoid Pakistan and insurance to refiners provided New Delhi raised oil imports. Iran mounted a high-level delegation led by its Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi to impress upon New Delhi to raise oil purchases, which were cut to 13.3 million tons in 2012-13 from 18 million tons in the previous year.

Thanjavur, May 27 - India's capabilities to protect its vast interests in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and to tackle any threat there received a boost today with the setting up of a Sukhoi fighter aircraft base in Tamil Nadu, the first such station in the southern part of the country. Inaugurating the air base, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "The establishment of the premier fighter base is important in the view of the current geo-political scenario and threat perception in the peninsular region and in the Indian Ocean...It will help protect our island territories and sea lines of communication in the IOR."

New Delhi, May 27 - Jolted by Maoist targeting Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, the Centre today asked all Left Wing Extremism-hit states to revamp security of political workers and appoint nodal officers to coordinate political programmes so that such deadly attacks do not occur in future. The Home Ministry said the indiscriminate killing of political workers was a new development which needs to be addressed on priority in view of impending elections in many Naxal-affected states.

Etah (UP), May 27 - At least 21 people, including a newly-wed bride, were killed and 23 others injured when a roadways bus they were travelling in fell into the Hazara canal in the district, police said today. The incident occurred late last night when the driver of the bus going to Delhi from Farukhabad lost control over the vehicle and it fell into the canal in Pilua area, they said.

Kolkata, May 27 - Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who called it quits from the IPL after Mumbai Indians lifted the title here, said it was the perfect time to retire from the Twenty20 event as he has to "face the reality" after turning 40. "I think this is the right time to stop playing IPL. I am 40. 

Raipur, May 26 - Around 250 naxalites are believed to have carried out the killings of 27 people including Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur district. The naxalites, suspected to be members of the Dhand Karineya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), after triggering a blast, stopped the convoy and started shouting the names of people on their hit list which included former Home Minister of the state Mahendra Karma, architect of Salwa Judam, a people's movement against naxalism, official sources said.

New Delhi, May 26 - With less than a year for the Lok Sabha elections, Congress is bereft of strong alliances that had propelled it to power in the last two polls. Even as allies drifted away from it, Congress is trying to acquire new ones. The recent visit of Finance Minister P Chidambaram to Bihar and his good equations with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seen as Congress attempts to strike ties with the ruling JD(U) there.

Raipur, May 26 - The bullet-riddled bodies of Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son Dinesh, who were kidnapped by Maoists, were today found along with those of eight others in Jiram valley in Bastar. With the recovery of the bodies, the toll in the lethal Maoist attack on a convoy of Congress leaders yesterday has climbed to 27, police sources said. 32 people have been injured in the attack, DGP Ram Niwas said today.

Raipur, May 25 - Carrying out a major attack, Naxals today targeted a convoy of Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh's Jagdalpur district killing the party's senior leader Mahendra Karma and injuring former union minister V C Shukla. The Maoists also kidnapped PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel and his son after attacking the Congress leaders at Darba Gati Valley in Jagdalpur district , police said.

Islamabad, May 25 - Seven policemen were killed and four others, including a senior officer, injured when dozens of militants ambushed their vehicles on the outskirts of Peshawar city of northwest Pakistan, officials said today. The police convoy was attacked at Mattani area late last night. Six policemen were killed instantly while one more died in hospital today, officials said.

Senior BJP leader Prakash Javdekar today said that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was an "asset" and "most favourite" among all leaders of the party. "Modi is an asset for the party. People are attracted by his style of functioning. BJP does not have to go searching for the prime ministerial candidate like in Congress", Javadekar told reporters here.

New Delhi, May 24 - An upset Sahara Group chief Subrato Roy on Friday lashed out at N Srinivasan and stated that it will not sponsor the Indian cricket team as long as the beleaguered BCCI president stays at the helm. "It's really unfair, sad, irritating and disgusting. The last 13-14 years we had enjoyed such a harmonious relationship (with BCCI) till Shashank Manohar was there. But after that it is so disgusting," said Roy, the owner of the Pune Warriors franchise which has pulled out of the IPL over financial issues with the BCCI.

Madurai/New Delhi, May 24 - Pressure mounted for the resignation of BCCI President N Srinivasan in the wake of alleged involvment of his son-in-law and CSK team owner Gurunath Meiyappan in betting on IPL matches even as questions were raised over the future of Chennai franchise. The 35-year-old Gurunath, who has been summoned by Mumbai Police for questioning after actor Vindoo Dara Singh implicated him in betting, flew to Mumbai from Madurai in a chartered aircraft a little after the 5 pm deadline set by police for questioning.

New Delhi, May 24 - Reliance Industries (RIL) on Friday announced a huge natural gas discovery, possibly the biggest find ever, in the flagging eastern offshore KG-D6 block that will be key to arresting falling output. RIL and its partner BP plc of UK encountered 155 metres of gas pay zone in the first exploration well drilled on the block in more than five years. The well was drilled two kilometres below the existing producing D1&D3 fields.

Lahore, May 24 - Prime Minister-elect Nawaz Sharif today said Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India through dialogue. Sharif, whose PML-N party is set to form government following its victory in the May 11 polls, made the remarks when Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal called on him at his residence at Raiwind in Lahore.

Chennai, May 24 - Distancing itself from Gurunath Meiyappan after his name cropped up in IPL spot-fixing probe, Chennai Super Kings owner India Cements today said he is neither owner, nor CEO or Team Principal of CSK and promised strict action against anyone found guilty. BCCI chief N Srinivasan is the MD of India Cements and Meiyappan is his son-in-law.

Morena (MP), May 24 - Intense heat wave in Madhya Pradesh allegedly claimed the lives of at least 16 peacocks in Ruar Dohra village here, forest officials said today. Though villagers claim that 35 peacocks were found dead near a water body yesterday in the village, officials said that so far only 16 carcasses have been recovered.

New Delhi, May 23 - Ajit Chandila was allegedly paid Rs 12 lakh by a bookie for spot-fixing in the last year's IPL but the attempt to manipulate matches failed as the cricketer could not play many matches, Delhi Police sources claimed today. Interestingly, the sources said, Chandila gave three cheques of Rs four lakh each, two of which bounced, after the alleged bookie-cum-fixer Sunil Bhatia insisted on repayment of the money as he did not deliver as promised under the deal.

New Delhi, May 23 - At least three more players and one more IPL team is under the scanner for spot-fixing in the tournament, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar disclosed today. This is in addition to S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila of Rajasthan Royals who have been arrested by the police for alleged spot-fixing in three different matches.

Mumbai/Chennai, May 23 - Intensifying its probe into the IPL betting racket, Mumbai police today issued summons to Chennai Super King's CEO Gurunath Meiyappan asking him to appear before it tomorrow for questioning after he was found to be in "frequent touch" with actor Vindoo, arrested in connection with the scandal. A 4-member team of Mumbai police's crime branch led by Deputy Commissioner Satyanarayana Chaudhary was dispatched to Chennai today with summons and brief to question Meiyappan, son-in-law of CSK owner and BCCI chief N Srinivasan.

Washington, May 23 - India and the US have agreed to work closely to combat terrorism, apprehend wanted criminals and effectively deal with security threats confronting them. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is on a visit to the US, and Attorney General Eric Holder agreed that the Home Ministry and the US Department of Justice should work together institutionally to address pending issues relating to extradition, execution of Letters Rogatory and Red Corner Notices.

London, May 23 - British police investigating the "sickening" attack on the streets of London in which a soldier was hacked to death by two suspected Islamist extremists today carried out a series of raid in Greenwich and Lincolnshire. Anti-terror police forced their way into a flat and shattered the door frame as they raided an address believed to belong to one of the attackers on a Greenwich housing estate.

Lucknow, May 23 - Heat wave conditions continued in UP with day temperatures rising appreciably in Meerut while changing little in the remaining divisions of the state. Temperatures were markedly above normal in Meerut division, appreciably above normal in Jhansi, Agra, Allahabad, Kanpur, above normal in Bareilly, Moradabad and were normal in the remaining divisions of the state, Met office sources said.

Washington, May 23 - In a shift from its long-held policy, the Obama administration has admitted for the first time that four American nationals have been killed in the CIA drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen since 2009. While the killing of American-born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen was well known, the names of three others were disclosed by Attorney General Eric Holder in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy yesterday.

Islamabad, May 23 - A bomb blast ripped through a bus carrying security personnel in Quetta city of southwest Pakistan today, killing 12 people and injuring more than 20, police officials said. The bomb, planted in an auto-rickshaw, went off as the bus carrying Balochistan Constabulary personnel was passing through Bhosa Mandi area on the outskirts of the city this morning.

Bhubaneswar, May 22 - In a major setback to the Naveen Patnaik government, the Planning Commission has made it clear that Odisha does not qualify for the grant of Special Category Status, triggering a war of words between the ruling BJD and the Congress. "You will appreciate that under the existing criteria for approval by the National Development Council, Odisha does not qualify for grant of Special Category Status," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in a letter to Patnaik.

New Delhi, May 22 - Rejecting the talk about two power centres and differences between them, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today said there is "collective leadership" between her and Manmohan Singh and "we all stand by" the Prime Minister who will complete his term. Hailing Singh's performance over the last nine years, Gandhi hit out at the main Opposition BJP, saying it is playing "obstructionist" politics and stalling major people-oriented reforms measures like the Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill.

Mumbai, May 22 - With more murky dealings emerging during the custodial interrogation of Vindoo Randhawa, Mumbai police probing the IPL betting scandal may question Gurunath Meiyappan, CEO of Chennai Super Kings, with whom the arrested actor was in "frequent touch". Son of wrestler and actor Dara Singh, Vindoo, according to Joint Commissioner (crime) Himanshu Roy, was deeply involved in betting, earning Rs 17 lakh through the banned activity this year, and had even helped two bookies escape from India.

Ghaziabad/Lucknow, May 22 - Seven members of a family, including three minors were found murdered at their home in Nai Basti area in Ghaziabad district, a senior officer said here today. The deceased, identified as Satish Chandra Goel (65), a businessman, his wife Manju (62), son Sachin (40), daughter in-law Rekha (38) and three grandchildren -- Megha (13), Neha (10) and Aman (7) -- were murdered last night using a sharp edged weapon, IG R K Vishwakarma said.

New Delhi, May 22 - Delhi Lokayukta today indicted Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for allegedly misusing government funds for carrying out an advertisement campaign with a "political purpose" ahead of assembly elections in 2008. Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin recommended to President Pranab Mukherjee to caution Dikshit for the alleged misuse of public funds.

Islamabad, May 22 - Beleaguered former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's bail plea in the judges' detention case was today rejected by an anti-terrorism court, even as another court ordered his release in the 2007 Benazir Bhutto assassination case. Before rejecting the bail, anti-terrorism court judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi had reserved the ruling on Musharraf's bail application during the hearing of the case.

New Delhi, May 22 - Disgraced cricketer Ajit Chandila was allegedly paid at least Rs 49 lakh by bookies for spot- fixing IPL matches this season and of this Rs.15 lakh was given for one over in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 17 but he was arrested before the game, investigators claimed today. The investigators also voiced suspicion about an arrested bookie Sunil Bhatia fixing matches of the Bangladesh Premier League earlier after interrogating him. The bookie had also claimed that he fixed some matches of the rebel Indian Cricket League, police sources said.

New Delhi, May 22 - BJP today sought to paint a dismal picture of UPA-II holding it responsible for the economic gloom and failure to give the country leadership while accusing it of diminishing the role of the Prime Minister. On the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley said they would limit their critique to the second innings of the Congress-led coalition which has witnessed "mindboggling" scams that hit the common man the hardest.

New Delhi, May 21 - Afghan President Hamid Karzai held talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tonight discussing the situation in the region in the backdrop of Afghanistan's keenness to enhance defence cooperation with India and get supply of "lethal and non-lethal" weapons.

New Delhi, May 21 - On the eve of the 9th anniversary of the UPA, Sharad Pawar's NCP today lamented that Congress failed to reciprocate its support and friendship, but insisted that the UPA was "not a liability". "We had not put any conditions before the government or the party leading the UPA. One lesson must be learnt in these nine years that we have constantly supported Congress and UPA, but unfortunately, Congress has not supported us," party General Secretary and MP D P Tripathi told PTI.

Aizawl, May 21 - Seven BSF personnel were killed and four other personnel injured when a vehicle they used for patrolling fell into a gorge near Mizoram-Bangladesh border Tuipuibari village today, the police said. The vehicle carrying 11 personnel were patrolling in the area when it rolled down into a gorge 350 feet deep killing six of them on the spot.

New Delhi, May 21 - With an eye on 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP top brass including Narendra Modi today discussed strategy for it and decided to aggressively highlight the scams and "failures" of the government as part of which nationwide wide agitational programmes will be held next week.

Itanagar, May 21 - The ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh has won the Itanagar and Pasighat municipality elections with absolute majority by bagging 21 and 7 seats respectively. The elections to the civic body was held for the first time in the state on May 16 along with the three-tier Panchayat elections Out of total 30 ward councilors seats in Itanagar and 12 in Pasighat under East Siang district, election was held in 39 wards as three Congress candidates including two in Pasighat municipality elected unopposed.

London, May 21 - Mahatma Gandhi's last will and testament is expected to be the most sought after lot as part of an auction of rare items and documents being held in a small English town today. Described as a "highly important document", the two-page handwritten will on folio paper is priced between 30,000 pounds and 40,000 pounds and will compete with a fragment of Gandhi's blood on a microscopic slide, priced between 10,000 and 15,000 pounds.

Mumbai, May 21 - Bollywood actor Vindoo Randhawa, son of late wrestler-actor Dara Singh, was today arrested in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal, a Mumbai Crime Branch official said. "Vindoo was questioned after he was found to be in contact with the bookies and subsequently arrested today," the official told PTI without revealing further details.

Kathmandu, May 21 - Arunima Sinha, a former national level volleyball player, who had lost her right leg after thrown off a moving train by some hoodlums, created history today by becoming the first Indian amputee to conquer Mount Everest. 25-year-old Sinha reached the summit of the highest peak in the world at 10.55 am today, as a member of the Eco Everest Expedition from the Tata Group, an official of the Tourism Ministry of Nepal said.

New Delhi, May 21 - Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was today granted interim bail for six weeks by the Delhi High Court for undergoing pacemaker implant surgery at a hospital here. "In view of the facts and circumstances of the case and considering the medical report of the appellant/applicant, the applicant's sentence shall be suspended for a period of six weeks," Justice Siddharth Mridul said while granting the interim bail.

New Delhi, May 21 - Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who is being projected by a section within BJP as its prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections, on New Delhi met senior party leader LK Advani and termed the meeting as "wonderful".

Mathura, May 21 - Six persons were killed and three others got injured when a truck hit them at Delhi-Agra National Highway, police said today. The incident happened late last night when a few people were going back to Delhi from Agra in a car.

New Delhi, May 21 - Outsourcing company iGate Corp today sacked its Chief Executive Phaneesh Murthy for not disclosing a relationship with a subordinate and alleged sexual harassment. Murthy, who was replaced with immediate effect by interim CEO Gerhard Watzinger, was forced to quit India's second biggest software exporter Infosys Ltd in 2002 following a sexual harassment lawsuit, which was settled out of court.

New Delhi, May 21 - Outgoing Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai favours bringing all private-public partnerships (PPPs), Panchayti Raj Institutions and societies getting government funds within the ambit of the CAG. As he prepares to demit office tomorrow after an eventful tenure at the head of the Constitutional financial watchdog, he strongly defends the reports including on 2G spectrum allocation during his term that had triggered a number of controversies and raised the hackles of the government, and bringing in the concept of presumptive loss in audit.

New Delhi, May 21 - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang today said India and China have the "wisdom" to find mutually acceptable solution to the boundary problem and the two countries have not shied away from addressing the vexed issue. Li also said China will support its enterprises to increase investments in India and help Indian products have access to Chinese market as he supported a favourable trade balance in a bid to decrease mounting bilateral trade deficit. The trade imbalance is currently around USD 30 billion.

Shillong, May 21 - Five migrant labourers were shot dead and few others were injured when suspected tribal militants indiscriminately fired upon them in a remote mining village in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district, police said today. Suspected United Achik Liberation Army (UALA), a breakaway faction of the Achik National Volunteer Council-B faction, led by one Norrok Momin went to the mining camp at Darangdura village last evening and fired at the labourers, the police said.

New Delhi, May 21 - Former Ranji player Baburao Yadav was today arrested in connection with the IPL spot-fixing scandal even as police said it is likely to seek further custody of three arrested players and some bookies. Yadav, who was picked up from Delhi yesterday and questioned for his links with arrested player Ajit Chandila, has been placed under arrest, police sources said. It was Yadav who allegedly introduced Chandila to bookie Sunil Bhatia, who is already arrested, they said.

New Delhi, May 20 - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai arrived in the country today on a three-day visit during which he will seek increased military aid from India and discuss recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan. "We will ask for assistance for the strengthening of our security forces," Karzai's spokesman had said in a briefing on Saturday in Kabul ahead of the trip.

Srinagar, May 20 - The recent earthquake in Doda region of Jammu and Kashmir damaged public infrastructure worth Rs 100 crore as over 80,000 families were affected by the natural disaster. The losses to public infrastructure have been assessed to the tune of nearly Rs 100 crore with major damage reported in Doda district where public infrastructure worth Rs 89.10 crore has been damaged, an official spokesman said after a review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary M I Khanday here.

Lucknow, May 20 - In a jolt to former Chief Minister Mayawati, the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta has said public money worth Rs 1,400 crore was siphoned off in construction of memorials during her regime and indicted 199 people including her close aide and former BSP minister Naseemuddi Siddiqui. Besides Siddiqui, others indicted were another minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, a sitting MLA, several officers and engineers for irregularities in construction of memorials and parks during the previous Mayawati regime.

Beed (Maha), May 19 - Six persons were killed while 30 others injured in a road accident near Yelwadi village on Beed-Ahmadnagar road here this morning, police said. 35 people from Dhangar Javlaka village of Patoda tehsil were going to Pandharpur in Solapur district this morning in a tempo, police said.

New Delhi, May 19 - In a firm message to China, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tonight voiced India's serious concern over the recent Chinese incursion in Ladakh and told his counterpart Li Keqiang that in the absence of peace and tranquility along the border, bilateral ties will suffer as the two leaders held hour-long cordial but candid talks.

Jaipur, May 19 - Six children were killed and two others injured this evening when a portion of an old house collapsed on them in Barmer district, police said here. The incident occurred when the children were playing near the house in Siwana area, police said.