Polls for assembly constitutencies will begin with the first phase beginning on November 17 and the seventh and last phase of election on December 24.
When his attention was drawn to the statements of Biju Patnaik, Sharad Yadav and other prominent leaders who have described Bajrang Dal as a violent organization, Prasad said that there was ideological difference but BJP does not agree with that perception.
Hundreds of families of missing people in the flood-affected districts of Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Purnia and Araria, are optimistic that their missing kin will be traced. They have been running from pillar to post ever since water receded to get information about their dear ones.
The two-phased polls in Chattisgarh will be held on November 14 and 20 while elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 25, Mizoram and Delhi on November 29 and Rajasthan on December 4. Counting of votes in all the states will be taken up on December 8.
"Holding elections on time would have been beneficial to the main political parties. In the last elections, separatists like Hurriyat Conference had boycotted the elections. They had an impact only in six constituencies whereas other constituencies polled over 60 to 80 per cent," Party general secretary Arun Jaitley said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushma Swaraj strongly defended National Security Advisor M K Narayanan in the National Integration Council meeting on Monday when Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh took exception to the NSA's reply to his demand for a judicial probe into the Batla House encounter, in which two alleged terrorists and a Delhi police officer were killed.
UTV Spotboy plans to make a film on the life and times of Pan Singh Tomar, who was an icon for budding Indian athletes for his outstanding achievements in sports, especially his gold medal in the Asian Games, before he became a fugitive.
M Venkaiah Naidu, former president of Bharatiya Janata Party, flayed the Union government for threatening to impose president's rule in Orissa amid the continuing communal violence in the state.
Samajwadi party leader Amar Singh, who gave Rs10 lakh to the widow of inspector Mohan Chander Sharma for defending the nation, has now demanded a judicial probe into the alleged encounter, which he describes as fake encounter now.
Seven children have been killed by deadly kala azar (black fever) in flood-hit Bihar's Purnia district and dozens are suffering from it. Official sources in Purnia district administration told rediff.com on Saturday that seven children died in last 10 days in the Sadar hospital in Purnia town and several childrens affected by the disease have been admitted in the hospital.
Days have passed, yet there are no leads in the murder of Delhi journalist Soumya Vishwanathan.
The Delhi police has confirmed that it has not been able to make any headway in the murder of television journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. Somaya was shot dead when she was returning from her office to her residence in Vasant Kunj on Tuesday morning around 2.45. "No, we have no clues so far," Rajan Bhagat Delhi police PRO said.
Jaswant Singh, former external affairs in the National Democratic Alliance government, while taking a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for telling American president George Bush how much Indians loved him, said that none of the preceeding prime ministers had ever made such a comment.
"L K Advani has described Dr Singh as the weakest prime minister but what he has achieved through the nuclear agreement has left our neighbours far behind," Tiwari said.
According to eye-witnesses, two men riding on a motorcycle dropped a black polythene bag in the market area and left. The bag exploded within minutes, killing one person on the spot. Eghteen injured victims were taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung Hospital.
Security has been tightened at Vishnupad temple in Gaya town in Bihar, following a bomb threat, sources said on Saturday.An official of the Gaya district administration said that a terrorist outfit had sent a SMS to a senior district official, threatening a bomb blast at the temple. "After receiving the message threatening the blast, the district administration is taking no chances" he said.
President Pratibha Patil on Saturday spoke to veteran actor Dilip Kumar and wished him a speedy recovery. The 86-year-old thespian was admitted to the Indraprasth Apollo Hospital late on Thursday night."His wife Saira Bano was with the actor when President Patil called him up and made inquiries about his health. She sent flowers to the ailing actor. She also wished him a speedy recovery so that he is able to celebrate Id at his residence," a senior official said.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Shahabuddin has got 10-year imprisonment in a case under the Arms Act.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar has rejected the report submitted by the National Commission for Minorities in which a three-member commission had held the government of Karnataka responsible for inaction and allowing violence against Christians go out of hands.
The Bihar government has prepared an extensive action plan for completing Kosi breach closure work by November 30, official sources said.