Intense monsoon rains brought normal life to a standstill in several parts of eastern and central Rajasthan, flooding out roads, rail tracks, low-lying residential areas and hospitals and claiming seven lives since Sunday night.
Campaigning for the fifth phase ended on Friday evening, and all necessary arrangements have been completed, state Chief Election Officer Ajay Kumar Shukla said in Lucknow on Saturday.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the successful execution of the Maha Kumbh 2025, emphasizing effective crisis management, economic benefits, and the event's role in national unity and infrastructure development. He cited the swift response to a stampede on January 29 and the extensive preparations that ensured a smooth experience for millions of pilgrims.
The Central Bureau of Investigation team probing DSP Zia-ul-Haq's murder case has written to the Uttar Pradesh government for removal of local police officers in Pratapgarh's Kunda circle stating that their presence might affect the investigation.
The road accident took place late Thursday night when the victims were returning from a wedding function in the Nawabganj area of Pratapgarh, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi said.
The tragedy occurred around noon when thousands of followers of swami Kripaluji Maharaj had made a beeline for his ashram in Mangarh village near Kunda town in Pratapgarh district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, about 180 km from Lucknow.
Notwithstanding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra crisscrossing Uttar Pradesh and a buzz built around the "Ladki hoon, Lad sakti hoon" campaign, the Congress was leading in only one seat out of 403 in the state, with many of its senior leaders trailing in their respective constituencies, according to trends available at 1.20 pm.
A day after violent communal clash and arson rocked Asthan village in the Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered the suspension of both the district magistrate and superintendent of police.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday announced financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh each to the family members of two peacekeepers from the state killed during a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
Controversial Uttar Pradesh Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias 'Raja Bhaiya' resigned on Monday and faced possible arrest after he was booked for alleged conspiracy in the killing of a police officer over which a Central Bureau of Investigation probe will be ordered.
Facing protests from a section of the Rajput community over Union Minister Parshottam Rupala's remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh -- a Rajput-dominated seat -- is hoping that the 'Modi factor' and the development work undertaken by his government will help it retain the Lok Sabha constituency.
Babloo Yadav, son of slain village head Nanhe Yadav who allegedly shot Haq dead using a country-made gun, was apprehended in Pratapgarh district, CBI sources said.
Controversial Uttar Pradesh politician Raja Bhaiya was on Thursday booked by Central Bureau of Investigation under murder charges in the killing of police officer Zia-Ul-Haq after the probe into the case was handed over to the central investigating agency.
Virtually ruling out immediate arrest of Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya booked in the murder of a senior police officer, Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday said it needs to be established first who committed the crime before the conspiracy angle can be probed.
The young widow of the 32-year old police officer who was killed brutally in Saturday's mob violence in Pratapgarh district, about 140 km from Lucknow, is clearly unimpressed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's generous gesture of a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs in addition to conceding her demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe.
The Supreme Court has dismissed a public interest litigation against the demolition of 'corona mata mandir,' constructed by a woman along with her husband in Uttar Pradesh's Pratapgarh district, saying it was an 'abuse of the process.'
Police in Uttar Pradesh have failed to nab the killers of Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia Ul Haque, who was gunned down by a mob visibly agitated over the murder of a local village head in Pratapgarh district, about 140 km from Lucknow on Saturday night.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his convoy will spend the night on a farm in Bhadohi as the district administration has denied permission for his stay at a government college citing a police recruitment exam, a party member said on Thursday.
A private helicopter carrying Samajwadi Party leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh crash landed on a highway at Dhimi village under Hathgawan police circle of Pratapgarh district, on Sunmday evening.
Raja Bhaiyya announces resignation after Supreme Court verdict
Raja Bhaiya's father Uday Singh, who was also asked to appear before the court, expressed inability to comply with the directive, citing health reasons.
Judge Shailendra Saxena said the accused shall be released on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each with two securities each of like amount.
'The BJP talks about prosperity, but it doesn't want anybody to prosper.'
The bride was sent back to her parents' home and the two families have now approached the Darul Uloom of Deoband seeking a 'fatwa' on the issue. The Islamic seminary has, however, refused to comment on the matter before issuing an edict.\n
On Friday, former ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini, five BJP MLAs and one from the Apna Dal-Sonelal had crossed over to the Samajwadi Party.
The rain ebbed in some places in north India and pelted down in others on Tuesday, with at least seven more people dead and hundreds stranded as raging waters gushed through villages, towns and fields -- from the desert state of Rajasthan to the hills of Himachal Pradesh.
The EC said polling percentage in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat in Jammu and Kashmir is the highest in 40 years.
An approximate voter turnout of 59.06 per cent was recorded in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Saturday in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories with the polling percentage in the Jangal Mahal region of West Bengal touching 78.19.
Chandni Kashyap's body was found buried in the field on Friday after her brothers Sunil and Sudhir, and mother Sukhrani were taken into custody, they said.
The districts are Gondia (Maharashtra), Raj Nand Gaon (Chhattisgarh), Davangiri (Karnataka), South Goa, Wayanad and Kottayam (Kerala), West Imphal (Manipur), Rajouri (J&K), Aizwal West (Mizoram), Mahe in Puducherry, SBS Nagar in Punjab, Patna, Nalanda and Munger in Bihar, Pratapgarh in Rajasthan, Panipat, Rohtak and Sirsa in Haryana, Pauri Garhwal in Uttrakhand and Bhadradari Kothagudem in Telangana.
In an audacious incident, kin of a rape accused tried to chop off the teenage victim's tongue on Thursday in Pratapgarh district in order to prevent her from giving her statement in the court. The crime took place in Jethwara area of the district.
A voter turnout of 10.82 per cent was recorded till 9 am on Saturday in 58 constituencies in six states and two Union territories where polling is underway in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Under India's laws bigamy is disallowed and those in breach of the law don't submit affidavits testifying to this status.
The Ganga has crossed the danger mark in West Bengal, Bihar and neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh where Yamuna river is also in spate, while heavy rainfall has created a flood-like situation in some parts of Rajasthan where six persons have died so far.
Besides the national capital, polling will be held Saturday in 14 seats in Uttar Pradesh, all 10 seats of Haryana, eight seats each in Bihar and West Bengal, six seats in Odisha, four seats in Jharkhand and one seat in Jammu and Kashmir. Simultaneously, polling will be held for 42 assembly constituencies in Odisha.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to cut short his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh by skipping western part of the state and saving five days, a party leader said on Monday while citing board exams.
State deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya among 692 candidates are contesting on 61 seats spread across 12 districts in the fifth phase.
The MLAs inducted into the Rajasthan cabinet are Meena, Madan Dilawar, Rathore, Gajendra Singh Khimsar, Babulal Kharadi, Jogaram Patel, Suresh Singh Rawat, Avinash Gehlot, Joraram Kumawat, Hemant Meena, Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary and Sumit Godara.
The last two phases of the elections will be held on March 3 and 7.
Seven pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh and three from Delhi were among the 12 people who died in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
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