Polling in 70 constituencies began at 8 am and will conclude at 5 pm, except in nine polling booths in the Maoist-affected Bindranawagarh seat in Gariaband district, where voting began at 7 for security reasons, a poll official said.
In most parts of the landlocked northeastern state, items such as rice, potato, onion and egg besides LPG cylinders and petrol are selling at rates much above the ones fixed by the government.
An MP from Karimnagar district in Andhra Pradesh on Friday filed a complaint against eminent scholar Ashis Nandy, for making remarks alleged to be anti-Dalit at the Jaipur Literature Festival, police said.
Business establishments remained closed on Tuesday morning and people were asked by security personnel to remain indoors through the public address system in New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where a mob torched two houses after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday.
The Jaipur police on Tuesday issued a notice to sociologist Ashis Nandy asking him to appear before it in connection with his controversial remarks against Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
Dalit writer and activist Kancha Ilaiah on Monday sought to put a lid on the controversy over sociologist Ashis Nandy' remarks on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, saying it was "a bad statement with good intentions".
The Jaipur police have sought the video of author Ashis Nandy's controversial comments at the Jaipur Literature Festival -- that people from Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities were the "most corrupt". Nandy has left the festival, skipping the rest of the event amid protests demanding his arrest.
The Jaipur Literature Festival Saturday witnessed fireworks after political critic Ashis Nandy made a controversial comment on corruption and people belonging to OBC, SC and ST communities which drew a strong response from the audience.
Asking Team Anna to clarify its stand on reservation issue, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday said he suspected "political ambitions" behind Anna Hazare's decision to expand his committee to include Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Muslims.
Bimola Thounaojam, the mother of an 18-year-old youth, has been trying frantically trying to work out how to get her son admitted to a college outside Manipur without having to go through the usual net-based admission procedure.
'Only the smoke is coming out now. Let us prevent the lava from coming out by taking proper measures.' 'I have told every leader that you cannot have a stable government without winning the confidence of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the most backward castes.' 'Leaders feel that by giving a sop here and there and by symbolic actions, they can win votes. That's all they want. Votes.'
He also told his legislators that the Cabinet would predominantly comprise members from the weaker sections, contrary to expectations that the Reddy community would get a lion's share.
Altogether 45 students were injured in Manipur's Imphal Valley on Tuesday as the police fired tear gas shells and baton-charged a mob protesting against the killing of two youths who were allegedly kidnapped in July, officials said.
More than ever before, women voters can make or mar a political party's electoral fortunes.
Charges and counter-charges flew thick and fast minutes after the controversy in the Lok Sabha, when Samajwadi Party member Yashvir Singh snatched the copy of quota in promotion bill from Union minister V Narayansamy and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi intervened to stop him.
Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation have been handed over two FIRs -- one filed by police at the Lamphel station and the other filed by the boy's father -- Joshua Hangsing -- at the Kangpokpi police station.
"I think this is absolutely wrong and this should not be done. This is absolutely ridiculous. People have been waiting for 30 years for getting promoted and working hard for it, what will happen to them," SP MP Jaya Bachchan told media persons in New Delhi.
Rajya Sabha could not function on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, with issues like Foreign Direct Investment and reservation to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in promotions triggering an uproar that led to its adjournment for the day.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the opposition for the unanimous passage of the women's reservation bill and said shortcomings, if any, can be rectified at a later date.
'The BJP used Shinde and Shiv Sena to decimate Uddhav Thackeray, humiliate him by taking away his party as well as party symbol.' 'The Shiv Sena and Eknath Shinde have served their purpose.'
The Congress has pinned its hopes on many of the old-timers and also given representation to some new faces in its first list of candidates announced for the Chhattisgarh assembly polls scheduled next month.
The government has planned to put opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the dock by bringing in a constitutional amendment providing for reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government service in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
The Centre on Tuesday cleared a proposal that would allow it to provide reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotion in government jobs. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the proposal for making provisions for quotas for SC/STs in promotions in government jobs.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday agreed to bring a Constitution amendment bill for reservation to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotions in government jobs while responding to vociferous uproar in both Houses of Parliament on Thursday.
According to a complaint lodged by the woman's husband, Shakoor Khan broke into their home on Thursday and raped his wife when she was alone.
J K Ritheesh, a Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam member of Parliament and five others were arrested in connection with a clash between his partymen and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam workers at Kalavankudi in the district, police said here on Tuesday.
It quashed a case pending against a person as it found that the alleged abuse was made in a basement of a building, where the victim and his co-workers alone were present.
Contests in 13 seats would attract most attention during the Chhattisgarh assembly elections as they feature prominent leaders of the Congress and BJP.
Ten Manipur tribal MLAs Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to withdraw Assam Rifles from security duties in the violence-hit state, saying its personnel have been putting their lives at risks to create buffer zones between the two warring communities.
According to a preliminary probe, the accused used to "harass and humiliate" the members of the Vanmore family as they were unable to repay the loans they had taken, apparently forcing them to take the extreme step, he added.
The tribal vote in Madhya Pradesh is crucial in any election. The BJP's loss in the 2018 assembly election has prompted it to take remedial action.
Senior SP leader Mohan Singh on Monday said that his party will oppose the bill seeking to provide quota in promotions. He said: "The Supreme court has denied an approval thrice, but the government is still after making a bill on it. We will oppose it." Voting is likely to take place on the quota bill at around 5 pm in the Rajya Sabha.
Fifty-seven-year old Chitra Swaroop made history in Uttar Pradesh after she was appointed the first ever engineer-in-chief of the state's public works department by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
Four years after he left Bihar to move to Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Ram Nath Kovind returned to Patna to address the inaugural event at the centenary celebration of the Bihar legislative assembly building.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Monday demanded that the Centre bring a Constitutional amendment bill during the current session of the Parliament to provide for reservation to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe government employees in promotions.
The storm over the issue of Foreign Direct Investment in retail refused to subside with the matter, along with quota in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, paralysing proceedings in Parliament for the second day on Friday.
The government lags behind in implementing the various schemes meant for SC/ST and OBCs, a parliamentary committee has said
In its bid to end the age-old practice of untouchability and ban on entry into temples in certain pockets of the state, Orissa government has prepared a strategy to deal with such situation.
Sheela Bhatt and Sharat Pradhan bring voices from the ground in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, which is voting today in the first phase of elections
Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena on Thursday thwarted an attempt in the Rajya Sabha to take up for passage the contentious Bill providing for quota in promotion for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs.
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