All India

BJP chief Amit Shah today defended the party's decision to field Pragya Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blasts case, as a Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal against Congress's Digvijaya Singh. The candidacy of the saffron-robed right-wing activist, who calls herself a Sadhvi (ascetic) has been challenged in court by the father of one of the six men who died in the serial blasts of 2006.

The Indian Coast Guard has been placed on high alert along the maritime border to prevent any attempt by those behind the Sri Lanka blasts to enter India, central sources said today.

The Election Commission has approved re-polling in 12 booths of Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency, where the voting process was disrupted or stalled during the second phase on April 18.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the day India will be free from Congress, it will become poverty-free.

The Shiv Sena on Monday urged the NDA government to take over the temporarily grounded private carrier Jet Airways and save its staff from losing their jobs.

An Election Commission general observer, who was suspended for checking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's helicopter in Odisha's Sambalpur in violation of norms for dealing with SPG protectees, has been sent back to Karnataka.

Former deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi was today appointed as special observer for Tripura where the Lok Sabha polls to one of the seats was postponed in view of the law and order situation.

Actor Akshay Kumar today denied that he is contesting the ongoing national election. His tweet came amid buzz online that he may enter politics and fight the election.

The Supreme Court today asked the Election Commission to share its report on "PM Narendra Modi", a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the movie producers three days after the poll body submitted the report in the top court in a sealed cover.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today questioned the Election Commission for not acting against Pragya Thakur, the 2008 Malegaon blast accused and the BJP candidate from Bhopal. The saffron-wearing politician has already been served two notices by the election watchdog for her controversial comments.

Rahul Gandhi's nomination papers for the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency are valid, the UP seat's returning officer said today, rejecting objections on the Congress president's poll documents after allegations of discrepancies over citizenship and other issues.

The Supreme Court Monday refused to entertain a plea which alleged that people were being bribed on a massive scale for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.

Left Democratic Front (LDF) and United Democratic Front (UDF) workers clashed in Kollam, on Sunday, on the last day of campaigning in Kerala which goes to polls tomorrow.

Pragya Thakur, the 2008 Malegaon blast accused who has collected two notices with her controversial comments after becoming the BJP's candidate from Bhopal in the national election, was described as "a patriot and an innocent daughter of India" by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, a senior party leader. "She will win Bhopal with a huge majority," he pronounced.

A Delhi court today extended till May 3 the judicial custody of Sushen Mohan Gupta, an alleged defence agent arrested in the AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam case.