Bengal, Assam Vote In High Stakes Second Phase, Other Top Stories

Nandigram - the epicentre of the battle for Bengal - is voting today, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee toe-to-toe with her protege-turned-arch rival Suvendu Adhikari. Thirty constituencies in Bengal and 39 in Assam are voting today. Steep cuts on interest rates on small savings schemes, announced last evening, were rolled back by the government today with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman declaring that "orders issued by oversight" would be withdrawn. In other news, the next big push in Covid vaccinations begins today with vaccines for those over 45.