Activist Manoj Jarange called off his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota issue after the government accepted his demands, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get reservation, they will be given all the benefits enjoyed by the OBCs. He had set out on a protest march from his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on January 20.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said his party expects that those who have the desire to protect the country's Constitution and democracy, will definitely not take any hasty steps, amid indications that JD(U) was planning to revert to the BJP-led NDA. Responding to a question on the possibility of JD(U) going out of the INDIA alliance, Kharge said, "Are they (JD(U)) going out? I have not got any information about it so far. I have written a letter to them (JD(U) leadership) and have tried to talk to them. I don't know clearly what is in their minds."
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the BJP has offered Rs 25 crore each to seven of its MLAs in Delhi to quit the party while also threatening to topple the Kejriwal government. According to Kejriwal, the callers claimed they were in contact with 21 AAP MLAs.
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File ImageBJP appointed election in-charges and co-in-charges for 23 states and Union territories in view of the Lok Sabha polls this year. BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde has been made the election in-charge for Bihar, while BJP Rajya Sabha member and former Jharkhand unit chief Deepak Prakash will be the co-in-charge, according to a party statement.
One village volunteer was killed and two others were injured during a gunfight between two armed groups in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, police said. The fighting stopped after the attackers retreated following the arrival of additional backup forces at Satang village.
Congress appointed former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel as its senior observer to coordinate the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' and other party activities in Bihar with immediate effect. The appointment comes at a time when power politics in Bihar has intensified amid strong indications that Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar may do yet another volte-face and return to the BJP-led NDA.
Union Home Ministry has extended Z+ security cover to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, the Raj Bhavan said in Thiruvananthapuram. The move comes after high drama played out in the Kollam district of Kerala today when Khan, facing SFI's black flag protest, got off his car, took on the agitating Left student wing members, sat on the roadside and hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh communication to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, asking him to again join the investigation in a money laundering case next week, official sources said. The central agency had earlier asked the Jharkhand chief minister to join the probe on any date between January 27 and 31 but since there was no official response, it has issued a fresh letter-cum-summons to the 48-year-old politician, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
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File ImageAlabama offered assistance to other US states seeking to carry out executions using asphyxiation by nitrogen gas, a few hours after pioneering the new method to kill Kenneth Smith, a prisoner condemned for a 1988 murder. Alabama called the new method 'humane,' while human rights groups condemned it as cruel and torturous.
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Aryna Sabalenka continued to be an irrepressible force at the Australian Open as she powered to a 6-3 6-2 victory over Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen on Saturday to successfully defend her title and add a second Grand Slam trophy to her cabinet. "It's been an amazing couple of weeks and I couldn't imagine myself lifting this trophy one more time," Sabalenka said.
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