Ending the fifth leg of his state-wide Seva Yatra amid growing criticism from the Opposition parties, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar returned to Patna on Saturday and self-assuredly emphasised the sustained usefulness of his on-the-spot inspection of development schemes in several districts.

About a dozen prominent minority community leaders in the Congress are yet to get a role in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, expected early next year.
The reports coming from UP are encouraging with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and chief minister Mayawati recognising the Congress as her party’s main rival in the coming electoral battle.

After wooing Brahmins, OBCs and dalits, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party is Uttar Pradesh will extend its hand to Muslims, Thakurs and Vaishyas at a rally in the state capital on Sunday. The rally is part of the party’s strategy to consolidate its sarvjan (all castes) formula that had catapulted it to power in 2007. The BSP will be focusing on three vote banks that are believed to have shifted to other parties in recent months.

With Anna Hazare on Saturday saying that doubts have arisen over whether the Lokpal bill will be passed by December 23, his volunteers in Mumbai are gearing up for his proposed indefinite fast on December 27. This agitation will see initiatives such as “Anna badges and masks” as Christmas trees ornaments along with utilisation of local trains as “Jan Lokpal Express trains” to spread awareness about the cause.

Addressing a 50,000-strong gathering here on Saturday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke at length about how her party was sensitive towards Goa’s environment — something which the local Congress has been repeatedly criticised about, given the illegal mining scam.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his five-day tour of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday by exhorting the people to work towards a change in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare railed against the UPA government’s home minister at a rally in Freedom Park on Saturday where some 30,000 people had gathered to hear the Gandhian speak.

As a storm brews in the CPI(M) over party politburo member Brinda Karat sharing the dais with self-styled Gandhian Anna Hazare, party general secretary Prakash Karat came out in the open to defend her.
He justified her decision of joining hands with the BJP to participate at Anna’s show at Jantar Mantar on December 11.

Threat of a deadly disaster looms large over the city as about 996 highrises here do not conform to the fire safety norms, an increase of more than 35 per cent over the figure last year.

An employee of a Delhi-based finance company and his accomplice were arrested for allegedly cheating a woman of crores of rupees in a land deal, said the police.