The National Conference (NC) set the poll campaign rolling on Wednesday. It organized a rally at the sports stadium where around 3,000 people, mostly delegates, gathered to listen to Omar Abdullah who kicked off his party’s campaign.

“We realise that this time campaigning will not be easy. We have to tread a difficult path and we are ready for it. We deliberately chose the workers’ convention to kick-off our campaign. From tomorrow, we will have a full-fledged campaign in villages and other areas,” said the NC president. 

MNS chief Raj Thackeray will appear in Mumbai's Wikroli court on Thursday. The Maharastra Govt. has filed another petition against Raj, seeking cancellation of his bail plea in a different case.

"The State government is seeking the legal opinion on the execution of the non-bailable warrant issued by Jamshedpur magistrate's court against Raj Thackeray and Police will follow all necessary legal procedures in the matter," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Chhattisgarh has shown door to 18 of its 51 sitting MLAs. They were dropped from first list of candidates for coming assembly poll scheduled to be haled on next month.  A total of 58 names got a place in the list.  

Chief Minister Raman Singh has been shifted from Dungargaon to Rajnandgaon constituency. He is representing Dungargaon assembly segment in the present assembly. .

After releasing the lists party General Secretary Ananth Kumar said "We have decided not to field 18 of the sitting MLAs in Chhattisgarh. This decision has been taken as per the political and social realities. Out of this, three MLAs have lost their seats due to the delimitation process,"

Living up to its antics again, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s activists beat up scores of north Indian aspirants appearing for the Railway Recruitment Board entrance exam for the Western region, in Mumbai on Sunday.

They created a rumpus outside examination centres, blocked roads and shouted anti-north Indian slogans. They demanded the recruitment of Marathi people.

“When there is availability here why should people from outside be called?” said MNS general secretary Nitin Sardesai. “They come here and are living on the platforms.”

Vice President, MNS Student's Wing Ashish Jadhav said that Raj Thackeray has demanded 80 per cent reservation for Maharashtrians. If that doesn't happen they will protest.

The Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who seemed to be enraged, alarmed the Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata of taking legal action against him. The TC chief resorted for the action as per the ‘defamatory comments’ made upon her and the farmer’s agitation that she led which ultimately compelled the Tata’s to shift their Nano Car project from Singur in West Bengal to Gujarat.

The Election Commission is expected to soon announce the Assembly poll schedule in the coming few days.

The commission, on Friday, deliberated with the Chief Secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on the issue of assembling 4,000-5,000 Urdu-speaking government employees for poll duty.

According to the sources, the states agreed to help out the EC and have asked for time until Friday to revert with a detailed account of the staff they can allocate for poll duties in the Valley.