New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 9 pm.

. DEL52 UP-VIRUS-2NDLD CASES Record single-day jump in UP coronavirus count: 34 new deaths, 2061 fresh cases Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Thursday reported its highest single-day spike in coronavirus numbers, with 34 fatalities and 2,061 infections pushing the cumulative figures to 1,046 deaths and 43,444 cases, officials said.

These are the top stories from the northern region at 9 pm. . LGD42 RJ-HC-PILOT-2NDLD PETITION Rajasthan HC puts off hearing dissident MLAs' petition till Friday Jaipur: A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court will hear Friday afternoon an amended petition filed by Sachin Pilot and 18 other dissident leaders, challenging the notices from the Speaker over a Congress move to disqualify them from the state assembly. .

LGD9 RJ-LD SPEAKER-POWER Disqualification notice to Pilot, 18 MLAs ignites debate over Speakers' power New Delhi: The debate over Speakers' power under the Constitution to entertain pleas seeking disqualification of MLAs has been ignited again amid the political crisis in Rajasthan with the Assembly Speaker entertaining such a plea by the ruling Congress party and issuing notices to 19 lawmakers in the state. . DEL52 UP-VIRUS-2NDLD CASES Record single-day jump in UP coronavirus count: 34 new deaths, 2061 fresh cases Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Thursday reported its highest single-day spike in coronavirus numbers, with 34 fatalities and 2,061 infections pushing the cumulative figures to 1,046 deaths and 43,444 cases, officials said. .

DES31 UP-ENCOUNTER-POLICE Vikas Dubey case: Kartikey's family says he was minor, police differ Kanpur (UP): In a fresh controversy, the family of Prabhat Mishra alias Kartikey, who was killed in an alleged police encounter during a search operation for gangster Vikas Dubey and his aides, has claimed that he was a minor, but police rejected the charge. . DES28 UP-MINISTER-BRAHMINS Congress, Samajwadi Party trying to defame Brahmins: UP minister Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Brijesh Pathak on Thursday accused the Samajwadi Party and the Congress of the bid to defame Brahmins after the Kanpur ambush in which eight police personnel were killed by the henchmen of slain gangster Vikas Dubey. .

DES55 UP-LD LALLU Massacre anniversary: UP Cong chief, workers held on way to Sonbhadra village, released Bhadohi (UP): Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and several party workers were taken into custody while on their way to Sonbhadra's Umbha village to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Gond tribals over a land dispute. . DES7 UP-DALIT MAYAWATI Mayawati asks govt to take action against those involved in assault of Dalits in Guna Lucknow: BSP president Mayawati on Thursday termed as "cruel and shameful" the attack on Dalits in Madhya Pradesh, saying incidents of Dalits being "uprooted" under the BJP regime are as common as during the Congress rule. .

DES59 PB-VIRUS-COUNT 9 more COVID-19 deaths in Punjab; 298 fresh cases take tally to 9,094 Chandigarh: Nine more people succumbed to COVID-19 in Punjab on Thursday, pushing the death toll to 230 while 298 new cases took the tally to 9,094. . DES57 PB-VIRUS-MINISTER-KIN Punjab minister's wife, son test positive for COVID-19 Chandigarh: After Punjab minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, his wife and son also tested positive for coronavirus, officials said here on Thursday. .

DES54 PB-SAD-TAKSALI SAD (Taksali) urges AAP, BSP to join hands against Cong, Akalis Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) on Thursday urged outfits like AAP, BSP, Lok Insaaf Party and "like-minded forces" to form a viable third alternative against the ruling Congress and the SAD-BJP combine. . DES56 HR-VIRUS-CASES 3 more COVID-19 deaths in Haryana, total cases cross 24,000-mark Chandigarh: Haryana reported three more deaths due to COVID-19 on Thursday as 696 fresh cases took the state's infection tally past the 24,000-mark, according to the state health department's daily bulletin. .

DEL73 HP-VIRUS-CASES One Army, 3 CAPF jawans among 8 new COVID-19 cases in Himachal Shimla: The total number of COVID-19 cases in Himachal Pradesh rose to 1,350 on Thursday as eight more people, including an Army and three CAPF jawans, tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.. .

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)