New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.45 pm

These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.45 pm LUCKNOW ELN19 UP-POLL-LD-BSP LIST Lucknow: The BSP Friday announced its first list of 11 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding former JD(S) leader Danish Ali from Amroha. ZCZC LUCKNOW DES9 UP-LD MAYAWATI Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati Friday predicted the BJP's loss in the Lok Sabha elections, saying they can do "chowkidari" after losing the polls.

LUCKNOW ELN12 UP-LD AKHILESH Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Friday said the sacrifices of the armed forces should not be questioned, but asked the government to "stop pretending to be the Indian Army". LUCKNOW ELX2 UP-POLL-BJP (Recasts overnight story, adds fresh inputs) Lucknow: The BJP has sprung a surprise by denying tickets to six sitting MPs from Uttar Pradesh, including Union minister Krishna Raj and National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Ram Shankar Katheria. DEHRADUN ELX7 POL-UKD-NOMINATIONS Dehradun: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah filed her nominations on Friday as the BJP's candidate from Tehri Lok Sabha constituency in Uttarakhand.

JAIPUR ELN13 RJ-BJP-LIST (Recasting last night's story and adding quotes) Jaipur: The BJP has fielded 14 sitting MPs, including four Union ministers, and dropped the only woman lawmaker from Rajasthan as it announced its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. HISAR DES4 HR-CHILD-BOREWELL Hisar (Har): Rescuers were Friday engaged in a difficult operation to pull out a one-and-a-half-year-old child who fell into a 60-feet-deep borewell while playing near his house in Balsamand village in Hisar district of Haryana.

NEW DELHI LGD2 DL-COURT-TERROR New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday sent alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Sajjad Khan, a close aide of Pulwama attack mastermind Muddasir, to NIA custody till March 29. SRINAGAR DEL34 JK-BOY-TERRORISTS Srinagar: This is not "jihad" (armed crusade) but "jahalat" (benighted), a village elder pleaded to Pakistani terrorists in North Kashmir's Hajin area while asking them to release a 12-year-old boy who was held captive and subsequently killed on Thursday. SRINAGAR DEL18 JK-3RD LD ENCOUNTER Srinagar: Three militants, including two Pakistanis, and a minor boy held hostage by the ultras were killed in separate encounters with security forces on Friday in Bandipora and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

JAMMU ELX3 JK-POLLS-FAROOQ Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Friday led the campaigning of joint Congress-NC candidates and said the alliance was aimed to keep India secular and "save" it from divisive politics. PTI ASH ASH.