New Delhi, Apr 10 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 6.30 pm

These are the top stories from the northern region at 6.30 pm AMETHI DEL23 UP-RAHUL-LD RAFALE Amethi (UP): Buoyed by the Supreme Court order allowing petitioners seeking a review of the Rafale judgment to rely on leaked documents, Congress president Rahul Gandhi claimed the SC has made it “clear” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “committed a theft”. AMETHI ELN35 UP-RAHUL-3RDLD NOMINATION Amethi (UP): With UPA president Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra by his side, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Amethi Lok Sabha seat at the Collectorate here.

NEW DELHI ELN29 BJP-BAINSLA-LD JOIN New Delhi: Gurjar quota agitation leader Kirori Singh Bainsla on Wednesday joined the BJP, giving a boost to the saffron party's efforts to win over influential leaders in Rajasthan where it had lost assembly polls. LUCKNOW ELN25UP-PREPOLL Lucknow: The stage is set for polling in eight Lok Sabha seats of western Uttar Pradesh on Thursday amidst tight security in the first leg of the seven-phased general elections.

DEHRADUN ELN36 UKD-CURTAIN RAISER Dehradun: An interesting battle is on the cards in the five Lok Sabha seats of Uttarakhand going to polls in the first phase on Thursday with the BJP banking on the success of Balakot air strikes to garner votes and the Congress betting on the alleged Rafale scam to dent the prospects of the saffron party. JAMMU ELN47 JK-POLLING Jammu: More than 33 lakh voters will decide the fate of 33 candidates in the twin parliamentary constituencies of Jammu and Baramulla which are going to polls on Thursday in the first phase of the seven-phased general elections.

CHANDIGARH ELX29 HR-DUSHYANT Chandigarh: Jannayak Janata Party leader Dushyant Chautala Wednesday said his party is in the process of forging an alliance with "like-minded outfits" to contest the Lok Sabha polls and an announcement in this regard will be made within four days. CHANDIGARH DES11 PB-OFFICER-VICTIMS Chandigarh: The families of the two men killed in the police firing during the "anti-sacrilege" protests in 2015 Wednesday criticised the transfer of the officer probing the case on EC orders, claiming that the poll watchdog "played into the hands" of the BJP government at the Centre.

CHANDIGARH DES10 PB-SIDHU Chandigarh: Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Wednesday lashed out at the BJP-led Centre over its "failure" to release the requisite funds for revamping Jallianwala Bagh ahead of the centenary of the massacre on April 13 that took place during the British regime. BARMER ELX23 RJ-BSP-NOMINATION-REJECT Barmer: The nomination of BSP candidate from Barmer Pankaj Choudhary, an IPS officer who was dismissed form the service last month, was rejected Wednesday for lack of requisite documents, an election official said. JK-HIGHWAY-OMAR Srinagar: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah Wednesday led a protest march here to defy the state administration's order banning civilian traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway for two days a week.

SRINAGAR DES4 JK-OMAR-IMRAN Srinagar: National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah Wednesday said Narendra Modi will have to answer for Pakistani premier Imran Khan's "endorsement" for his second term as prime minister. Kishtwar DEL28 JK-RSS LEADER-VIOLENCE Kishtwar: Violence broke out in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar town on Wednesday as angry mourners clashed with police during the funeral procession of the senior RSS functionary killed in Tuesday's terror attack along with his PSO, prompting the Army to stage flag march in the area.

LUCKNOW ELX33 UP-ADITYANATH-INTERVIEW Lucknow: As Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination from Amethi Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath repeated the BJP charge that by picking a second seat to contest the Lok Sabha polls the Congress president had “fled” from the constituency regarded as his family’s home turf. PTI ASH ASH.