New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 9.45 pm

These are the top stories from the northern region at 9.45 pm JAIPUR DEL40 RJ-LD RAINS Jaipur: Twenty-five people were killed as rains lashed several parts of Rajasthan, officials said Wednesday. JAIPUR DEL22 RJ-LD-GEHLOT-KOVIND Jaipur/New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday suggested that the NDA picked Ram Nath Kovind over L K Advani as its nominee for the President’s post because of his caste, prompting a sharp response from the BJP.

JAIPUR DEL38 RJ-LD GEHLOT Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday mocked the Narendra Modi government for “boasting” about a surgical strike across the Line of Control, saying even Pakistan doesn’t talk about its own actions. AYODHYA/BALRAMPUR ELN79 UP-CM-BSP Ayodhya/Balrampur: Yogi Adityanath Wednesday prayed at temples in Ayodhya and visited a Dalit family, prompting the BSP to complain to the EC that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister had violated the EC order barring him from campaigning.

LUCKNOW ELN53 UP-CANDIDATES Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress president Raj Babbar and another actor-turned-politician Hema Malini are among the 85 candidates contesting for eight Lok Sabha seats in the second phase of elections in the state on Thursday. LUCKNOW ELN66 UP-2ND LD POONAM Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party Wednesday fielded actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha as its Lok Sabha candidate from Lucknow, the constituency where the BJP has fielded Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

BARMER ELX12 RJ-BARMER-MANVENDRA INTERVIEW Barmer: Manvendra Singh, Congress candidate from Barmer, has said people are still angry with the BJP for denying ticket to his father and former veteran leader Jaswant Singh in the 2014 general elections and they will teach the saffron party a lesson by making him win this time from this Thar desert Lok Sabha constituency. AMROHA ELX38 UP-LD BSP-DANISH ALI Amroha (UP): The BSP-SP-RLD grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh will play a key role in determining who will head the government after the Lok Sabha election, says BSP leader Danish Ali while asserting that the road to the Prime Minister's Office goes through the state.

NAGINA ELX11 UP-NAGINA-PROFILE Nagina (UP): The dilemma of going with the BSP-SP-RLD grand alliance or the Congress is as palpable among Muslims in Nagina as in other western Uttar Pradesh seats, but they seem determined to solve the “jigsaw puzzle” to consolidate anti-BJP votes. ALIGARH ELN20 UP-ALIGARH-PROFILE Aligarh: The sitting BJP MP in Aligarh, which was at the centre of a raging controversy last year over Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait at the distinguished Aligarh Muslim University, is facing strong anti-incumbency and anger from traders, making the Lok Sabha election a three-cornered contest.

AGRA ELN80 AGRA-PROFILE Agra (UP): Organisational strength does make a difference for any political party, agree both the Congress and the BJP in Agra, where the ruling party has won the Lok Sabha polls in 2009 and 2014 and is now hoping for a hat-trick. FATEHPUR SIKRI ELX49 FATEHPUR SIKRI-PROFILE Fatehpur Sikri: Residents in the historical city of Fatehpur Sikri in western Uttar Pradesh say problems related to farmers, most of who grow potato and sugarcane, have dominated the issues during the campaigning in the constituency.

JAIPUR DES2 RJ-ADVOCATE Jaipur: The Congress government in Rajasthan has sacked one of its counsels in the Supreme Court after it emerged that she was the Advocate on Record in a contempt plea against Rahul Gandhi filed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi on the Rafale deal. CHANDIGARH ELX30 POLL-HR-INLD Chandigarh: Sitting MP from Sirsa Charanjeet Singh Rori was re-nominated as the Indian National Lok Dal Wednesday announced the names of six candidates for the May 12 Lok Sabha polls in Haryana.

CHANDIGARH DES20 PB-LD-RAINS Chandigarh: Widespread rainfall accompanied by high-velocity winds lashed vast swathes of Punjab and Haryana Wednesday, causing damage to crops. SRINAGAR ELX52 JK-SRINAGAR-PREPOLL Srinagar: A thick security blanket has been thrown around polling stations in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency of Jammu and Kashmir where voting will be held Thursday to decide the fate of 10 candidates, including National Conference president Farooq Abdullah.

JAMMU ELX39 JK-VOTERS Jammu: Over 29.81 lakh voters will decide the fate of 24 candidates, including former J-K chief minister Farooq Abdullah and Union minister Jitendra Singh, contesting the Srinagar and Udhampur seats, which go to polls in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. PTI ASH ASH.