HIGHLIGHTS NORTH 8.45 PM

These are the top stories from the northern region at 8.45 pm.

DEL85 UP-COUNCIL-5THLD POLLS BJP sweeps UP Legislative Council polls; SP draws a blank Lucknow: A month after its resounding victory in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP has swept the biennial polls to the state's Legislative Council by winning 33 out of 36 constituencies.

DES47 UP-POLLS-AKHILESH Akhilesh alleges rigging in UP Legislative Council polls Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged rigging in the UP Legislative Council polls as he accused the ruling BJP of the bid to weaken democratic institutions to retain power.

DES67 AAP-KEJRIWAL-LD MEETING Punjab Oppn parties slam AAP over Kejriwal's 'meeting' with state officials Chandigarh/New Delhi: Newly elected AAP government in Punjab came under fire from opposition parties on Tuesday, alleging it is being run through ''remote control'' from Delhi where party national convener Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with state's top bureaucrats in absence of CM Bhagwant Mann.

DES64 PB-MANN-FREE POWER Punjab people will soon get good news, says CM Mann Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said his government will soon give a ''good news'' to people of the state, indicating that it could announce 300 units of free electricity to households. DES36 PB-SCHOOLS-UNIFORMS Punjab govt directs private schools to display list of shops selling books, uniform Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Tuesday ordered private schools to display a list of shops dealing in books and uniforms to allow parents to have the option for buying these items from any prescribed shop. DES17 PB-AAP-MOOSEWALA AAP targets singer Sidhu Moose Wala over his latest song calling Punjabis 'gaddar' Chandigarh: Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala on Tuesday came under sharp attack from Punjab's ruling Aam Aadmi Party over his latest song, with the party leaders accusing him of calling the people of the state 'gaddar' (traitors).

DES62 RJ-KARAULI-RAJE Raje visits violence-hit Karauli, tells officials their actions won't be forgotten Jaipur: Former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday visited communal violence-hit Karauli where she met the injured and hit out at Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for pointing a finger at the BJP, saying the Congress government's appeasement policies are responsible for the situation. DES52 RJ-GEHLOT-ELECTORAL BOND Electoral bond scheme one of biggest scams: Gehlot Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday described the electoral bond scheme as one of the biggest scams and alleged that it had swung the entire election process in favour of the ruling party at the Centre.

DES66 UKD-DHAMI-CONG Cong leader's Sunday night meeting with Dhami fuels speculation Dehradun: A meeting between Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and former leader of opposition in the state Assembly Pritam Singh has triggered the speculation of the Congress leader switching his allegiance to the ruling BJP in the near future. DES58 HP-BJP-LD AAP HP: Telephones of AAP leaders being tapped, alleges party Shimla: A Himachal Pradesh AAP leader on Tuesday alleged that telephones of his party colleagues are being tapped in the state by the ruling BJP.