HIGHLIGHTS

Following are top stories at 9.15 pm: DEL97 ELECTIONS-LDALL KARNATAKA **** Karnataka polls on May 10, results on May 13; BJP hopes to buck trend, Cong looks to wrest power, JD(S) faces toughest challenge New Delhi/Bengaluru: Assembly elections in Karnataka will be held in a single phase on May 10 setting the stage for yet another showdown between the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the JD(S) facing its toughest challenge in the southern state.

KARNATAKA ELECTION STORIES MDS11 ELECTIONS-KARNATAKA-KEY SEATS **** Karnataka Elections: 20 seats to watch out for Bengaluru: For the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, following are the 20 seats to watch out for: **** MDS10 KARNATAKA-ELECTIONS-ISSUES **** Top 10 issues in the Karnataka Assembly elections Bengaluru: As political parties, including key players BJP, Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) gear up for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the following issues are expected to be among the top campaign material. **** MDS9 KARNATAKA-ELECTIONS-JD(S)-SWOT **** Assembly polls: Battle of survival for JD(S) or king maker/king again? Bengaluru: Will the 2023 Karnataka assembly polls be a battle of political survival for former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular), or will the regional party once again emerge as a king maker, like it did in 2018, in the event of a hung assembly? **** MDS6 ELECTIONS-KARNATAKA-SCENARIO **** Karnataka elections: BJP eyes to rewrite a 38-year-old history, Cong looks to wrest power Bengaluru: With the Election Commission announcing the schedule for Assembly polls in Karnataka, it remains to be seen whether the ruling BJP will buck a four-decade old trend to script history or if the Congress upstages its saffron rival to up its stakes as a challenger ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. **** MDS7 ELECTIONS-KARNATAKA-BJP-SWOT **** Retaining power in Karnataka will help BJP maintain momentum Bengaluru: Retaining power in Karnataka is expected to help BJP maintain the momentum of its winning streak and give the party confidence to sail through the upcoming polls in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan later this year. **** MDS8 ELECTIONS-KARNATAKA-CONGRESS-SWOT **** Karnataka polls will be key for Congress' revival ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections Bengaluru: For all the issues that the Congress party is grappling with currently, it is observed that a victory in the May 10 Karnataka elections could mark a revival of its political fortunes, bolstering its position and strengthening its credentials as the main opposition party against the ruling BJP at the centre, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. **** DEL98 ELECTIONS-KARNATAKA-ANALYSIS **** Karnataka polls to be first of 4 'semi-finals' before 2024 LS elections New Delhi: The Karnataka Assembly polls would be the first of the four ''semi-finals'' between the BJP and the Congress before the 2024 general elections, and the notion of a sympathy factor for the grand old party post the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha would also be put to test in the high-stakes contest. **** NATION DEL54 EC-BYPOLLS **** Bypolls to one Lok Sabha, four assembly seats on May 10: EC New Delhi: Bypolls to one Lok Sabha and four assembly seats across four states will be held on May 10 along with the Karnataka assembly polls, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday. **** DEL102 PM-LD DEMOCRACY SUMMIT **** India mother of democracy; home to idea of elected leaders much before rest of world: PM New Delhi: Describing India as the mother of democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the country has become the fastest-growing major economy despite many global challenges and this proves that the democracy can deliver. **** DEL50 LS-NCP-2NDLD REVOKE **** NCP's Mohammad Faizal reinstated as LS member; attends House proceedings New Delhi: NCP leader Mohammad Faizal P P was back in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as his disqualification from the lower house was revoked after over 10 weeks and hours ahead of the hearing in the Supreme Court on his petition in the matter. **** DEL80 EXPORTS-PM **** PM Modi lauds feat of Indian exports crossing USD 750 billion-mark New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the feat of India's exports crossing USD 750 billion, saying this is the spirit which will make the country ''aatmanirbhar'' (self-reliant) in the times to come. **** BOM29 MH-ADANI-CONG **** Modi govt scared of JPC probe into Adani issue, alleges Cong; says MVA intact despite differences on Savarkar Mumbai: The Congress on Wednesday reiterated its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue and alleged that the Modi government was scared of this inquiry. **** CAL29 WB-MAMATA-BJP **** Mamata urges all parties to fight BJP unitedly in 2024 LS polls Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged all political parties in the country to unitedly fight the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha election. **** BOM40 GJ-ATIQ-SABARMATI JAIL **** Atiq Ahmad brought back to Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail from Prayagraj Ahmedabad: Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad was brought back to the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad amid tight security on Wednesday evening, a day after a court at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh sentenced him to life imprisonment in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case. **** DEL99 RJ-2NDLD-DOCTORS **** Medical services hit in Rajasthan as doctors protest Right to Health Bill Jaipur: Medical services were affected in parts of Rajasthan on Wednesday after government doctors and faculty members in medical colleges went on a one-day strike in solidarity with private doctors agitating against the Right to Health Bill. **** BOM11 MH-HC-LD MAMTA BANERJEE **** Disrespect of national anthem complaint: Bombay HC refuses to grant relief to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, says no interference needed Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to grant relief to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a complaint seeking action against her for allegedly disrespecting the national anthem at an event here, noting that there was no need for interference in the matter. **** BOM19 MP-CHEETAH-BIRTH **** Cheetah from Namibia gives birth to four cubs at Kuno National Park in MP Sheopur/Bhopal (MP): A cheetah translocated from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh has given birth to four healthy cubs, officials said on Wednesday. **** BUSINESS DEL48 BIZ-NCLAT-LD-GOOGLE **** NCLAT upholds Rs 1,337.76 cr fine on Google, make some modifications in CCI order New Delhi: The NCLAT on Wednesday upheld the orders of the fair trade regulator CCI imposing a penalty of Rs 1,337.76 crore on tech major Google in the Android mobile devices case, with some modifications. **** LEGAL LGD29 SC-LD UNIFORM LAWS **** SC refuses to entertain pleas seeking direction to Centre to enact gender, religion-neutral laws New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Wednesday thwarted an attempt to get a direction to the Centre to frame uniform religion and gender-neutral laws governing subjects such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and alimony by refusing to entertain a batch of petitions, saying it cannot direct Parliament to legislate. **** LGD26 RJ-HC-BLAST-2NDLD ACQUIT **** Rajasthan HC acquits all accused in deadly 2008 Jaipur blasts Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday acquitted four men who were given the death sentence by a lower court for the 2008 serial Jaipur blasts that killed 71 people and slammed the investigating agencies over their ''shoddy investigation. **** FOREIGN FGN31 US-INDIA-MISSIONS-LD SECURITY **** US committed to protecting diplomatic missions, diplomats, says senior official Washington: The US is committed to taking all appropriate steps to protect the diplomatic missions and diplomats in this country, a senior US official has said, days after two Indian missions in America were attacked by Khalistan supporters. ****.