HIGHLIGHTS

DEL38 UP-SP-MAURYA-LD SUPPORT SP leader backs Swami Prasad Maurya, SBSP chief calls resignation drama Ballia UP A day after Swami Prasad Maurya resigned as national general secretary of Samajwadi Party, SP national secretary Ram Govind Chaudhary on Wednesday wrote a letter to party president Akhilesh Yadav requesting him not to accept the resignation as he was countering poison being spread by RSS and BJP.

Following are top stories at 5.10 pm: NATION DEL53 PB-HR 3RDLD FARMERS **** Farmers stay put at Punjab-Haryana border, tear gas shells lobbed again Chandigarh: Haryana Police lobbed tear gas shells at farmers from Punjab at Shambhu border between the two states as thousands of protesters stayed put there on Wednesday, the second day of their 'Delhi Chalo' march. **** DEL41 BJP-RS-NADDA-CHAVAN **** BJP chief Nadda is Rajya Sabha poll candidate from Gujarat, ex-CM Chavan from Maharashtra New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday fielded its president J P Nadda for Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan from his home state.**** DEL58 CONG-LD RAJYASABHA POLLS **** Cong fields Sonia Gandhi, Maken, Singhvi for Rajya Sabha polls New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday nominated its former party chief Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders Ajay Maken and Abhishek Singhvi for the Rajya Sabha election to be held on February 27.**** DEL56 CONG-VIBHAKAR SHASTRI-LD RESIGN **** Ex-PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's grandson resigns from Congress, joins BJP New Delhi/Lucknow: Former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's grandson Vibhakar Shastri on Wednesday joined the BJP and announced leaving the Congress. **** DEL38 UP-SP-MAURYA-LD SUPPORT **** SP leader backs Swami Prasad Maurya, SBSP chief calls resignation drama Ballia (UP): A day after Swami Prasad Maurya resigned as national general secretary of Samajwadi Party, SP national secretary Ram Govind Chaudhary on Wednesday wrote a letter to party president Akhilesh Yadav requesting him not to accept the resignation as he was countering ''poison'' being spread by RSS and BJP. **** DEL40 BJP-WB-SANDEHKHALI **** Mamata Banerjee 'mute spectator' to violence against women in West Bengal: BJP New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday charged that 'jungle raj' prevailed in West Bengal and demanded resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the state was rocked by protests and clashes over the claims of sexual harassment of women in the state's Sandeshkhali area. **** BOM14 MH-COURT-FIRING-LD MLA **** Firing on Sena leader: BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, 4 others remanded to 14-day judicial custody Thane: BJP legislator Ganpat Gaikwad and four accomplices, arrested for an assassination attempt on a Shiv Sena leader within a police station, have been remanded to a 14-day judicial custody by a local court.**** MDS3 TN-ASSEMBLY-ELECTION-RESOLUTION **** TN Assembly adopts resolution against Centre's 'One Nation, One Election' policy Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution against the Centre's proposed 'One Nation, One Election' policy.**** CAL14 AS-CM-CONG MLAS **** Two Cong MLAs 'join govt', but to remain in oppn party: Assam CM Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said two Congress MLAs- Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Basanta Das - have decided to ''join the government''.**** LEGAL LGD8 SC-LD UMAR KHALID **** Ex-JNU scholar Umar Khalid withdraws bail plea from SC in UAPA case New Delhi: Former JNU scholar and activist Umar Khalid on Wednesday withdrew his bail plea from the Supreme Court in a case lodged against him under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020, saying he will try his luck before the trial court.**** LGD5 SC-COLLEGIUM **** SC collegium recommends transfer of 3 HC judges New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has recommended to the Centre the transfer of three high court judges on their request.**** LGD7 SC-WOMEN PRISONERS-PREGNANCY **** 62 kids born in WB jails in four years, most women prisoners were already expecting: Amicus to SC New Delhi: Sixty-two babies were born in West Bengal jails over the last four years and most of the women inmates who gave birth to them were expecting when brought to prison, the Supreme Court has been informed.**** BUSINESS DEL43 BIZ-WPI-LD INFLATION Wholesale inflation eases to 3-month low of 0.27 in Jan; food prices cool New Delhi: The wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation eased to a three-month low of 0.27 per cent in January, mainly due to moderation of food prices, including vegetables.

FOREIGN FGN53 UAE-PM-SUMMIT World today needs govts which are inclusive, free from corruption: PM Modi Dubai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the world today needs governments that are inclusive and free from corruption, as he asserted that his mantra over the years has been 'minimum government, maximum governance'.

FGN39 UAE-INDIA-AGREEMENTS-LD KWATRA UAE, India ink 10 pacts for collaboration during PM Modi's visit: FS Kwatra Abu Dhabi: India and the UAE have inked 10 pacts for collaboration in key sectors like energy, infrastructure, investments, and management of archives during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said here on Wednesday. By Gunjan Sharma FGN55 PAK-POLLS-LD PTI Imran Khan's party says its mandate has been stolen in dark of night Lahore/Islamabad: As major political parties in Pakistan backed the formation of a coalition government led by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party on Wednesday alleged that its mandate has been ''stolen in the dark of the night". By M Zulqernain and Sajjad Hussain