1. Bihar elections: Second phase voting today: Voting in 94 of the total 243 Assembly seats in Bihar will be held on Tuesday during the second phase of state elections in which over 2.85 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,463 candidates in fray.
2.SC stays EC order revoking star campaigning status of Kamal Nath: The Supreme Court has stayed the Election Commission order which revoked “star campaigner” status of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath for model code violation during the campaign for the bypolls in 28 Assembly constituencies in the state.
3. Rajasthan Assembly passes bills to counter Centre’s farm laws: The Rajasthan Assembly has passed three bills to counter the farm laws enacted by the Centre with the state following the example of Congress-run Punjab and Chhattisgarh. BJP MLAs staged a walkout just ahead of the voice vote that took place after about eight hours of debate.
4. UK court to hear Nirav Modi extradition case today: The extradition case of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering, is expected to enter its final stages at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday.
5. US presidential election: Biden continues to lead in polls: Democratic nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in a series of polls, as the candidates criss-crossed swing states in their final sprint for the race for White House before polling ends on Tuesday.
6. Attack on Afghan university leaves 19 dead, 22 wounded: Gunmen stormed Kabul University on Monday as it hosted a book fair attended by the Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan, sparking hours-long gun battle and leaving at least 19 dead and 22 wounded at the war-torn country’s largest school.
7. AG denies nod to contempt case against Andhra CM: Attorney General KK Venugopal has refused to grant consent for initiating contempt proceedings against Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy over his letter to the Chief Justice of India making wild allegations against the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice NV Ramana. Venugopal, however, agreed the duos conduct was “contumacious” and that the timing was “suspect”.
8.Kamal Haasan’s MNM to go solo for 2021 TN elections: Makkal Needhi Maiam is likely to contest in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on its own without aligning with any political party with its chief Kamal Haasan announcing “our alliance is with the people.” This will be the first time MNM will be contesting the Assembly elections.
9.Bypolls to 2 K’taka constituencies today: After two weeks of no-holds-barred campaigning, all eyes are now on the byelection on Tuesday to Sira and Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituencies in Karnataka. It is a potential launch pad for four candidates of three major parties making their electoral debut.
10. Karnataka hints at law against ‘love jihad’: After Uttar Pradesh and Haryana announced their intent to formulate a law against ‘love jihad’, BJP ruled Karnataka also seems inclined to bring in a new law to combat Hindu women being drawn into relationship with Muslim men and forced to convert. “Let us see what UP and Haryana governments will do. We’ll study their laws before adopting it,’ says home minister Basavaraj Bommai.
