BJP on Thursday nominated Abdul Rehman Sheikh as its candidate for the Anantnag parliamentary constituency in Jammu & Kashmir where polling has been postponed to October 4 following the killing of party candidate Ghulam Hyder Noorani in a land-mine blast on September 7. The Election Commission, while fixing October 4 for holding election to this constituency, had asked BJP to nominate another candidate latest by Friday. The killing of Noorani was the first incident of the killing of a candidate during the current election process.

No GNLF candidate for Darjeeling

Gorkha National Liberation Front has not fielded any candidate in Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency which goes to poll on October 3 raising speculations about its possible boycott of the polls. GNLF, which is ruling Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council since its inception in 1988 had boycotted 1998 Lok Sabha elections which helped CPI-M to win the seat.

Priyanka surprisesAmethi

Congress workers went into a tizzy when their star campaigner, Priyanka Gandhi, arrived at Sultanpur on Thursday, a day ahead of her scheduled visit. Priyanka reached Lucknow by an Indian Airlines flight and drove about 40 km to reach Jagdishpur where she met party workers who were caught unawares. She visited nearby areas and visited Munshiganj on the Sultanpur-Rae Bareli highway, party sources said.

Farooq fears forced voting

Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah has said the authorities might force voters to exercise their franchise to counter the militants' moves to enforce poll boycott in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency on September 18. Militants have been threatening people not not to vote and authorities would do the same to enable them to exercise their franchise right in large numbers on the polling day, Abdullah said.

No Cong support to CPI(M)-led govt

Senior CWC member AK Antony on Thursday said the party men in Kerala would oppose any move by the partyto support a CPI(M)-led government headed by Jyoti Basu at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. "Congress leaders from Kerala will oppose with all their might any proposal for backing a CPI(M)-led Third Front government at the Centre.