Congress legislator P.K.Jayalekshmi will be Kerala's first-ever minister from the tribal community while the late Congress leader K.Karunakaran's son, K. Muraleedharan, has been left out of the list of new ministers

The CBI has booked a case of murder and criminal conspiracy against an Andhra Pradesh police party for killing Azad, alias Cherukuri Raj Kumar, a top Maoist, and freelance journalist Hemachandra Pandey in an “encounter” on July 1, 2010, in the forests of Adilabad.

The world’s biggest solar energy project is set to come up in Dhule, with the state Cabinet deciding to sanction crores of rupees for it.

In a major turn of events, the United Action Committee (UAC), a pro-Posco forum that was hitherto supporting the proposed `52,000-crore steel plant project, on Thursday turned hostile and obstructed land acquisition process, forcing the administration to arrest at least 32 UAC members.

Livid at Puducherry chief minister N. Rangasamy’s “unilateral” decision to form a single-party government despite an alliance with her party, Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Thursdat accused him of “backstabbing” and said AIADMK would function as a “constructive” opposition.

The Orissa police on Wednesday breathed a sigh of relief following surrender of top Maoist leader Azad alias Keshava Rao before the Andhra Pradesh police. It now plans to bring Azad in remand for questioning in connection with at least fifty cases, including the sensational attack on Nayagarh police establishments and murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and his disciples.

The first session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly since AIADMK swept to power unseating DMK in a landslide victory, will commence here on May 23 at the old seat of power, the Fort St George.

The Orissa government on Wednesday resumed land acquisition for the proposed 12-million-tonne Posco steel plant project near Paradip in Orissa’s Jagatsinghpur district. At least 11 persons, whose betel farms were acquired by the district administration, were handed over cheques worth `11 lakhs.

Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Thursday said her AIADMK had been betrayed by poll ally and newly-elected Puducherry chief minister N. Rangaswamy, who heads the All India NR Congress (AINRC).

Left and Janata Dal (Secular) leaders are expected to chalk out a joint strategy on the evolving situation in Karnataka in the wake of the controversy over governor H.R. Bhardwaj’s recommendation for imposition of President’s Rule in the state.