Even as the AICC sub-group headed by defence minister A.K. Antony is yet to begin its work on pre-poll alliances, over half-a-dozen political parties cannot afford to associate with BJP heavyweight Narendra Modi after the Lok Sabha elections. The sub-group had few sittings but the party is yet to approach the like-minded parties formally for the pre-poll alliance.

The favourable verdict in the Batla House encounter case for the Delhi police is largely being attributed to the painstaking investigations conducted by the special cell in the case which helped the city police prepare a foolproof chargesheet resulting in the first ever conviction of an Indian Mujahideen operative, Shahzad Ahmed.

Hitting out at the Congress for playing “rank votebank politics” on the terror issue, the BJP on Thursday said the Batla House encounter verdict has vindicated its stand that the incident was not “fake.

On the completion of one year in office, President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday inaugurated a library and sports ground with a small regret that if he had come to Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier, he could have saved some structures from demolition.

In the coming days, more women will be seen in the armed forces with the Centre deciding to show the way to significantly increase women’s presence in the forces.

The Centre will launch the “Roshini” scheme to train and offer jobs to tribals in the 27 Maoist-affected districts on November 1. The scheme, part of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission, will target at least 50 per cent women among its beneficiaries.

A man, who was to be sent to the gallows on Friday for raping and killing his minor niece, got relief from the Supreme Court which on Thursday stayed his imminent execution while agreeing to hear his appeal against conviction and the death sentence imposed on him.

Amid the BJP’s continuing opposition to the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, the latter’s foreign minister Dipu Moni is hoping that political parties here see the larger picture and act based on it.

On the eve of the visit of French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to New Delhi, sources said France is “confident” that French firm Dassault will eventually be able to clinch the mega-deal for acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), even as speculation is rife that the French are nervous and worried about the delay in inking of the deal. Speculation is also rife that the French defence minister may raise the issue with India.

Industrialist Anil Ambani was on Thursday exempted by a special CBI court here from appearing before it on Friday to depose as a prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.