Enthused by a successful rally addressed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the tribal heartland, the Congress has geared up to organise a series of more such rallies and programmes.

Despite his meteoric rise and ability to win polls repeatedly in Gujarat over the past 10 years, chief minister Narendra Modi — the BJP’s nominee for the post of Prime Minister in 2014 — continues to be dogged by the legacy of the 2002 communal carnage in Gujarat and a string of alleged fake encounters in the state ruled by him for over a decade.

With BJP leadership declaring Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its PM candidate, speculation is rife within the party that Mr Modi might resign from the post of campaign committee chief as he cannot lead his own campaign and the post might be given to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj or her counterpart in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. However, there was no official confirmation.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday welcomed the fast-track court decision of death penalty to all the four accused in the December 16 gangrape-murder case and expressed satisfaction with the conviction.

Delhi BJP welcomed the court order handing down death sentence to the four convicts in the December 16 gangrape case that had triggered violent protests in the city, besides other parts of the country.

After getting the death penalty for their gruesome, barbaric crime from a special fast-track court on Friday, all the four convicts of the December 16 gangrape case were shifted to different wards in the Tihar jail.

Crowds inside and outside the courtroom at the Saket Court applauded the judgment as the news of death penalty being awarded to the four convicts in the December 16 gangrape case was announced.

Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University went to polls on Friday amid tight security. JNU witnessed 56 per cent polling while Dusu election witnessed a low turnout of 39 per cent. Voting began in Delhi University at 8.30 am and went on till 12.30 pm. The evening college students cast their votes from 3 pm to 7 pm.

A 54-year-old security guard was found murdered in an MCD park in Netaji Subhash Place area of northwest Delhi.
A senior police official said the deceased was identified as Vidya Ram. The official said his body bore marks of multiple injuries.

Political leaders on Friday welcomed the death sentence awarded to the four rape convicts in the Delhi gangrape case, saying that the punishment would serve as a deterrent against heinous crimes.