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Today's PUBLISHED Newspaper
Edition update time 2:30 am (IST)

Stage set for last leg; all eyes on Varanasi seat
Campaigning ends * Voting for 41 Lok Sabha seats on Monday
New Delhi/Varanasi
Over a month into the election exercise, the Indian democracy’s juggernaut today signaled the final push to the finale: the rhetorical campaigning came to an end at 6pm, two days before the ninth phase. Over to May 12, when the world’s largest exercise will shed its accompanying ennui and redefine its meaning in 41 seats – six in Bihar, 18 in Uttar Pradesh and 17 in West Bengal. And on May 16, expect to know what it all has boiled down to.

Strains of shehnai at Rahul road show
Lucknow, May 10 
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took out a massive road show in Varanasi, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi 's constituency, hours before the campaigning came to a stop for the final phase of polling. Matching Modi's foray into Amethi this week, Rahul arrived in the holy city and rolled out his journey from the Muslim-dominated Gol Gadda area.

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Jind woman’s suicide: Family alleges threat from cops
Jind, May 10
The suicide by a victim of sexual assault in Jind’s Dhanauri village on Friday after a year-long struggle for justice seems to have only multiplied her family’s problems. The victim’s brother Shamsher Singh alleged the police were pressuring the family to “compromise” with the policemen named in her suicide note and the FIR. The family has fled its home and is in hiding. It wants to meet President Pranab Mukherjee for permission to “end their lives”.

Under debt, two farmer brothers attempt suicide
One dies, another battles for life in Mansa
Mansa, May 10
Unable to repay the loan taken by their septuagenarian father, two brothers attempted suicide at Hassanpur village of Mansa district. Though 33-year-old Jugraj Singh died soon after consuming a pesticide, 30-year-old Jagtar Singh is battling for life at a private hospital. The brothers took the extreme step after receiving a letter from a bank that asked their father Ram Singh to repay the Rs 2.81-lakh loan taken by him 15 years ago.

Post-poll protests erupt in S Africa; 59 held, army out
Johannesburg, May 10
The South African police arrested 59 persons and the army was called in overnight to quell post-election protests in a Johannesburg slum, police and media said on Saturday, as the ANC government clamped down on disorder following its victory at the polls. (Details on World page)

Dalit girl on indefinite fast against Ramdev’s ‘honeymoon’ remarks
Haridwar, May 10
While the Supreme court has stayed all proceedings against yoga guru Ramdev in different parts of the country for his controversial ‘honeymoon picnic’ remark against Congress vice-president  Rahul Gandhi for visiting the homes of Dalits, a young Dalit girl is sitting on an indefinite fast against Ramdev in Haridwar. (Details on Dun page)

Hizbul militant held at Pathankot 
Pathankot, May 10
The police today arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist from the Jammu-bound Sealdah Express at Pathankot Cantonment Railway Station. He has been identified as Ravish Ul Islam from Pulawama in J&K. On a tip-off, a GRP team started a search operation on the train. "During the search, the police found two US-made pistols and 40 live cartridges in his bag," said AIG, Railway Protection Force, Gurdip Singh. Ravish was working as a weapon courier for the outfit, claimed the AIG. — TNS