HIGHLIGHTS

New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI) Following are the top stories at 9 pm:

     NATION
    
     DEL148 LD ELECTIONS
    *7-phase Lok Sabha polls to begin on April 19, results on June 4
     New Delhi: The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls, the world’s biggest election exercise, will kick off on April 19 with the counting of votes set to take place on June 4 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes a bid for a third consecutive term in office.
    
     DEL144 ELECTIONS-MODEL CODE
    Lok Sabha polls: Model code comes into force, EC reminds parties to maintain decorum during campaign
    New Delhi: The Model Code of Conduct came into force on Saturday with the announcement of Lok Sabha polls by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who requested political parties to maintain decorum during campaigning.

    
     DEL120 ELECTIONS-VOTE FROM HOME
    LS polls: Persons above 85, those with more than 40 pc disability can vote from home, says EC
    New Delhi: For the first time in Lok Sabha elections, people above 85 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday.
    
     DEL143 ELECTIONS-LD J&K
    Assembly polls in J&K to be held as soon as possible after Lok Sabha election: CEC Rajiv Kumar
    New Delhi/Srinagar: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar announced on Saturday that the Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir would take place soon after the Lok Sabha polls due to security concerns, with both events deemed unfeasible to be held simultaneously.
    
     DEL137 ASSEMBLY-BYPOLLS
    26 assembly bypolls across 13 states to be held along with Lok Sabha elections
    New Delhi: By-elections to 26 assembly seats across 13 states, including six constituencies in Himachal Pradesh where Congress MLAs were disqualified for rebellion, will be held along with the Lok Sabha elections beginning April 19.

     DEL146 ELECTIONS-VOTING PERIOD
    Voting period of 2024 LS polls longest since first general elections
    New Delhi: The voting period for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, spread over 44 days, would be the second longest after the first parliamentary elections of 1951-52 that lasted for more than four months.  
    
     MDS69 KA-ELECTIONS-KHARGE
    Elections should have been completed in three or four phases, says Cong Prez Kharge
    Bengaluru: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said a seven phase election for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls meant that "Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to tour everywhere". Kharge opined that the polls should have rather been completed in three or four phases.
    
     DEL139 ELECTIONS-EC-COUPLETS
    CEC Rajiv Kumar uses poetry to rebut criticism of EVMs
    New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar used a verse on Saturday to take a dig at the critics of electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the poll authority is often at the receiving end of "unfulfilled desires".
    
     DEL124 ELECTIONS-CEC-ARUN GOEL
    EC Arun Goel quit due to personal reasons, we must respect personal space: CEC
    New Delhi: Chief election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday evaded a direct reply on the reason behind the sudden resignation of Election Commissioner Arun Goel and said his "personal space" should be respected. 
    
    
    
     LEGAL
    
     LGD23 UP-COURT-AZAM KHAN
    Former UP minister Azam Khan convicted with 3 others in 2016 demolition case
     Rampur (UP): Former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan along with three others was convicted by a special court here on Saturday in a case of a forced demolition of a house in 2016 in the Dungarpur area, officials said.

     LGD22 DL-COURT-3RDLD KAVITHA
    Excise 'scam': Delhi court sends BRS leader K Kavitha to ED custody till Mar 23
    New Delhi: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha, allegedly a key member of the "South Group", which has been accused of paying the ruling Aam Aadmi Party kickbacks of Rs 100 crore in return for a big share of liquor licences in the national capital, was on Saturday remanded in ED custody till March 23 in a money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy "scam".
    
    
     FOREIGN
    
     FGN25 PAK-ATTACK-LD SOLDIERS
    2 Pak Army officers among 7 personnel killed in terror attack in restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
     Peshawar: At least seven Pakistan Army soldiers, including two officers, were killed when six terrorists launched multiple suicide attacks on a security check post in the restive tribal district of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan on Saturday, the military said.

    
     FGN26 PAK-AFGHAN
    'Expanding cooperation' with Afghanistan top priority of new Pak govt, says Foreign Minister
     Islamabad: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that “expanding cooperation” with neighbouring Afghanistan is a “top priority” of the new government. By Sajjad Hussain*
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)