The Bharatiya Janata Party has maintained a stronghold in Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency since 1991, with leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Rajnath Singh winning. Rajnath Singh secured a significant victory margin against Ravidas Mehrotra, Sarwar Malik, and candidates from the INDIA bloc on May 20, 2019.

The Visakhapatnam police claimed to have busted a cybercrime racket and arrested three consultancy agents for allegedly luring unemployed youths and sending them to Chinese-operated cybercrime rings in countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accuses monks from Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission of working against TMC and supporting BJP at a rally in Jayrambati, Hooghly.

IMD has warned about the formation of a low-pressure area over southwest Bay of Bengal around May 22. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, DG of meteorology, said: «The low-pressure area will help monsoon advance over Andaman Sea and adjoining Bay of Bengal... It is too early to confirm whether or not it will transform into a cyclone.»

Retired SP arrested under Official Secrets Act in Jammu for publishing 'sensitive information' in his book containing FIR copies. Mohammad Aslam Sheikh, who joined police in 1986 and retired last year, was arrested from Gandhi Nagar residence.

Uttarakhand Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission directed State Bank of India to compensate Parthasarthi Mukherjee for Rs 80,000 card cloning fraud in Delhi. Bank failed to provide CCTV footage for investigation.

Uttarakhand High Court directs state to propose new name for 'Ranikhet disease' affecting picturesque tourist spot, Ranikhet. Petitioner Satish Joshi highlights disease's negative impact on tourism, suggests renaming. PIL filed, Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal discuss disease's impact on Ranikhet's reputation. State govt acknowledges limited jurisdiction, suggests Centre rename the illness.

Delhi Police sought custody of Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in the assault case on AAP's Swati Maliwal before a court.

Two terrorist attacks in J&K target Tabrez and Farha in Yannar near Pahalgam, Anantnag district. The couple is hospitalized; details undisclosed. Third attack on non-natives this election season. Former BJP sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh gunned down in Shopian; suspected TRF involvement. Mehbooba Mufti condemns attacks ahead of Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary constituency polls on May 25, with a three-cornered contest.

Retired superintendent of police, Mohammad Aslam Sheikh, arrested in Jammu for sharing 'sensitive information' including FIR copies. Investigation ongoing under Official Secrets Act.

Naresh Mhaske, a close confidante of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former mayor, discusses his challenges and plans as the Mahayuti candidate for parliament. He addresses opposition, coalition decisions, Covid work, projects, 'percentage' issues, Raj Thackeray rally impact, and winning expectations, including the focus on Bangladeshi migrants and winning margins.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary compared Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and alleged that he took out the money from the treasury being in power.

«His (Modi's) recent statements where he is talking about Muslims as outsiders, giving birth to more children, frightening Hindus by claiming that their properties, including the mangalsutras of their women, will be taken and distributed among the minority community have no parallel. We Muslims only want our rights and have no intention to usurp the rights of others,» Abdullah said, addressing a Lok Sabha poll rally in the Surankote area of Poonch district.

Rai also mentioned that Bibhav had studied at Banaras Hindu University and later practiced journalism in Delhi. Lal Sahib Yadav, a former village head from Bibhav's hometown of Khudru village in Bihar, vouched for Bibhav's character, stating that he comes from a social family and is not a person of criminal nature. Yadav believes that the incident is politically motivated and would not have occurred if elections were not being held.

Hours after India advised students in Kyrgyzstan to «stay indoors' in the wake of the mob attack on Indian and Pakistani students at Kyrgyz university hostels in Bishkek, the foreign ministry of the Central Asian nation has said that the »situation in Bishkek is calm and under full control'. Groups of locals attacked the students even as they shouted for help and pleading to go.

On Saturday, Delhi witnessed its highest temperature of the season, reaching a scorching 43.7 degrees Celsius, as reported by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In response to the extreme heat, the IMD raised a 'red alert', cautioning residents about the severe heat conditions expected to persist in several areas of the city for the next couple of days.

Congress leader Raul Gandhi on Saturday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again over public debate and claimed that he is ready but the prime minister will not agree. Addressing an election rally in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, «He (PM Narendra Modi) gave 30-35 interviews to the same 5-10 journalists. 2-3 intellectuals and journalists wrote to me and made public announcements. They also wrote to Narendra Modi and said that there should be a debate in democracy, it is essential; that he should have debate with Rahul Gandhi...I am ready, to debate with Narendra Modi wherever, wherever he wants.»

PM Modi highlighted several signature projects, such as the new Parliament building and the war memorial, asserting that he lives and works hard for democracy. He pointed out that his government has built a museum dedicated to all the prime ministers. ​​These remarks came amidst Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's repeated claims that PM Modi will make way for home minister Amit Shah after turning 75 next year, an assertion refuted by top BJP leaders.

In response to Gowda's allegations, Shivakumar said, «Let him file a complaint to Lokayukta or anyone. He has some mental issues. It's all baseless and I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about people who are mentally ill. The party will take a decision.» ​​​Gowda claimed that Shivakumar had offered him a substantial sum of Rs 100 crore to tarnish the reputation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in connection with sex videos scandal related to Revanna.

The Election Commission seized nearly 8,900 crore, including drugs valued at Rs 3,959 crore. Indian Coast Guard actively participated. Cash amounting to Rs 849 crore and liquor worth Rs 815 crore were also seized. Chief election commissioner, ECs, and DRI played key roles. Gujarat ATS seized high-value drugs worth Rs 892 crores.

Addressing a rally in Haryana's Ambala, «When there is a 'dhakad' government in the country, enemies also think 100 times before doing anything. Pakistan had been troubling India for 70 years, it had bombs in its hands. Today it has 'bheekh ka katora' (begging bowl) in its hands. When shiver like this when there is a 'dhakad' government.» He was referring to Pakistan's bailout packages from the International Monetary Fund.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar was detained on Saturday in connection with the alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal, officials said. Kumar was picked up from the chief minister's residence by a Delhi Police team around noon, a senior police officer said. He has been taken to the police station for interrogation.

Indian students in Kyrgyzstan, in fear are scared for their lives, as locals have targeted them in Bishkek. They have shut themselves up in their accommodation but during a stone pelting incident the window panes were damaged. In a desperate call for help, the Indian community called up the Indian embassy late on Friday night. An Indian student pursuing his medical studies told TOI from Kyrgyzstan that the vandals had also entered two universities, apart from targeting Indian and Pakistani students for attacks in Bishkek.