Srinagar, Feb 16 (IANS) After two peaceful years, many began talking of Jammu and Kashmir's turmoil in the past tense. Has the hanging of Afzal Guru belied peace hopes in the state?

Kolkata, Feb 15 (IANS) Over 14 years ago, Mamata Banerjee made an extraordinary allegation about a young Kolkata police officer. Then in opposition, Banerjee alleged that Deputy Commissioner of the South Division Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda had bitten (yes, bitten) her.

Shimla, Feb 15 (IANS) After rumours swirled that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh would appoint a "working" chief minister as 78-year-old incumbent Virabhadra Singh would go abroad for treatment, many ministers asserted that no such thing was planned.

Chandigarh, Feb 15 (IANS) It took several months of preparation, meetings and nearly Rs.1.2 crore. But when the big day arrived, the mock disaster drill here itself turned out to be a mockery.

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 10 (IANS) Two cases, the Kozhikode ice cream sex case and the Suryanelli sex case have been frequently in the headlines in the state over the past decade and a half.

Kolkata, Feb 9 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's outburst at her security personnel in full public glare has triggered animated debates and discussions across the state.

Chandigarh, Feb 9 (IANS) Fresh with his victory at the recent Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal wants to expand the base of his party beyond Punjab.

Lucknow, Feb 9 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is finally walking out of father Mulayam Singh Yadav's shadow, carefully building the state's business profile, looking into the nitty-gritty of key government schemes and rejigging the bureaucracy and his council of ministers. As an aide put it, 'Bhaiyyaji' is finally calling the shots.

Bangalore, Feb 9 (IANS) The Cauvery is hailed as Karnataka's 'jeeva nadi' (lifeline). This year, however, it has badly hit life of people in its delta region and also has left political parties in poll-bound Karnataka in a tizzy.

Chandigarh, Feb 8 (IANS) Pushed to the wall with the conviction and arrest of its two top leaders in a teachers' recruitment scandal last month, Haryana's opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has taken the attack into the camp of the ruling Congress and blamed it for the mess.

Shimla, Feb 8 (IANS) Hoping to boost an economy largely dependent on tourism, horticulture and hydropower, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his colleagues are lobbying hard with New Delhi to get central projects and schemes, particularly dealing with infrastructure and connectivity, sanctioned for the state.

Chandigarh, Feb 2 (IANS) Haryana's politics has mostly revolved around its towering leaders. But the state is now witnessing an unlikely row over the statues of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's father Ranbir Singh in his hometown Rohtak.

Kottayam, Feb 1 (IANS) Kerala might be amongst the most literate states in the country, but when it comes to empathy, it is far from being a leader. The fate of the family of the victim of the infamous Suryanelli sex case mirrors the callousness of society here.

Bangalore, Feb 1 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history five years ago when it came to power for the first time in Karnataka and thus in southern India. As the five-year term nears its end, it is set to enter record books with either a pyrrhic success or terrible loss of face.

Shimla, Feb 1 (IANS) It's status quo for Shimla's historical Annandale ground, the picturesque flat highland that could have well become a cricket stadium, with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh declaring that it would stay with the army - as it has since 1941.

Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has a penchant for courting controversies, effortlessly stirred yet another when she wondered at a public meeting whether she should beat up the prime minister for getting her demands met.

Bangalore, Jan 26 (IANS) Karnataka's ruling BJP deserves a trophy for sheer doggedness to be in office for a full term of five years, though each year of its reign since 2008 has been marred either by corruption scandals or inner party rebellion.

Chandigarh, Jan 26 (IANS) Till last month, Joginder Pal Jain was a Congress legislator in Punjab. He then quit the party and joined the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal. Now, the Congress is marshalling all its resources to defeat the "deserter" in the Feb 23 by-election to the Moga assembly seat.

Srinagar/Jammu, Jan 24 (IANS) The Jammu and Kashmir cabinet met in winter capital Jammu earlier this week for the first time after it was reshuffled by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to improve the ruling coalition's electoral fortunes in the 2014 assembly polls. However, the moot question remains whether the reshuffle has eased or added to the coalition's problems.

Bangalore, Jan 19 (IANS) For the first time, Karnataka is set to see an assembly poll battle spearheaded by sharply contrasting leaderships.

Kolkata, Jan 19 (IANS) Days after top party leaders heaped praise on him for his "fighting ability", Trinamool strongman and former legislator Arabul Islam was arrested for allegedly attacking veteran CPI-M leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah.

Hyderabad, Jan 19 (IANS) With the centre appearing set to announce its decision on the Telangana issue this month, Andhra Pradesh may once again slip into political chaos as leaders from both the Telangana and Seemandhra regions are threatening a showdown.

Panaji, Jan 19 (IANS) A seven-year-old girl who was raped and found shivering in a school toilet earlier this week is slowly becoming to Goa what the story of the New Delhi gang-rape victim has come to mean to India.

Chandigarh, Jan 19 (IANS) The Congress in Punjab has got involved in an unlikely dispute with the state assembly speaker over the screening of a video clip in which Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia is seen abusing a Congress legislator inside the house.

Shimla, Jan 19 (IANS) In India's first ban on using polythene for packaging non-essential eatables, especially potato chips and candies, the Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that this will save the environment.

Chandigarh, Jan 18 (IANS) The conviction and arrest of its two most senior leaders, including former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, on bribery charges, has changed the contours of Haryana's politics and given some relief to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Srinagar, Jan 18 (IANS) Fear has gripped village council members across the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the killing of one and a murderous attack on another elected village representative in Jammu and Kashmir. The army has now started night patrolling in areas where militants are believed to operate.

Hyderabad, Jan 13 (IANS) With a section of ministers mounting pressure on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to withdraw the proposed steep hike in electricity tariff, the ruling Congress in the state is feeling the heat over the issue from both within and outside the party.