The by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLC Shaik Saabji in a road accident in last December. Saabji of CPI (M) affiliated teachers unition-UTF actually had term till 2027 as he got elected to the upper house in 2021. However, he died two years after his election.

The remarks in an editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' came a day after terrorists lobbed a grenade at a CRPF bunker near a crowded flea market in Srinagar, injuring at least 11 civilians.

As the assembly elections approach in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, a familiar pattern emerges: political families dominate the candidate..