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Muslim meet on poll strategyNEW DELHI: The Mili parliament, an umbrella organisation of Muslim intellectuals and Ulema, is to formulate the ...

Muslim meet on poll strategy

NEW DELHI: The Mili parliament, an umbrella organisation of Muslim intellectuals and Ulema, is to formulate the Muslim electoral strategy for the coming Lok Sabha polls. The Mili parliament which will meet here on Saturday will also release a Muslim voters manifesto8217; voicing the political aspirations of the country8217;s Muslims. A spokesman said a strategy on assertion of Muslim political identity was being formulated as the new Lok Sabha 8220;is expected to have an all time low percentage8221; of Muslim members.

UP orders

NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the sealing of all those districts in the state going to polls in the first phase of elections on February 16 to prevent movement of arms and ammunition that may be used to disrupt the poll process. EC officials have been asked not to tour regions where their relatives are contesting. State Chief Secretary Rajiv Ratan Shah has also asked all district magistrates and top policeofficials to follow the EC guidelines on appointment of polling agents and has ordered tight security in constituencies with two or more districts under their purview.

Airport operations

NEW DELHI: Airports functioned normally on Friday with International Airports Authority officers not going on mass casual leave after being assured of pay parity with officers of the National Airports Division. The work-to-rule by officers of the National Airports Division for higher wages and better service conditions also had no effect on the functioning of airports as AAI said the agreement reached on December 24 would be honoured.

Cracker unit blast

HYDERABAD: Six people, including three women and an infant were killed and 14 others sustained burn injuries in a massive explosion in a cracker manufacturing unit at Mannarupoluru village in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. The mishap occurred when crackers laid out for drying atop a building owned by a cracker manufacturercaught fire. The district collector has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the families of the deceased.