December 16, 2025 07:59 AM IST
First published on: Dec 16, 2025 at 07:06 AM IST
Over 1.5 crore voters will be involved in the polling to elect their representatives for 125 assembly and 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam and seven Lok Sabha seats and nine assembly seats in the by-elections in nine states and Delhi. Though many stalwarts are in the field in the by-elections, the spotlight is on Assam, where a controversial election — to fulfill a constitutional obligation — was held in 1983. The Congress (I) is contesting all seats, while the Asom Gana Parishad has put up many candidates for 108 seats. Polling officials numbering over 92,000 have already moved with poll materials from different district and sub-divisional headquarters.
Barnala elected, Brar expelled
The general house of the Akali Dal unanimously elected the Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala, president of the party for two years, and expelled Balbir Singh Brar from the primary membership of the party. Barnala was also authorised by the general house to nominate Akali Dal office-bearers and dissolve all its subsidiary bodies including the parliamentary board, the youth wing and the Sikh Intellectual Council. These bodies will be constituted by Barnala, who was appointed acting president of the party by district jathedars after the assassination of Harchand Singh Longowal on August 31.
Uranium struck in Khasi hills
Scientists of the atomic minerals division (AMD) have located “significant” uranium concentration in parts of West Khasi hills in Meghalaya. The scientists located the deposits while carrying out explorations in the sedimentary rocks near Comaghat, official documents available in Shillong said. The document said scientists had recorded significant radioactivity in a number of outcrops of the Mahadeo formation, the focal point of the search for uranium. The scientists have so far recorded two radioactive zones in Gomaghat, each measuring more than 80 metres, the documents said.
France and China reach deal
France and China have reached agreement in principle on the construction of a nuclear power station at Daya Bay in the south Chinese province of Guangdong, officials said. The accord was reached during a visit to France by the Chinese Vice-Premier, Li Peng, the French Industry Ministry said. It covers the plant’s total cost as well as the broad outlines of a financial package. The overall cost of the project is estimated at around 20 billion francs ($2.6 billion).
