Uttar Pradesh: Rupendra Rana, one of the 19 men accused of lynching Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri in September 2015, will contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Rana spent two-and-a-half years in jail and is currently out on bail.

The president of the Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena, Amit Jani, on Sunday announced the decision to field Rana from Gautam Budh Nagar constituency in Noida.

“Rana is the perfect person to protect cows as he has spent two-and-a-half years in prison for the respect of gaumata [cows],” Jani told The Times of India. “Rather than making false promises of doing something for cows, Rana had proven his commitment to cows in 2015.”

Akhlaq was beaten to death in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, in September 2015 following rumours that he and his family had killed a calf and eaten beef during Eid festivities. A forensic report in May said the meat found in his home was that of a cow or its progeny. Uttar Pradesh Police chief Javed Ahmed had said the new report “does not diminish the case as murder is an offence”.

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Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.

The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.

"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.

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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.

Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.

“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.

The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.