Union minister Narayan Rane on Sunday reacted to the Maharashtra government’s decision to give all benefits enjoyed by the other backward classes (OBCs) in the state to the Marathas till they get reservations. Rane said the move would lead to unrest in the state, adding that the decision would lead to suppression of the community and an encroachment on the other backward communities. In a draft notification, the Maharashtra government said that all blood relatives of the Maratha community, with proper records, were members of the agrarian Kunbis. It will enable them to avail of the benefits of OBCs. Dig deeper

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For more than three months in early 2023, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar travelled across cities to bring together warring opposition outfits to cobble an alliance, something that has always helped Kumar stay afloat in his long career. Kumar held meetings with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and others in this effort, often accompanied by his deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav. Dig deeper

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Sports Goings

It took an outrageous underarm flick from Ben Stokes to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja in the 2nd innings of the 1st Test between India and England on Sunday. Chasing a target of 231 on the penultimate day of the series opener at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Rahul Dravid-coached Team India was reduced to 119-6 when England skipper Stokes managed to run out Jadeja in the 38th over of the Indian 2nd innings. Dig deeper

Entertainment Focus

Munawar Faruqui lifted the Bigg Boss 17 winner’s trophy. Ankita Lokhande, who was eliminated from the show, minutes before the winner of the season was declared, was mobbed by fans as she stepped out of the sets. It seems like Ankita wanted to avoid the paparazzi, as she refused media interaction. n a video, Ankita Lokhande looked visibly upset. She was making her way into her vanity van when media and fans surrounded her. Her mother was seen walking behind her as the actor’s team tried to control the crowd. Dig deeper

That’s all we have at this hour in our Morning briefing. Catch you in the afternoon