J&K High Court Set to Hear Final Arguments on LG’s MLA Nomination Powers

The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court is expected to hear final arguments on Thursday in a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) authority to nominate five members to the Union Territory Assembly.

A division bench, consisting of Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Rajesh Sekhri, had earlier instructed both parties to complete pleadings by March 20.

In October, Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan formed a special division bench to oversee the case, which disputes provisions in the J&K Reorganisation Act granting the LG the power to nominate MLAs.

Kerala ASHA Workers to Launch Indefinite Hunger Strike Over Unmet Demands

After 38 days of protest, ASHA workers in Kerala have announced an indefinite hunger strike starting Thursday, following failed negotiations with the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government.

The workers, demanding post-retirement benefits and an increase in honorarium, held two rounds of discussions on Wednesday—first with the state Health Mission and later with Health Minister Veena George.

However, protest leaders said the government refused to meet their “basic demands”, forcing them to escalate their agitation. Three leaders will begin fasting in front of the Secretariat on Thursday.

“The minister simply expressed sympathy for our suffering but asked us to end the protest voluntarily. No solutions were offered,” said Mini, a protest leader.

YSRCP Protests Against TDP Government’s Efforts to “Erase” YSR’s Legacy

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former minister Gudivada Amarnath on Wednesday accused the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh of systematically erasing the legacy of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) by renaming institutions and removing his name from public projects.

Amarnath specifically condemned the renaming of Visakhapatnam’s VDCA Cricket Stadium, which was previously dedicated to YSR, and announced a YSRCP protest near the stadium’s YSR statue on Thursday.

He alleged that the government was prioritizing the removal of YSR’s name over fulfilling election promises. Examples cited include:

• Demolition of YSR statues at Nagarjuna University and Vemuru (Bapatla).
• Removal of YSR’s name from Health University, Visakhapatnam Stadium, Sitakonda’s YSR Viewpoint, YSR District, Rythu Bharosa Kendras, and Tadigadapa Municipality.

Amarnath called the move a political attack on YSR’s legacy, accusing the TDP government of engaging in vendetta politics instead of addressing public concerns.