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According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a maximum temperature of 14.8 degree Celsius, seven notches below the normal was recorded at the Safdarjung observatory. The IMD says that a cold day is when the minimum temperature of a station is less than equal to 10 degrees Celsius for plains and less than equal to 0 degree Celsius for hilly areas.

Unlike the 2017 Assembly polls, the father-son duo of the prominent regional party Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), elderly Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal, were facing tough battle in their respective seats, this time all eyes are on other constituencies in Punjab that will go to the polls on February 20. The otherwise quiet seats have suddenly grabbed everyone's attention with several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders making a bid even though the tally of its sitting legislators has come down to 13 from 20 who were elected in 2017.

The BJP has mounted a blistering attack on Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for his statement in which he reportedly said that it is China and not Pakistan which is India's real enemy. Talking to reporters on Monday, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said that the SP chief's journey began with Jinnah and has come to its logical conclusion with Pakistan.

The residents of the national capital woke up to a thick blanket of fog that enveloped the city on Monday, as the biting winter chill continued. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius was recorded at 8.30 a.m. with a relative humidity of 95 per cent. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 16 degrees Celsius.

Talking to reporters on Monday, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said that the SP chief's journey began with Jinnah and has come to its logical conclusion with Pakistan.

Targeting opposition parties ahead of the first phase of polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused his predecessors of building bungalows for themselves first after coming to power. Hitting back, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati who said that the mutt of Gorakhpur, where Adityanath resides, is also no less than a big bungalow.

Swati Singh is purportedly talking to a person, who is heard complaining that her husband Daya Shankar Singh has misbehaved with him and there is a case of land grabbing too.

The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), an ally of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in west Uttar Pradesh, is facing trouble over seat allotment in at least eight Assembly segments, another ally has now queered the pitch for the SP.

"The air quality had improved due to rain. However, it will deteriorate after the rain stops and settle between the lower end of the 'very poor' and the higher end of the 'poor' categories," Gufran Beig, Project Director, SAFAR, said, adding that under no condition will the air quality will enter the "severe" category.

Haider is from Rampur's royal family and the grandson of Begum Noor Bano, veteran Congress leader and former MP of Rampur, whose rivalry with Azam is well known in political circles. Congress had declared Haider its candidate on January 13, but he severed ties with his party to join Apna Dal (S).