Daily Bulletin: RS dy chairman election to be tight contest, Maharashtra bandh, SC verdict on BCCI constitution; the day's top stories

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election: A keen contest is on the cards on Thursday between NDA nominee Harivansh and joint Opposition candidate BK Hariprasad for the post of Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, with both sides claiming majority support. The numbers, however, appear stacked in favour of the ruling coalition which claims the support of 126 members in the Upper House, which has an effective strength of 244 MPs. While Harivansh is a first-time MP of the JD(U), Hariprasad is a three-time parliamentarian of the Congress. Both the ruling NDA and the Opposition camp gave notices on behalf of their respective candidates and their papers have been found to be in order, according to sources in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. [caption id=“attachment_4813311” align=“alignleft” width=“385”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Maratha reservation bandh: Maharashtra is bracing for a day-long shutdown on Thursday called by an umbrella organisation of pro-quota Maratha groups, with the authorities ordering the closure of schools and colleges in some areas fearing violence. The ‘bandh’ is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ assurances that his government was working on providing reservation to the Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions, one that is legally sustainable. Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota. The government has deployed six companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), one company each of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) at sensitive locations, the official said on Thursday. Muzaffarpur rape case: Bihar government is going to submit action taken report in Patna High Court. This comes a day after Bihar social welfare minister Manju Verma resigned on Wednesday after days of resistance as Opposition stepped up its attack citing purported telephonic conversations her husband had with the key accused Brajesh Thakur. IKEA debuts in India: Swedish retailer IKEA is aiming to keep prices really low in India, compared to rates elsewhere, when it opens for business in the country on Thursday, on a 13-acre plot in Hyderabad, and attempts to sell to cost-conscious Indians unfamiliar with the ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) culture. India vs England, second Test, Day 1: Virat Kohli-led India will look to bounce back from defeat in the first Test as they take on Joe Root and Co in the second match of the series at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on Thursday. Two days before the game, there was a healthy amount of grass on the Lord’s pitch. It is expected that the groundsmen will shave a few bits off before the first ball. But even if they don’t, the general expectation is that the pitch would turn out to be quite dry. Supreme Court to pass judgment on BCCI’s constitution: The 3-judge SC bench is expected to pass judgment on BCCI’s constitution on Thursday. It had agreed to review ‘One State, One Vote’, ‘Cooling off period’ and ‘70 years age restriction’. Lodha had said that the three points were “the heart and lungs” of his reforms. But BCCI wanted the modification of these. The SC will also hear Anurag Thakur’s petition. He had sought the recall of the order that removed him as the president of BCCI. He said the SC sacking him as president had caused him mental anguish and public embarrassment and he was not heard either in person or through counsel. Samsung Galaxy Note 9: Samsung’s much talked about flagship will be globally announced at it Samsung Unpacked event to be held in New York today. The phablet is a big deal for Samsung as the electronics giant fell short of expectations in its Q2 earnings with analysts blaming the same on sluggish sales of its Galaxy S9 and S9+ handsets. Leaks and rumours point out that new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will feature a similar design compared to its successor the Note 8. What is expected to change apart from the usual hardware upgrades is the functionality of the S Pen, which should make the stylus a lot more practical. Magic Leap One: After being kept secret for almost a decade, Florida-based startup Magic Leap’s first product has finally been showcased to select media and it’s called the Magic Leap One. The Magic Leap One headset is supposed to be the future of computing, one that fuses the real world with a virtual layer. The device which looks like a VR headset does not need to be tethered to a computer which makes it easier to use, more so because it works with augmented reality allowing the user to comfortably move around spaces. The Magic Leap One ‘creator’s edition’ can be pre-ordered for $2,295 and will only be available in six US cities initially which include, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Seattle. Priyanka Chopra begins work on new film: Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram to announce her next Bollywood film. She captioned her post, “I’m so excited and happy about today. Some stories just need to be told. In the spirit of Aisha Chaudhry and her incredible parents Aditi and Niren we bring you our tentatively titled super special project The Sky is Pink. Going on floors today. God Speed." In the image, she poses with Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, director Shonali Bose and producers Sidharth Roy Kapur and Ronnie Screwvala.