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Kerala on Friday reported 41,668 new Covid-19 cases on Friday. A total of 33 new Covid-19 deaths have been confirmed in the state in the last 24 hours. However, as per the Supreme Court directed reconciliation process, 73 deaths were added to the number of Covid deaths on the day.

The state has also reported 54 new Omicron cases.

Thiruvananthapuram topped the list of Covid positive cases at 7,896. Ernakulam is close behind with 7,339 Covid-19 cases, Kozhikode with 4,143 cases, Thrissur with 3667, Kottayam with 3182, Kollam with 2660, Palakkad with 2345, Wayanad with 850 and Kasaragod with 563 daily cases.

As many as 95,218 samples were tested in the past 23 hours.

Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Friday that she might make her electoral debut by contesting in the UP assembly elections, but she shouldn’t be seen as the party’s candidate for the CM’s post. She told a news channel that contesting the UP elections has been under consideration and internal discussions are on. “When there is a consensus, we will let you know,” said Priyanka, the Congress’s in-charge for UP since 2019.

At a press conference to launch the party’s youth manifesto earlier in the day, she said she was the party’s face in UP. “Are you seeing any other faces from Congress? Then? Dikh toh raha hai na sab jagah mera chehra (My face can be seen everywhere),” she said in response to the question if she was the CM face.

A Congress delegation on Thursday met Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra to register a complaint against the “politically motivated” raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on a relative of Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi ahead of the assembly elections.

In their memorandum to the poll body chief, the delegation, which also comprised senior leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Abhishek Singhvi, alleged that raids were a “violation of the model code of conduct”, which came into force on January 8 after the poll schedule was announced.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the Infrastructure and Investments (I and I) Department to plan and construct at least seven new airports in the state under the 'One District - One Airport' concept. The "One District - One Airport is a good concept," the Chief Minister said, and asked the officials of the I and I Department to build the new airports in identical fashion with a capacity to handle even Boeing-type aircraft, a press release from the CMO said.

The Chief Minister made this point at a review meeting on Thursday.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that an atmosphere of tension and violence is prevailing in the country, He added that the nation must stress the need to work for peace and harmony during an online event attended by PM Narendra Modi.

He said India's traditions have been rich and glorious, propagating the idea of "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam", which means all world is one family.

The Rajasthan chief minister also countered the claims that the country did not progress for over seven decades after Independence, a narrative used by political parties to target the Congress, which ruled a majority of the period.