New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The UPA’s stupendous showing at the hustings has had a cascading effect on its estranged allies and supporters, and even independent MPs. There was a virtual scramble Tuesday by political parties to announce support to the new United Progressive Alliance government.

Arch rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as well as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Tuesday vied with each other to offer support to the victorious Congress-led UPA, which needs just nine more MPs to get the 272 figure needed for majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Johannesburg, May 19 (IANS) Delhi Daredevils scored 134 for seven in 20 overs against Bangalore Royal Challengers in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Wanderers here Tuesday.

Brief scores: Delhi Daredevils 134/7 in 20 overs (Dinesh Karthik 31, AB de Villiers 28; Praveen Kumar 3-30).

Ghaziabad, May 19 (IANS) Post “Slumdog Millionaire” success, Oscar-award winner Indian sound designer Resul Pookutty is going places to highlight the plight of homeless kids.

Pookutty, who won an Oscar for best sound mixing for the Danny Boyle multiple award winning underdog drama, was here Tuesday to highlight the plight of homeless children in the capital, at Store 99, Pacific mall, in Vaishali, Ghaziabad.

Lucknow, May 19 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati Tuesday suspended two party legislators in Uttarakhand for working against the party and indulging in anti-BSP activities, party sources said.

Qazi Mohammad Nizamuddin and Chaudhary Yashveer Singh were accused of carrying out election campaigns in Uttarakhand in support of Congress Lok Sabha candidates, they added.

London, May 19 (IANS) Britain’s foreign minister Tuesday praised the outcome of the Indian elections, saying another five years of stable government will enable the two countries to jointly tackle “urgent global and regional challenges”.

Welcoming the Indian elections as a testimony to the “health of the world’s largest democracy”, Stephen Miliband said: “We look forward to continuing working closely with the new Indian government to address the many urgent global and regional challenges we face.

New Delhi, May 19 (ANI): Reiterating New Delhi’s stand for a political solution to the issue of minority rights, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday urged the Sri Lankan government to reach out to Tamils and build a political accommodation that protects the rights of all its citizens.

Pilibhit, May 19 (ANI): After being in the limelight for his hate speech against a minority community, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi on Tuesday allegedly misbehaved with a journalist here.

New Delhi, May 19 (ANI): A day ahead of the crucial meeting of pre-poll UPA allies, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.