New Delhi, July 10 -- The Nifty Auto index rose 1% to an intraday high of 26,976.45 on Thursday, shrugging off the ongoing controversy surrounding the nationwide rollout of E20 ethanol-blended fuel. The rally was supported by gains across the broader market, with benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty 50 advancing around 1% each during the session.

Among the constituents, Balkrishna Industries gained 2%, while Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and Ashok Leyland rose 1% each. Tata Motors' passenger vehicle business, Samvardhana Motherson, Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp added over 0.5% each. MRF, Apollo Tyres and Exide Industries also traded in the green.

However, not all auto stocks participated in the rally. Bosch, Bharat Forge, Bajaj Auto and Eic...