Thiruvananthapuram, April 11 (IANS) As Kerala awaits election results, one figure looms larger than any other in the state’s political landscape, Pinarayi Vijayan. Now 80, the veteran CPI(M) leader is seeking a historic third-consecutive term as Chief Minister, a feat no leader in Kerala’s political history has achieved.Vijayan’s political style has always been defined by a tough, no-nonsense demeanor, markedly different from his Congress counterparts.Leaders like K. Karunakaran, A.K. Anto…
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Thiruvananthapuram, April 9 (IANS) Veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony on Thursday set the tone for the United Democratic Front (UDF) campaign narrative, predicting a historic victory in Kerala and asserting that a strong anti-incumbency wave would bring an end to the decade-long rule of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Antony said the mood for change has been evident from the early days of campaigning, but intensified significantly in recent days.“This will be a verdict stronger than what we s…
Thiruvananthapuram, March 31 (IANS) Veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony on Tuesday asserted that a change of government in Kerala is “certain”, claiming that the electorate has already made up its mind well before polling day.Kerala goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators.“The people of Kerala have already voted in their hearts,” Antony said, projecting a decisive return of the United Democratic Front (UDF).“Like a thunderclap, the UDF will come back. The people have …
Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 (IANS) In a dramatic last-minute intervention, senior Congress leader A.K. Antony stepped in to defuse a brewing crisis within the Indian National Congress, persuading veteran leader and Kannur Lok Sabha member, K. Sudhakaran, to stay back after he was on the verge of quitting the party.Sudhakaran, the Kannur Lok Sabha MP, had been preparing to sever ties with the Congress following a standoff over his demand to contest the Kannur Assembly constituency in the upcomin…
Thiruvananthapuram, March 6 (IANS) With the Assembly elections drawing closer, one name that increasingly dominates discussions within the Congress in Kerala when it comes to candidate selection is K. C. Venugopal.As the party’s powerful General Secretary, Organisation, Venugopal has emerged as the key decision maker whose approval is widely considered crucial before any final list of candidates is cleared.Across the state, aspirants lobbying for party tickets are increasingly aware that the f…
Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted the state government a final two weeks to file its counter affidavit in a public interest litigation challenging the 1977 allotment of Kerala University land for the construction of the AKG Centre for Research and Studies in the state capital.The building, until last year, housed the CPI-M’s state headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. was…
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 4 (IANS) As Kerala moves closer to Assembly elections, State Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar is heading into the campaign trail facing mounting political headwinds, with controversy and signs of voter fatigue threatening to complicate his sixth straight contest from Pathanapuram.Now 59, Ganesh Kumar is preparing for another electoral battle in the constituency he has represented continuously since 2001.A film actor-turned-politician, he burst onto the political scene…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (IANS) Kerala Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader V.D. Satheesan paid a surprise visit to party MP Shashi Tharoor here on Saturday, signalling a thaw after weeks of unease and speculation over Tharoor’s political future.The meeting at Tharoor’s residence focused on preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections and is being seen as part of a concerted effort by the Congress high command to end internal dissonance and project unity ahead of a cruci…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30 (IANS) After weeks of silence on Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Friday said that he would campaign actively across all constituencies in the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.Satheesan’s statement comes on the heels of a two-hour heart-to-heart discussion in Delhi on Thursday between Tharoor, Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge, and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, at the Parliam…
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29 (IANS) Congress Working Committee member and former Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Thursday expressed serious concern over the growing disinterest of young people in politics and an increasing reluctance among educated youth to remain in Kerala, often described as “God’s Own Country”.In his remarks at a function here, Antony said the trend was alarming and called for urgent introspection.He said that when the United Democratic Front (UDF) returns to power, it should…