Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (IANS) A day after VD Satheesan was announced as Kerala’s next Chief Minister, the veteran Congress leader firmly said that the state is secular and that he won’t allow any “hate campaigns” here.Speaking to reporters, CM-designate Satheesan accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of always trying to create “hate campaigns”.The Chief Minister-designate said: “Some people are trying to start the hate campaign in Keralam, we won’t allow anybody to do that. This is secula…
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Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (IANS) With V. D. Satheesan now firmly seated in the driver’s seat of Kerala politics, the celebration within the Congress camp is quickly giving way to the far more complicated and politically explosive exercise of cabinet formation.And if choosing the Chief Minister itself required 10 days of intense negotiations and delicate balancing, the battle for ministerial berths now threatens to become an even tougher test for both Satheesan and the Congress high command.The …
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) For Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, the unfolding political transition in Kerala is far less stressful compared to the political turbulence he encountered just days ago while serving as acting Governor of Tamil Nadu.Back in the Kerala Lok Bhavan after a politically charged week in Chennai, Arlekar can finally breathe easier as the Congress-led UDF formally staked claim to power with a massive and unquestionable mandate behind Chief Minister-designate V. D. Sat…
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) After a politically turbulent week in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar now appears headed for a far smoother constitutional exercise as Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan formally staked claim to form the next government in Kerala on Thursday evening.Soon after the Congress Legislature Party unanimously elected Satheesan as its leader and the UDF allies extended their support, the Chief Minister-designate called on the Governor at L…
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) After the Congress announced party leader V.D. Satheesan as the next Chief Minister of Kerala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday alleged “internal conflict” within the Congress as the decision was announced 10 days after the May 4 Assembly poll results were declared.Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said if a party is having difficulty to pick its Chief Minister even after 10 days of the Assembly poll result, “it reflects that there is internal confl…
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) After a gap of nearly fifteen years, the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram again witnessed scenes of political frenzy on Thursday afternoon as Chief Minister-designate V. D. Satheesan arrived to a thunderous welcome from jubilant party workers and leaders.The last time the state Congress headquarters had seen such euphoric scenes was in 2011, when then Chief Minister-designate Oommen Chandy arrived after leading the UDF to a na…
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) With the suspense over Kerala’s next Chief Minister finally ending, the Congress-led UDF has now shifted focus from political firefighting to power transition, with Chief Minister designate V.D. Satheesan scheduled to be sworn in on Monday in what is expected to be a grand show of coalition unity and political consolidation.With the issue of Chief Minister of the state settled, hectic discussions began within the UDF over the composition of the new ministry.Ac…
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) After the Congress high command finally picked V.D. Satheesan as Kerala’s 13th Chief Minister, he spoke exclusively to IANS and said he was dedicating his Chief Ministership to the people of the state. Speaking to IANS, Chief Minister-designate Satheesan said, “I am very grateful to the AICC leaders for entrusting me with this big responsibility. I dedicate my Chief Ministership to the people of Kerala. We will build a strong team that will work for the futu…
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) In a display of calculated restraint after one of the fiercest leadership contests the Congress party in Kerala has witnessed in recent years, party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal on Thursday publicly accepted the high command’s decision to appoint V.D. Satheesan as Kerala’s next Chief Minister, even as more than 50 newly elected Congress MLAs were widely believed to have backed his candidature for the top post.Speaking to reporters in Delhi shortly after the annou…
Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister-designate V.D. Satheesan on Thursday struck a careful balance between gratitude, humility and political messaging in his first reaction after being chosen by the Congress high command as the 13th Chief Minister of the state, declaring that the massive UDF victory belonged not to an individual leader but to “Team UDF” and lakhs of party workers.Hours after the Congress leadership formally ended days of suspense over the top post, Sathees…