UDF

Kerala is not averse to discussing any new project with the Adani group and will do so only if there is a "win-win" situation which benefits the people of the state as well, a senior state minister has said. However, the southern state is not keen to have any big industries which will cause pollution and ecological damage, P Rajeev, the Minister of Law, Industries and Coir, told PTI. The comments from the minister come even as there seems to be some unease among southern states when it comes to dealing with the Adani group, especially after the second richest Indian Gautam Adani and others faced charges of bribing officials to secure contracts. Rajeev said Kerala has a big investment from the Adani group in the Vizhinjam Seaport near its capital Thiruvananthapuram and added that the current government decided to go ahead with the project signed by the predecessors only because the benefits accrued to the state and its people through the ambitious transshipment port. He also clarifi

The BJP on Sunday accused the Left government in Kerala of "failing" to utilise the central funds in the SDRF and the NDRF for the relief and rehabilitation of Wayanad landslide survivors and carrying out "fake propaganda" against the union government. The saffron party said that the Narendra Modi government has provided sufficient funds to Kerala through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). "The Pinarayi government is sitting on available funds and blames the Centre," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar alleged in a social media post. In a hard-hitting X post, he said the Centre has allocated over Rs 500 crore for this purpose through SDRF, which already has a balance of approximately Rs 700 crore. "The state has failed to utilise the Rs 700 crore in the calamity fund. People world over have donated to CM Relief fund. This is also not used. This is the hypocrisy of LDF and UDF, and their fake propaganda has

The court questioned how the hartal could be justified and asked why the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF went for it

The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Wayanad district in Kerala on Tuesday saw shops largely remaining closed and vehicles blocked in many areas. The CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF announced hartals separately to protest against the lack of Central assistance for the landslide victims in the mountain district even months after the disaster. Both the ruling and the opposition parties wanted the BJP-led union government to declare the landslide calamity as a national disaster and provide required assistance for the relief and rehabilitation of the survivors at the earliest. While the LDF alleged that the denying of Central assistance to Wayanad was due to political reasons and the union government had grudges towards the state, the UDF criticised the Left government in the state for the continuing plight of the landslide survivors. In many places, those supporting the hartal blocked vehicles, causing traffic snarls since morning. The ...

The namesakes of prominent candidates contesting as independents have impacted election outcomes in the past and the strategy appears to be making a comeback in the assembly bypolls in Palakkad and Chelakkara constituencies. As the three major political fronts -- LDF, UDF and NDA -- enter the second phase campaigns, three individuals with names resembling those of the Congress-led UDF candidates have entered the race as independents in the two assembly seats. In the Palakkad constituency, where a triangular contest is unfolding, two independent candidates -- Rahul Manalazhi and Rahul R Vadakanthara -- are posing a challenge for the UDF, which has fielded Youth Congress state president Rahul Mamkootathil. The grand old party alleged that these namesake candidates are backed by the CPI(M) and the BJP to confuse voters. "Our initial inquiries indicate that one candidate is a CPI(M) worker while the other is supported by the BJP. However, such tactics would not impact the UDF's prospec

Ruling LDF candidate in Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll Sathyan Mokeri on Wednesday criticised his UDF counterpart Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for leaving the constituency soon after filing nominations and said she would not be with the people of the hill segment if she wins from here. Like her brother Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka would also come here and go as a guest, and she wouldn't be present in the constituency, he alleged. The Left candidate came out with the criticism a day after Priyanka wrapped up her first round of corner meetings in the constituency as part of the campaign for the November 13 polls. A senior leader of the CPI and a former MLA, Mokeri, said the people of Wayanad experienced the result of electing Rahul Gandhi in the past five years and the voters could not even see him. He accused Rahul Gandhi of abandoning Wayanad the very next day after he was elected for the second time during the April Lok Sabha polls. "Now, the UDF candidate (Priyanka Gandhi) left the constituency s

The Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday demanded a fair probe into the complaint against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accusing him of making a speech instigating brutal assaults against Youth Congress members during the Nava Kerala Sadas outreach programme of the government last year. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan made the demand in a submission in the House where he contended that a magisterial court has ordered a probe against the CM on the complaint. Responding to the submission on behalf of the CM, state Excise and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh said that the court has only asked the police to investigate whether there are sufficient grounds to proceed further with the complaint. "The court ordered the police to investigate under section 202 (1) of the CrPC as to whether there are sufficient reasons to proceed with the complaint and submit a report," Rajesh said. The court order of October 3 came on a complaint by Ernakulam ..

Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) will hold a protest on Monday in front of the Secretariat, the administrative hub here, accusing the Left government of protecting culprits reportedly mentioned in the Justice K Hema Committee report. The opposition would also protest against the alleged protection given by the Pinarayi Vijayan government to those who had created and propagated the controversial "kafir" screenshot in Vadakara constituency during the time of the recent Lok Sabha polls. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, would inaugurate the agitation in front of the Secretariat on September 2 morning, a statement said on Sunday. UDF Convenor M M Hassan, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, other prominent front leaders including P K Kunhalikutty, P J Joseph, C P John, Anoop Jacob and Sibu Baby John would take part in the protest, it added. The opposition has been accusing the state government of protecting predators and ignoring the revelations of

The Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday said in the state assembly that the increasing student migration from Kerala was a dangerous trend which if not addressed, would result in the southern state becoming the home of elderly people. The Left government, however, brushed it aside, saying it was a global phenomenon that was not confined to Kerala alone. The issue was raised by the UDF while seeking adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss the matter, permission for which was denied by the Speaker after the state government said that student migrations were a normal trend and an outcome of globalisation. Following the denial of permission for the motion to adjourn the House, the opposition staged a walkout, alleging that the government and the state higher education minister were "in denial mode" and not acknowledging the danger posed by student migration. State Higher Education Minister R Bindu claimed that student migration was a "global phenomenon" following globalisat

Over 300 people, including children, living in an apartment complex in Kakkanad near here sought treatment for food poisoning in the last couple of days, prompting municipal and health authorities to inspect the water sources used by the residents of the flats. Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday said that she was informed a day ago by some residents of the apartment complex in Thrikkakara municipality that over the last few days, several hundred people have fallen sick there. "I immediately ordered an inspection of the area by health officials and a medical team from Ernakulam visited the apartment complex and examined all their water sources. They also spoke to residents and took a list of the people who fell sick and sought treatment in private hospitals," she said. The minister said that it appears to be a serious issue as there have been instances of water contamination in the recent past in the city and thousands of families are living in the apartment complex. The

The BJP's sterling performance in Kerala, winning from Thrissur and increasing its vote share in many constituencies in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, clearly indicates a shift in the political landscape of the southern state, say noted political analysts. Besides actor-politician Suresh Gopi winning from Thrissur, the BJP-led NDA saw its vote share rise from over 15 per cent in 2019 to nearly 20 per cent now. Analysts indicate that Kerala's political landscape is evolving from a traditionally bipolar contest dominated by Congress-led UDF and CPI(M)-led LDF to a tripolar scenario. This shift, which has been gradually happening since the 2011 Assembly elections, is now becoming more evident. The 2024 Parliamentary elections in Kerala confirm this shift, as NDA made major inroads into the electorate in Kerala, garnering nearly 20 per cent vote share in many constituencies they contested in, they said. According to them, constituencies like Thrissur, which NDA won, and the increased vote

As the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala is holding a protest in the national capital against the alleged neglect by the Centre, the Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday reiterated that the union government was not solely responsible for the southern state's financial woes. Leader of Opposition in the assembly V D Satheesan said that the UDF did not join the LDF protest in Delhi as "they created a narrative blaming the Central government for all the financial problems of the state to hide their mismanagement, extravagance and corruption". The opposition has been saying this for some time. He also termed as "lies" and "an inflated figure" the Left government's claims that around Rs 57,000 crore was to be received from the Centre. Satheesan also claimed that what the Left government said in the Supreme Court was different from what it said in Delhi and what was said in the state assembly regarding the financial woes of Kerala. He also claimed that the Left government moved t

The ruling LDF and opposition UDF in Kerala came under sharp criticism from senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday for their criticism of the State's involvement in the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony, as he accused them of hypocrisy. He also asserted "Bharat has changed." Both the CPI-M-led LDF and opposition UDF, headed by the Congress had slammed the saffron party on Monday for allegedly turning the consecration ceremony into a state-sponsored event. Javadekar argued that the ceremony was organised by the trust responsible for building the Shri Ram temple with public donations, rather than being a state-sponsored event. "Bharat has changed. But, You are not. Both LDF and Congress are hypocrites. People will not forgive you but forget you!," Javadekar said in a post on 'X'. Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the rituals related to the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said India's firs

A day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed that the state government had taken action against those involved in the Karuvannur bank scam case, the Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday reiterated its allegation that he was protecting the culprits behind the fraud. Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the assembly V D Satheesan alleged that the chief minister was defending and protecting those who looted over Rs 500 crore from cooperative banks in Thrissur. Vijayan on Wednesday had said that if one bad grain was found in a bowl of rice, the entire bowl cannot be thrown away. In response to this, Satheesan contended that the chief minister needs to realise that the entire bowl was full of bad grains. The LoP further contended that the stand taken by Vijayan amounts to discrediting the cooperative sector in the state and turning a blind eye to the suffering of the investors. He said that even the opposition does not want the cooperative sector to be harmed and urged the ..

The LDF government in Kerala on Thursday rejected the opposition UDF's allegations that it was not addressing the plight of farmers and the agriculture sector in the state was in doldrums. The Left Front contended that the Congress-led UDF's allegations were baseless and politically motivated as the state government has been taking steps to protect the interests of the farmers and the agricultural sector in Kerala as a whole. State Agriculture Minister P Prasad said in the Assembly that the agricultural sector was affected by the adverse policies of the Centre and climate changes, despite which the state government was working to help the farmers. Prasad, responding to a notice moved by UDF MLA Sunny Joseph seeking to adjourn the House to discuss the plight of farmers in Kerala, also said the LDF has followed through on the promises made by it. Moving the notice, Joseph, MLA from Peravoor, alleged the Left government betrayed rubber cultivators by not increasing the minimum support

Opposition Congress-UDF on Friday retained the Puthuppally Assembly constituency in Kerala as its candidate Chandy Ommen won by a margin of over 36,000 votes in the bypoll, Election Commission sources said. While Oommen, son of late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, gained a clear edge since the initial round, his nearest rival and ruling LDF candidate Jaick C Thomas could never gain a lead in any rounds. The CPI(M)-led LDF lost ground even in its stronghold areas, and BJP candidate Lijin Lal was nowhere in the picture when the counting was over. Chandy Oommen (37), currently chairman of the Youth Congress's national outreach cell, could well surpass his father's record of margin of 33,255 votes in the constituency, which the late Congress leader represented Puthuppally in the state assembly for over five decades. The bypoll result, which came a few months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is seen as a huge setback for the ruling CPI(M), which has been facing allegations of corrupt

Launching a scathing attack on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress-led UDF on Thursday alleged in the Assembly that a "coterie" of persons in his office was controlling the police and not him. The allegation was made by the opposition UDF during heated discussions on the alleged continuation of police atrocities in the state and lack of steps on the part of the Left government to put an end to them. The opposition made the allegations in a notice moved by some UDF MLAs for adjournment of the House proceedings to discuss the issue of alleged police atrocities in the state. Referring to the recent custodial death of a man, picked up for alleged drug possession, earlier this month, the opposition alleged the victim was brutally beaten up by a special squad -- District Anti-Narcotic Special Action Force (DANSAF) -- under the Malappuram SP and demanded that he be suspended. Responding to the allegations, Vijayan said the case registered regarding the custodial death wil

The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala on Sunday said the progress card of achievements released by the ruling Left front in the state was "factually incorrect" and "full of hypocrisy". Countering the allegation, the LDF government said the opposition only sees fraud in everything the administration was doing and asked the UDF to show proof in support of its accusations. A day after the Congress-led UDF on Saturday laid siege to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram against the alleged misrule and corruption of the Left dispensation, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly V D Satheesan termed the LDF administration a "failure". Satheesan alleged that every department of the government was failing to function properly. "Even the Home Department under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is a failure. There is in-fighting among its officials. The outcome is the sacrifice of an honest police officer by suspending him," the LoP claimed. He was referring to the recent suspension of .

The still smouldering fire at the Brahmapuram waste plant in Kochi was set "deliberately" to avoid inspection of the site where several years worth of garbage was lying accumulated, Congress-led UDF opposition alleged in the Kerala assembly on Monday. The government, on the other hand, said the fire appeared to have been caused due to the high temperatures in the state, but it was investigating the matter to find out the actual reasons for it. Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan claimed in the House that the fire has not yet been extinguished or even brought under control and alleged that neither the local administration nor the state government was doing anything to address the serious situation. The poisonous smoke generated from there, which has even entered homes of the areas neighbouring the waste plant, will cause both short and long term health problems for the people there, he contended in his submission in the House. The LoP, also an MLA from Nor

The Kerala Assembly on Thursday passed the contentious University Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022, which would result in curtailing the powers of the Governor as Chancellor of state universities. The opposition Congress-UDF boycotted the House proceedings before voting alleging that the government was trying to appoint "puppets" of the ruling party in key posts in varsities. Announcing their boycott, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan said the Bill was an "insult" to the higher education sector of the state. The Bill would affect the autonomy of the universities and would set a wrong precedent in the higher education sector, he charged before walking out of the hall. However, Higher Education Minister R Bindu claimed that the opposition and media's propaganda that the Bill would strip the powers of the Governor was wrong. The Bill was passed at a time when the ruling CPI(M) was facing nepotism charges from opposition parties in connection with the faculty appointment in