Kerala Elections

Palakkad bypoll: Slight drop in turnout compared to 2021 Assembly polls

The Palakkad assembly constituency, which saw a high octane campaign that gave rise to scores of controversies, saw a voter turnout of 70.01 per cent till 6.49 pm on Wednesday after voting in the bypoll concluded in over 86 per cent of the polling booths. This was a decline from the 73.83 per cent turnout recorded in the assembly polls held in the state in 2021. When polling started at 7 am, it proceeded slowly with a low turnout of only 1.11 per cent at 8 am, according to figures released by the Election Commission (EC). By noon, five hours after voting commenced, the turnout reached 30.48 per cent. It took another three hours after that for the turnout to cross the 50 per cent mark. At 6.49 pm, the turnout reached 70.01 per cent after voting concluded in 159 of the 184 polling booths in the constituency, the EC said. It said that this was not the final figure as in the remaining booths, people were waiting in line to cast their votes. There were long queues outside many booths

EC reschedules bypolls in UP, Punjab, Kerala from Nov 13 to Nov 20

The Election Commission on Monday rescheduled assembly bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala from November 13 to November 20 in view of festivals, an official statement said. Nine seats are going to polls in Uttar Pradesh, four in Punjab and one in Kerala. Parties including Congress, BJP, BSP and RLD had urged the poll body to reschedule the polls in view of various festivals, saying that it could impact voter turnout. According to the Congress, a significant portion of the electorate in the Palakkad assembly seat in Kerala will celebrate the festival of Kalpathi Rastholsavam from November 13 to 15. In Punjab, the party had said, the 555th Prakash Parv of Sri Guru Nanak Dev will be celebrated on November 15 and an 'akhand path' will be organised from November 13 onwards. BJP, BSP and RLD had said that in Uttar Pradesh, people travel for three-four days ahead of Kartik Purnima, which will be celebrated on November 15.

Wayanad bypoll: Priyanka accuses BJP of undermining Constitutional values

Kicking off her second phase of campaigning, Congress candidate for the Wayanad by-election, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Centre, alleging that the values of the Constitution are constantly being subverted under its rule. Addressing a corner meeting organised in Meenangadi in this hill district, the AICC general secretary referred to the violence in Manipur and alleged that "planned" attacks are taking place against minorities in the country. "You know the BJP government at the Centre is spreading fear, anger and distress among the community. You have seen the attack on minorities. You have seen the attacks in Manipur. You have seen again and again anger, spread of hatred and fear concerted in a planned fashion," she alleged. Priyanka also alleged that policy after policy is made to favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's friends rather than the common people. "There is no compassion towards the farmers who are toiling day and night. Ther

BJP leader Suresh Gopi denies rumours of resigning from Modi's Cabinet

Shortly after being sworn into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government, actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi says he has no interest in a ministerial role

Kerala's revenue soars to Rs 77K cr easing strain from centre: Minister

The Left government in Kerala has achieved a record revenue increase from Rs 47,000 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 77,000 crore in 2023-24, helping to mitigate financial challenges posed by the BJP-ruled Centre, according to state Finance Minister K N Balagopal. "We've managed a record increase in the state's own revenue even as the Centre financially squeezes us. The state's own tax revenue rose from Rs 47,000 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 77,000 crore in 2023-24," Balagopal said. He pointed out that this represents a 60 per cent increase in the state's own tax revenue over just three years. "Without this increase, Kerala's economy would have collapsed due to the central government's anti-state policies." The minister also noted that the state government is doing everything it can to handle the crisis caused by the Centre's reduction in tax allocations and debt limits. Balagopal, who is also a senior CPI(M) leader, said that Kerala successfully brought national attention to the Centre's alleged

Highlights of the day: Voters will score such 'goal' in phase 3, INDI alliance will vanish says PM

From Hamas looking into latest ceasefire proposal from Israel to the developments of the Lok Sabha polls, catch all the latest news from around the world here

Cong accuses CPI(M) of hijacking poll machinery to discourage voters

A day after polling concluded for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the Congress on Saturday alleged that voters were harassed and the election machinery was hijacked by the ruling CPI(M) in the state with an aim to bring down the turnout percentage. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the alleged hijacking of the election machinery by the ruling CPI(M) was one of the reasons for the decrease in polling percentage this year as compared to the turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Despite heightened political fervour and anticipation about the general elections for the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the process concluded with a notable decrease in voter turnout, as the figure stood at 70.22 per cent at 8pm yesterday. This figure, while significant, was quite a drop from the polling percentage of 77.84 per cent registered in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Venugopal claimed that there were glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) in three to five per cent of the polling booths in

LS polls: Steady voting in Kerala, 33% turnout recorded at 12:20 pm

Polling in all the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala for the 2024 general election commenced at 7am on Friday amidst tight security arrangements with the state witnessing 5.62 per cent turnout after the first hour of voting. People queued up since early morning outside the over 25,000 polling booths in the state to avoid the hot weather that was likely as the day progressed. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling booths in all Lok Sabha seats in the state. As the polling commenced, there were reports of EVM breakdowns in various booths across the state, delaying the election process in those places. However, the machines were replaced and the voting continued smoothly. Polling was carried out amidst tight security arrangements which included deployment of over 66,000 security personnel and live monitoring of the election process by an extensive webcasting system. Voting began after a mock poll was carried out by casting votes in favour of all candidates, including NOTA, whose

LS polls: With Suresh Gopi in fray, BJP hopes to open account in Kerala

Actor-politician hand-picked by Modi to galvanise party's fortunes in Thrissur

LS polls: PM Modi to address rallies in central and south Kerala today

All 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state go to the polls in the second phase on April 16

Lok Sabha elections: Rahul Gandhi files nomination today in Wayanad

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on Wednesday to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He will also hold a roadshow in the constituency where he had won in the 2019 Parliament polls with a massive margin of over four lakh votes. Rahul will arrive by helicopter at Muppainad, a village here, and will travel by road till Kalpetta, the party said. At 11 am, he will hold a roadshow from Kalpetta in which he will be accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and AICC general secretaries K C Venugopal and Deepa Das, AICC in-charge of the National Students' Union of India Kanhaiya Kumar as well as Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan and KPCC acting president M M Hassan, Congress said. It said that thousands of party workers and supporters are likely to turn up for the roadshow. The roadshow will end near the Civil Station here at around noon after which Rahul will submit his nomination papers to the District Collector, the party said

BJP will win 4-5 seats in Kerala in Lok Sabha polls: 'Metroman' Sreedharan

'Metroman' E Sreedharan on Sunday said that the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi would definitely come back to power at the Centre and that the saffron party would win at least four-five seats in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls. He asserted that BJP candidate Suresh Gopi would surely win from Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency in the state and Union Ministers Rajeev Chandrasekhar and V Muraleedharan would win in Thiruvananthapuram and Attingal segments, respectively. Senior woman leader Shobha Surendran has good chances in Alappuzha constituency, the Metroman added, while speaking to TV channel Asianet News here. Sreedharan, who had unsuccessfully contested as a BJP candidate from Palakkad constituency in Kerala's assembly polls, also made it clear that he has no plans to come back to active politics due to his advanced age of 94 years. "The Narendra Modi government will definitely come back to power at the national level after the polls. In Kerala also, the party will

Tharoor slams CPI, says it is supporting BJP in Thiruvananthapuram

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor hit out at the CPI on Tuesday, saying that it is ironic that the Left party which complains about Rahul Gandhi's candidature in Wayanad is "playing the BJP's game" in Thiruvananthapuram. The Congress candidate from Thiruvananthapuram said the only effect of the CPI's campaign against him in the constituency is to divide the anti-BJP vote, "and they preach alliance dharma in Wayanad". Tharoor, who has been representing Thiruvananthapuram for the past 15 years in the Lok Sabha, is eyeing a record fourth term. He is facing BJP's Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Electronics and Information Technology. The CPI has fielded Pannian Raveendran in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat. In a post on X, Tharoor said, "It's ironic that the same @cpofindia that complains about @RahulGandhi's candidature in Wayanad is playing the BJP's game in Thiruvananthapuram." "The only effect of the CPI's

LS elections 2024: Human-animal conflict a major talking point in Kerala

Amidst the serene landscapes and lush greenery of Kerala's hilly and forested districts, a troubling saga has unfolded in recent months, with communities facing a surge in human-animal conflicts that have left a trail of death, injury, and mounting economic losses in their wake. At least nine lives have been lost in Idukki and Wayanad Districts in the last three months, and numerous others have been injured in wildlife attacks, particularly by elephants, tigers and wild boars, among others. Livestock and cherished pets have tragically become prey to maulings, as elephants and wild boars stray from forests into agricultural areas, leaving farmers disheartened and distressed. As the state grapples with these tragic events, the issue has become a major talking point in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress are pushing for amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, which .

I was misinterpreted, says BJP veteran hours after praising Shashi Tharoor

Hours after he praised MP Shashi Tharoor and said it would be difficult to defeat the Congress leader from the state capital in the near future, veteran BJP leader O Rajagopal on Monday clarified that his words were misinterpreted and claimed that the saffron party will win from Thiruvananthapuram constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. Rajagopal, the former union minister who lost to Tharoor in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Thiruvananthapuram, had at a function here on Monday evening said the Congress MP's ability to sway people's minds was the reason for his repeated wins from the constituency. "That is why he is able to win again and again from Thiruvananthapuram. I doubt that anyone else will get an opportunity to win (from Thiruvananthapuram) in the near future," he had said while speaking at the N Ramachandran Foundation award ceremony. Tharoor had touched Rajagopal's feet and hugged him after his speech. However, hours later, in a late night Facebook post, the veteran BJP ..

Elections 2023: A look at what happened in 5-poll bound states in 2018

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Kerala Court rejects plea seeking vigilance probe against CM Vijayan

A court here on Saturday dismissed a plea seeking vigilance inquiry against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter and others in connection with alleged financial transactions between a private mineral company and her IT firm. The Special Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha dismissed the petition filed by social activist Gireesh Babu, for want of evidence, sources said. The petition sought an investigation into the "illegal financial transactions, coming under the ambit of bribery, carried out between the accused persons," in connection with mining and other "business interests" of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Apart from Veena T and Vijayan, the petition had also arraigned former leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala, Indian Union Muslim League leaders P K Kunhalikutty and V K Ibrahimkunju, Veena's IT firm, CMRL and others. A controversy had erupted recently over certain financial transactions between CMRL and the Chi

Shailaja's exclusion raises question of who is bigger: individual or party?

The former health minister's exclusion from Vijayan's second Cabinet raises the age-old question of who is bigger

LDF victory also a warning against BJP's rule at the Centre: CPI (M)

The party stressed the need for an 'alternative political stream' in the country to oppose the BJP.

Election results LIVE: Mamata wins Bengal, DMK TN, LDF Kerala, BJP Assam

Election Results 2021 live updates: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam Election Results 2021 will be declared today. Follow our live blog for the latest counting updates