Page 27 - Kerala

Kerala CM Vijayan urges Centre to release grant for Vizhinjam seaport

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to release the Centre's share of Rs 817.80 crore in the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for the Vizhinjam seaport here without imposing the condition that the state has to repay it later. Vijayan, in a letter to the FM, said the condition imposed by the Empowered Committee constituted by the Department of Economic Affairs, that the VGF amount should be repaid by Kerala in Net Present Value (NPV) terms by way of premium (revenue) sharing, would result in a huge loss of Rs 10,000 to 12,000 crore to the state exchequer. "The state is investing resources to the tune of Rs 5,595 crore out of the total project outlay of Rs 8,867 crore. I am sure, the Hon'ble Minister would appreciate that given the financial situation of a small state, like Kerala with limited financial resources, this scale of investment involves tremendous sacrifice on the part of the state. "In addition, as the repayment of Rs 817.80

Kodakara black money case puts BJP in tough situation ahead of bypolls

BJP's former Thrissur district office secretary Tirur Satheesh's revelations about the 2021 Kodakara black money case have put the party in a tough situation amidst the ongoing bypoll campaigns in the state, with the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress demanding a probe into the issue. On Friday, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan called for a thorough investigation following the new revelations in the case. He termed the disclosure "serious" and alleged that it should not be viewed merely as the Kodakara case, but rather as a small piece of a larger black money distribution network run by the BJP throughout the state. The revelations by Satheesh came as the party ramps up its campaign efforts for the November 13 by-polls in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat and the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly constituencies. Satheesh has alleged that the unaccounted money linked to the case was part of the party's election fund. He has claimed that the money, allegedly transported in six sacks by an individua

Communal forces attempting to undermine Kerala's progress: CM Vijayan

He also called upon the people of the state to embrace humanistic values that transcend religious, caste, and regional differences

PM Modi, Amit Shah extend greetings to five states on their foundation day

Wishing each state individually in various posts on X, he highlighted the contributions of each state to the country

'Namesakes' cause trouble for UDF candidates in Palakkad, Chelakkara seats

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

Understand responsibility that comes with your support: Priyanka in Wayanad

Priyanka Gandhi is contesting from the Wayanad constituency as a United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate, is seeking election from the seat her brother Rahul Gandhi vacated

ADM suicide case: Kerala government, police action correct, says CPI(M)

Kerala's ruling CPI(M) on Wednesday threw its support behind the government's handling of the Additional District Magistrate Naveen Babu suicide case, just a day after the arrest and judicial remand of its leader, P P Divya. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that the steps taken by the state government and the police in the case were "correct" and not a drama as claimed by the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan. On being asked by reporters as to what action the party would take against Divya, Govindan said that it was an internal matter of the CPI(M) which does not need to be communicated to the media. He said that any action to be taken in such matters is first discussed by the party's state and district committee. "The Kannur district committee will take a decision on what action has to be taken," he added. A similar view was expressed by K P Udayabhanu, secretary of the CPI(M)'s Pathanamthitta District Committee, who said that the district committee in .

Priyanka Gandhi will not be with people of Wayanad: LDF candidate

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

News updates: Traffic snarls in Delhi as people throng to markets for shopping on Dhanteras

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150 injured, 8 critical in fireworks mishap during Kerala temple festival

A fireworks accident at a Kerala temple festival left over 150 injured, with eight critically hurt; authorities suspect the fire started at a nearby storage facility; investigation underway

First journey as public representative, not as 'public fighter': Priyanka

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said her first journey as a public representative of Wayanad is not her first as a public fighter as she asserted that fighting for democracy, justice and values enshrined in the Constitution is central to her life. In an open letter to the people of Wayanad, after she filed her nomination papers from the constituency, she told them that she would work with them closely and help address their challenges. Urging people to elect her as an MP in the November 13 bypoll, she promised that her work would serve to deepen the bond with them and that she would do all she could to fight for them and represent them in the way that they wish to be represented in Parliament. She said the people of Wayanad will be "my guides and teachers" in this journey, which is her first as a public representative. "You will be my guides and teachers in this journey which (I hope) will be my first as a public representative but not my first as a public ...

CM Vijayan accuses BJP, Cong of misrepresenting Muslim-dominated Malappuram

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday launched a scathing attack against the BJP and the Congress-led UDF, alleging that the Sangh Parivar is misrepresenting Malappuram district, with the grand old party supporting this narrative. Vijayan, who recently faced backlash for remarks linking gold smuggling and hawala transactions in Malappuram to "anti-national activities," said the government is taking strict action against gold smuggling and that crimes should be viewed as crimes, not attributed to any particular community. "There are efforts to link these issues to a specific community, but the government will not endorse that perspective," the CM stated, clarifying his earlier controversial remarks about the Muslim-majority Malappuram district. The opposition Congress-led UDF had targeted Vijayan over his Malappuram remarks, accusing him of unfairly portraying the Muslim-majority district, prompting demands for an apology and clarification. While inaugurating the by-elect

Meticulous planning behind Kerala GST's massive gold jewellery raids

There was meticulous planning at the top level before conducting the massive raids on gold jewellery manufacturing units by Kerala GST officials in Thrissur district, aimed at uncovering unaccounted gold linked to tax evasion, official sources said on Friday. The two-day-long massive searches were carried out by around 700 officials from the state's GST department at gold jewellery manufacturing units across the central Kerala district, seizing 104 kg of unaccounted gold after extensive preparations and planning to ensure that there were no loose ends, they said. The operation was planned and implemented with the full support of state Finance Minister K N Balagopal, an official source told told PTI. Around 700 officers were summoned to gather at two locations on Wednesday (October 23) and then transported in tourist buses labelled as study tours to various sites in Thrissur. A senior GST official involved in the operation, named "Torrel del Oro," said, "We opted for tourist buses t

Victory of dynastic politics: BJP on Priyanka Gandhi's Wayanad nomination

The BJP on Thursday launched a vitriolic attack on the Gandhi family, saying Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's nomination from Wayanad was a victory of dynastic politics and defeat of merit. Addressing a press conference here at the BJP headquarters, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also alleged discrepancies in declaration of assets in Priyanaka Gandhi's poll affidavit and accused the Gandhi family of "insulting" Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, by not allowing him to join the filing of nomination inside the collector's office. "It's a victory of corruption of Gandhi family and dynastic politics and defeat of merit," he said slamming the Congress over nomination of Priyanka Gandhi from the Wayanad seat in Kerala. Bhatia claimed the assets declared by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her poll affidavit are way below the assets she and her husband Robert Vadra possess. "Assets of Robert Vadra declared in the poll affidavit are lower than the Income Tax Department's demand.... T

Priyanka Gandhi to debut with Wayanad LS bypoll nomination; hold roadshow

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will mark her electoral debut by filing her nomination papers on Wednesday for the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in Wayanad. Priyanka arrived in the hill district on Tuesday night along with her mother, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, reached the district subsequently. They will be accompanying Priyanka when she files her nomination papers before the District Collector. Besides them, chief ministers of Congress-ruled states and senior AICC leaders will also be present as a show of support to Priyanka. Priyanka, along with her brother Rahul Gandhi, will hold a roadshow at 11 AM in Kalpetta here before filing her nomination. At 11.45 AM, after the roadshow, there will be a public address by her and thereafter, she will file her nomination, according to her itinerary. She is pitted against LDF's Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas. The

Can't imagine better representative for Wayanad than Priyanka: Rahul

A day before Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra files nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he cannot imagine a better representative for the constituency than his sister. Vadra will file her nomination on Wednesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi would be present during the filing of papers. "The people of Wayanad hold a special place in my heart, and I can't imagine a better representative for them than my sister, Priyanka Gandhi," Rahul Gandhi said in a post in X on Tuesday. "I'm confident she will be a passionate champion of Wayanad's needs and a powerful voice in Parliament," he added. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi will also lead a roadshow from Kalpetta New Bus Stand at 11 AM before filing her nomination before the district collector at 12 noon. Urging people to join them, Gandhi said, "Together, let's ensure Wayanad continues to be represented with love." Vadra, who has been the .

Kerala govt urges BJP to amend fireworks rules for Thrissur Pooram festival

The Left government in Kerala has taken strong exception to the recent gazette notification issued by the Centre stipulating certain conditions for conducting fireworks, contending that these would be detrimental to the smooth conduct of the iconic Thrissur Pooram festival. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, State Revenue Minister K Rajan expressed that the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on October 11 has brought "utter disappointment" to Pooram enthusiasts, for whom fireworks are an "integral part" of the festival. He sought the prime minister's personal intervention to amend the rules in order to allow the Thrissur Pooram to proceed with all its festivities and rituals. Among other stipulations, Condition No 2 requires that the licensed magazine be located at least 200 metres away from the display site. Noting that under the Explosive Rules of 2008, the prescribed distance had been 45 metres, the letter stated that the increase in thi

Wayanad just second seat for Gandhi family, alleges NDA candidate

The NDA candidate for Wayanad Lok Sabha polls, Navya Haridas, on Sunday said the Gandhi family is considering the hill constituency as a mere "choice" or "second" seat" and people of the segment have realised this now. A two-time councillor in the Kozhikode Corporation, Haridas said what the voters of Wayanad want is a leader who stands up for them and resolves their problems. Addressing reporters in Kozhikode, the young leader said, as far as India is concerned, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not a new face, but for Wayanad, she is a newcomer. "Priyanka is coming as a representative of the Gandhi family who had failed to raise the issues of Wayanad in the Parliament," she alleged. A techie-turned politician, Haridas, further criticised the Congress party for giving seats to Gandhi family members. She said people of Wayanad had given a mandate to Rahul Gandhi with the belief that he would be with them for the next five years. But when he got a chance to keep Raebareli, the Gandhi scion

Congress hits out at CM Vijayan over silence on Kannur ADM's death

The opposition Congress in Kerala has slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by questioning his silence on the alleged suicide of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu following corruption allegations levelled against him by CPI(M) leader P P Divya. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan both questioned why the CM was silent on the matter as he did not even convey his condolences to the bereaved family. Terming Babu as an honest and good officer, Sudhakaran alleged that the government was dragging its feet on investigating the matter. Similar allegations were made by Satheesan who claimed that Vijayan and his office were trying to save the culprits behind the alleged suicide of Babu. He also contended that the CPI(M) created a fake document to show Babu was corrupt and save Divya, the former Kannur District Panchayat President. Satheesan also sought to know why District Collector Arun K Vijayan kept silent

Wayanad bypolls: Cong leader Priyanka Gandhi to file nomination on Oct 23

If Priyanka Gandhi wins Lok Sabha polls, she will be the third MP from the Gandhi family in the current Parliament. Sonia Gandhi is a member of Rajya Sabha