The Left Democratic Front-led Kerala government on Wednesday accepted the Advocate General's advice against granting permission to prosecute former minister and CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin corruption case.
The last leg of poll campaign saw many national leaders canvassing for their parties.
With scorching summer pushing Kerala to unprecedented drought, political parties have voiced concern in the state assembly over the acute water and power crisis even as the government said it has already taken all possible measures to tackle the "grim situation."
In an embarrassment to the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front, Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar was forced to quit after his wife levelled charges of domestic violence, a development that triggered opposition demand for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's resignation.
In a major embarrassment for the Opposition Left Democratic Front in Kerala, police on Monday registered a case of sexual harassment against former state transport minister and sitting Member of Legislative Assembly Jose Thettayil and his son.
At a crucial meeting on the alliance of the Left Front in Kerala, furious CPI leaders walked out of the discussion as the CPI-M stuck to its position to field an independent candidate from Ponnani in northern Kerala's Mallapuram district. The CPI wants to field its own candidate as the constituency has been traditionally with it according to the seat-sharing agreement between the Left partners.
However, the AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the SC committee has limited terms of reference and 'cannot bring out the deep nexus between' the prime minister and the billionaire businessman.
The government order, issued in this regard last evening, made it clear that the festivities should not be conducted during office hours.
The court, however, said it was not going to accede to the demand of Rs 50 lakh sought by the girls' family as it was an 'exorbitant' and 'highly exaggerated' amount.
'The problem is with those who are entrusted with powers.'
The 48-hour nationwide strike called by central trade unions hit normal life across Kerala on Wednesday with workers from varied sectors, including transport and banking, staying away from work to protest the UPA government's economic and labour policies.
Shah had launched the high profile 15-day yatra against the alleged 'red and jihadi terrorism' in Kerala.
Claiming that the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala had little to show as its achievement, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said the state would become the 'second Bengal' if the Left alliance returned to power.
Union Defence Minister and senior leader of the Congress party AK Antony said on Thursday that no force can stop the Congress-led United Democratic Front from coming to power in Kerala and forming a government in the state.
As part of the fund mobilisation move, the cabinet decided to seek financial aid from abroad through non-resident Keralites, from major cities in the country and also from educational institutions in Kerala.
With Pinarayi Vijayan set to be chief minister, what will be the role for party patriarch V S Achuthanandan? And what are the key takeways from the election results in Kerala?
Both the BJP leaders asserted that Gandhi's disqualification was a natural outcome of the law as the Supreme Court has made it clear that a lawmaker stands disqualified from the time of his conviction.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah will on Monday launch a 15-day march in Kerala to target the state's Communist Party of India-Marxist government with the BJP accusing the Left party of being on a "killing spree" against its workers.
When public sector firms are run down as public fund-drenchers, several state-run enterprises in Kerala have made dramatic a turn-around, owing to a multi-pronged strategy of the Left Democratic Front government to bring back the loss-making units from the verge of collapse.
While Health minister K K Shylaja would lead the chain at Kasargod, senior CPM leader Brinda Karat would be the last person at the end of the chain in Thiruvananthapuram.
However, Head priest Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru told reporters at the temple that he had only consulted senior tantri Kandararu Mohanararu on the matter.
The opposition bloc also got support from Telanagana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS, which saw the bill as a move to usurp powers of an elected government in Delhi, and asked the House to vote against it.
Former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan was on Wednesday unanimously elected as leader of the CPI-M in the assembly. Achuthanandan will also head the 68-member Left Democratic Front opposition in the 140-member house.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday filed a defamation case in a local court against Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran V S Achutanandan.
The party was trounced in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and is now left with only Himachal Pradesh in the north. It is ruling in only three states on its own and is in power in Bihar and Jharkhand as a junior partner in alliance with regional parties.
Leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist gathered last week in Kerala, the only state the CPI-M still rules today.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Sunday alleged that the Congress-led United Democratic Front Opposition was hatching a conspiracy to create violence during the coming assembly polls and the death of five Indian Union Muslim League activists engaged in making bombs was an indication of that.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front on Sunday retained the Koothuparamba and Azhikode assembly seats in Kerala thrashing its United Democratic Front rivals by huge margins.
Communist Party of India-Marxist's acting state secretary and Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener A Vijayaraghavan on Monday said that the Kerala government will have a 21-member cabinet.
'If he has not achieved 'Congress mukt Bharat' even now, the question of his creating a 'DMK mukt Tamil Nadu' does not arise,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
As V S Achuthanandan came under attack for his controversial remarks against the family of slain National Security Guard officer Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the United Democratic Front tried to raise the issue in the Kerala Assembly, but a discussion on it was put off for Wednesday as the Chief Minister was not present in the House. At the beginning of Zero Hour, Opposition leader Oommen Chandy sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue.
Kerala Union of Working Journalists decided to boycott the press meets called by the BJP after saffron party workers attacked mediapersons.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the BJP has emerged as the "third force" in Kerala that will replace the two fronts in the next year's assembly elections.
Voters are disillusioned with the two rival fronts in the state and there are no effective alternatives either. G Sreedathan explains
The decision was taken by the state cabinet, which gave its approval to the proposals of the high power committee headed by Local Administration Minister Paloli Muhammadkutty, set up to study the state-level implementation of the Sachar Committee report.
The channels were suspended for 48 hours over their coverage of last month's communal violence in Delhi, with the official orders saying they covered events on February 25 in a manner that 'highlighted the attack on places of worship and siding towards a particular community'.
Kerala remains a safe haven for members of the IM and the SIMI alike, says Vicky Nanjappa
The veteran CPI-M leader, who set the agenda for the polls by bringing issues like corruption and sex scandals to sharp focus, had mounted a spirited campaign across the state which was the single most factor that helped LDF to shore up its sagging support base reflected in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
'What you need is a credible Opposition, a credible platform to persuade people to believe that it can replace this government.'
"We are in close touch with Karnataka police. Madani will be arrested at the appropriate time. There is no confusion on his arrest between us," Kerala DGP Jacob Punnose told reporters at nearby Aluva.
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