Sunni leader Kanthapuram A P Aboobacker Musliar's controversial remarks against gender equality have triggered a strong reaction from parties.
Protesting against Forest Minister K B Ganesh Kumar's lewd comment against Communist Party of India (Marxist) veteran V S Achuthanandan, opposition Left Democratic Front on Friday forced the adjournment of Kerala Assembly for the day despite Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Kumar expressing regret over it.
Leading the party in the state since 1998, the re-election of the 67-year-old leader again demonstrated his hold on CPI(M), which often in the past passed through grim phases of factional trend involving him and former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.
Upholding principles was a luxury when there were charismatic leaders capable of winning elections without stooping low to indulge in identity politics, observes Virendra Kapoor.
Welcoming the Supreme Court's verdict quashing P J Thomas' appointment as chief vigilance commissioner, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan demanded the resignation of those "responsible" for his posting including Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The Kerala police have registered two cases against south India's lottery tycoon Santiago Martin on charges of distributing fake tickets of Bhutan lotteries.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday dismissed reports that it had decided to initiate disciplinary action against Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan for approaching the Centre for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the lottery issue without taking the party leadership into confidence.
Offered a proper choice, the electorate shall punish the corrupt, the incompetent, and the arrogant - but also reward true performers. You cannot ask more of a democracy, says TVR Shenoy.
A day after calling Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi an "Amul baby", Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Monday described Defence Minister A K Antony as Kumbakarna, saying he was caught napping when terrorists attacked Mumbai.
In his constituency Malampuzha, locals can't get enough of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, his policies and his caustic speeches, says Shobha Warrier
After his 'inadvertent' comment against Rajiv Gandhi enraged Congress legislators in the state assembly, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the late prime minister. Speaking after inaugurating the Communist Party of India - Marxist's local committee office at Thamarakkulam, the veteran Marxist leader said Rajiv Gandhi was "no better than Sanjay Gandhi."
Realising a dream project, the Kerala government on Wednesday signed an agreement with its Dubai-based promoters for setting up the Smart City IT project at a 246-acre plot in Kochi.
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.
Led by CPI-M stalwart, 87-year-old V S Achuthanandan, the LDF succeeded in staving off the anti-incumbency trend against the government, which was reflected in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and civic elections last year, in which the UDF had stolen march over the Left front.
The Kerala government on Thursday ordered a vigilance probe into the charges of amassing disproportionate wealth by P V Sreenijan, son-in-law of former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan. According to official sources, the order was issued by Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, based on the recommendation to conduct such a probe against Sreenijan by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan.
Chairman of the Kerala Congress-B, R Balakrishna Pillai, who is serving a year's rigorous imprisonment in the Idamalayar hydel project corruption case, was given a ten-day parole by the state government on health grounds.
The rise of Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan after last week's dramatic developments in Communist Party of India-Marxist as the undisputed captain of Left Democratic Front in the April 13 assembly polls in Kerala once again is expected to make the contest tougher for Congress-led United Democratic Front.
The Communist Party of India - Marxist, the lead partner in the Left Democratic Front in Kerala has re-nominated 54 sitting members, including Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and eight ministers. But it has also included 30 new names as candidates for the April 13 elections to the state assembly. The 91-member list also includes 10 women and seven independents. The party nominated T K Gangadharan as the candidate for Mahe segment in Puducherry.
State government and the investment partner of the project was on a dispute over 'free hold land' issue.
Bowing to public pressure, the Communist Party of India Marxist in Kerala on Friday reversed its decision to drop Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan from the candidates' list for the state assembly, bringing the party's most popular face to the poll arena to lead the Left Democratic Front for the polls on April 13. The dramatic U-turn came after the central leadership directed the state unit to revoke its decision, factoring in widespread protests from the party rank and file
Is the political class in Kerala being used as a springboard by extremist elements aiming to establish base in the state? The Nadapuram blast shockingly points out this trend, writes rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa
Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan in a startling revelation told the media that Inspector General of Police Tomin Thachankery "had made contacts with certain terror suspects while he was in Qatar".
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Thursday expressed his readiness to contest in the coming assembly election, if his party asked him to go for another electoral battle.
Kerala state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala has called for the resignation of the state Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan from the post following the defeat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist led left front in the local body elections.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Monday said the issue of lack of coordination among government departments, raised by the Kerala high court in context of the Sabarimala stampede, will be brought within the ambit of the judicial probe into the tragedy."All these issues will be included in the ambit of judicial probe and the guilty will not be spared," he said when reporters sought his reaction to the strong observations made by the division bench of the high court.
Kerala has never witnessed such a close call in assembly elections in its history, as it did this year. It was indeed a photo finish between the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the Communist party of India-Marxist led Left Democratic Front today. It was like a thrilling Twenty20 match with one batsman pitching in with a spectacular performance. The LDF has managed to win as many as 68 seats, against 72 of the UDF, only because of the goodwill of V S Achuthanandan.
'People resent the fact that idiotic policies set by the Left Front -- banning English from primary schools, hampering the installation of computers -- have left them behind applicants from other states in the race for jobs. Above all, they are tired of the corruption of the Left Front.'
Stepping up pressure on the Centre for a nationwide ban on endosulfan pesticide, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Monday began a day-long fast in Thiruvananthapuram along with peoples' representatives, political leaders and civil rights activists to press for the demand.
In a quick chat with rediff.com's Shobha Warrier before he started his campaign in Palakkad, VS claims that all is well between him and Vijayan.
West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will not attend the full session of the Communist Party of India(M) extended central committee meeting in Vijayawada. Bhattacharjee's move comes days after Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's decision to stay away from the meet.
The Kerala Government will look into demands for changing the official spelling of the state to 'Keralam' to make it conform to the way it is pronounced in Malayalam, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan told the Assembly on Wednesday.
Union Power Minister S K Shinde will declare Palakkad as the country's first district where all houses have electric connection on February 16.
The Supreme Court today directed Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan and the state government to produce before it "necessary material" relating to a case of alleged corruption involving former state Power Minister R Balakrishna Pillai of Congress.
Union Minister of state for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Thursday dismissed as "unfounded and misleading" the charges by Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan who had accused him of using public platforms to deride the Left Democratic Front government in the state.
Heavy polling has been reported in the three assembly constituencies in the Kerala by-polls. According to information available with rediff.com, Kannur recorded 20 per cent polling at 10 am while Alappuzha recorded 14.5 per cent and Ernakulam 12.90 per cent.The Kannur by-poll has been marred by allegations and counter-allegations between the Communist Party of India - Marxist and the Congress.Chief Minister Achuthanandan has openly spoken up against the EC.
The split in the Kerala Communist party of India - Marxist grew wider on Wednesday, with Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan defying the politburo line on Governor R S Gavai's decision to give sanction to prosecute Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in a corruption case, saying it neither shocked nor surprised him.
A local court in Kerala's Alappuzha has issued an arrest warrant against Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan in connection with a defamation case filed against the Communist Party of India-Marxist organ 'Desabhimani' in 2004, when he was its chief editor.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Wednesday said that he is deeply pained that a controversy has been raked up over his visit to slain National Security Guard commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan's house in Bangalore.Speaking in the state assembly, he said certain remarks were attributed to him and people have been misled by this.Achuthanandan made the statement in the Assembly during the Zero Hour, after the opposition United Democratic Front members raised the issue.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, who is also a member of the Communist Party of India Marxist politburo, has openly come out against the CPI-M's stance on People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasser Madani .The veteran leader, while fielding questions at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, said that the government would investigate whether any cases were pending against Madani. An unabashed Madani welcomed the chief minister's statement.
The three and half year old Achuthanandan cabinet is on the verge of expansion with three ministers getting into the ministry after taking the oath of office.