Sivagiri Mutt head Swami Satchidananda has voiced concerns over the lack of adequate representation for backward communities in elections by political parties in Kerala, India. He also welcomed the Kerala High Court decision disqualifying the leadership of the SNDP Yogam.
The Supreme Court has stated it will intervene to resolve the deadlock over the selection of vice chancellors for two technical universities in Kerala if the Chief Minister and Governor do not reach a consensus.
The Congress party has announced its seven candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pawan Khera, Meenakshi Natarajan, Praveen Chakravarty, Neeraj Dangi, Mansoor Ali Khan, and Pranav Jha, representing various states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. The elections are set for June 18.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
'Congress needs a positive agenda rather than primarily picking up on two business houses.'
Congress leader V D Satheesan has criticised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accusing him of appeasing both majority and minority communities for political gain. Satheesan's remarks follow allegations of a CPI(M)-BJP deal in the upcoming election and Vijayan's claim that Satheesan has RSS support.
The Gandhis have served both the Congress and India. But it has been 12 years since the 2014 verdict, and the returns have been diminishing. It is time for them to step aside, let the party find its own footing, and allow someone else to make the hard calls. That is what the Congress needs. And frankly, it is what India needs too, points out Harishchandra.
The Congress-led UDF government's decision to appoint a defence lawyer for the accused in the Sabarimala gold loss case as a Devaswom advocate has drawn strong criticism from the opposition CPI(M), which alleges the move is an attempt to sabotage the ongoing probe and protect political figures.
Leaders from several opposition parties within the INDIA bloc convened in New Delhi, stressing the critical need for unity to safeguard democratic values and address pressing issues like people's livelihoods, despite recent internal differences and electoral setbacks.
The Kerala government will review the implementation of the Centre's PM SHRI scheme in the state following controversies and concerns. A cabinet sub-committee has been formed to study the scheme, and further proceedings are on hold pending the committee's report.
Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge has intensified his demand for the RSS to register itself and disclose its financial dealings, arguing that the organisation cannot wield significant social and political influence while simultaneously claiming no political agenda and evading public accountability. Kharge's remarks follow RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rejection of such calls, with Bhagwat asserting the organisation is neither secretive nor operating outside public scrutiny.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
Film director Sanoj Mishra has alleged that the marriage of actress Monalisa Bhonsle to a Muslim man is a case of 'love jihad' and plans to take the matter to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
Kerala Police have registered a case against X and one of its handles for circulating an AI-generated video allegedly depicting the Prime Minister and the Election Commission of India in a misleading and defamatory manner.
The EC also underlined that for electors whose enumeration forms have not returned, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would identify a probable cause, such as absent, shifted, dead and duplicate entry based on an inquiry from the nearby electors and would note the same.
Exit polls suggest significant shifts in Indian state assembly elections, forecasting BJP gains in West Bengal and Assam, a DMK comeback in Tamil Nadu, and a tight race in Kerala.
Sanju Samson's majestic knock of 97 from 50 balls single-handedly powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
'...especially pressure on the rupee, the current account deficit, and foreign exchange outflows.' 'The key question over the next several months is whether the government can prevent external turbulence from feeding into domestic economic pessimism.'
'We have tags of state animals and birds. However, the invisible world of microbes is doing a lot of things for us in nature, not just for human beings but for the entire life.'
K V Thomas, Kerala's Special Representative in New Delhi, forecasts a third term for the CPI(M)-led LDF government, attributing the UDF's potential failure to internal conflicts and criticising the BJP for introducing 'consumerism' into Kerala politics.
Kerala has become the first state in India to achieve complete digital literacy, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Over 2.5 lakh volunteers contributed to this milestone, which included people of all age groups. The state plans to launch the second phase of the project soon, making all personal documents available in DigiLockers.
23 political parties of the INDIA bloc will meet on Monday to redraw their strategy to take on the BJP and iron out differences amid changed power dynamics after the defeat of regional anchors TMC and DMK in the recent assembly polls.
'Look at the way SIR that was implemented in Bengal. They wanted to entirely curate the voter list in order to suit their purposes and victory.' 'Look at the targeted deletions and the targeted voting list.' 'The difference between the TMC and the BJP was only about 4% but that 4% vote was done so selectively that the difference ultimately showed up as 100 seats!'
The Election Commission is preparing to launch the third phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, potentially covering 22 states and Union Territories with approximately 40 crore electors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with chief ministers to review preparedness and plans in light of the West Asia conflict, emphasising the importance of national unity and enhanced security measures.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told INDIA bloc leaders that despite public anger indicating a win for the opposition, the main challenge is the alleged lack of free and fair elections due to the BJP's control over state institutions. He urged unity and a strategy of 'resistance' against what he termed election 'theft'.
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
A 27-year-old man died after falling into an open roadside pit near Thodupuzha in Kerala's Idukki district. The incident has sparked protests and an investigation into potential negligence by the Public Works Department.
According to an FIR registered at Edachery police station, around 200 people marched towards the Congress office carrying dangerous weapons and vandalised the building, causing damage estimated at around Rs five lakh.
The CBI has arrested five individuals and conducted searches across India in connection with the NEET UG paper leak case. Protests have intensified, and calls for the Education Minister's resignation have grown louder. Political parties are trading blame, and the Supreme Court is considering a plea for an overhaul of the National Testing Agency.
'Poverty eradication is a continuous process. There is no full stop to it.'
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader V S Achuthanandan, a key figure in Kerala's political history, died on Monday at the age of 101. He was a founding member of the CPI(M) and served as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011.
The conflict between CPI(M) leaders and G Sudhakaran intensifies as he contests as an independent in Ambalapuzha, with accusations and rebuttals exchanged between both sides.
A POCSO case has been filed against a VHP leader and a film director, among others, following a complaint by a girl who gained attention during the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela and later married a Muslim man in Kerala.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has urged the central government to approve West Bengal's request to rename the state, following the approval of a similar proposal for Kerala.
A Kerala woman shares her remarkable survival story after spending four days lost in the dense Tadiandamol forest of Karnataka, highlighting her resilience and the extensive search efforts to bring her home safely.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has strongly criticised Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane for calling Kerala a "mini Pakistan", saying the remark is "highly provocative and condemnable". Vijayan said Rane's comments expose the Sangh Parivar's approach towards Kerala, which he said involves alienating and spreading hate campaigns against the state. He also criticised the leadership of the ruling party for not reacting to Rane's "serious breach of oath". Vijayan called for all democratic and secular forces to unite against the Sangh Parivar's "hateful propaganda".
Former Kerala minister M A Baby was elected as the CPI(M) general secretary at the 24th party congress in Madurai. Baby, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998, has been a member of the Politburo since 2012. He succeeds Sitaram Yechury, who passed away last year.
