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Kerala Politics

Stage set for Karnataka battle, BJP keen to open account in Kerala

Several opposition parties have come together to form the INDIA bloc to put up common candidates against the BJP…reports Asian Lite News

The stage is set for a high-octane political battle in the southern state of Kerala and Karnataka as prominent leaders from main political parties like Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V Muraleedharan, KC Venugopal, Annie Raja, Tejasvi Surya, DK Suresh, K Surendran and HD Kumaraswamy, entered the fray for the Lok Sabha Elections in phase 2 on April 26.

Kerala will decide the fate of 194 candidates as polling on all 20 parliamentary constituencies will be held in the second phase on Friday – Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram

Karnataka, which contributes 28 seats in 543-member Parliament, will witness polling in two phases in which voting will be held on 14 seats tomorrow – Udupi Chikamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikballapur, Kolar.

The bypoll will be held in Surpur (Shorapur) constituency located in the Yadgir district.

Several opposition parties have come together to form the INDIA bloc to put up common candidates against the BJP.

India will go for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections tomorrow in a high-stakes battle across 13 States and Union Territories with the campaign marked by sharp jibes by the leaders of BJP as also by Congress and other opposition parties.

The second phase of polling was to be held on 89 seats but it has been deferred to May 7 in Betul in Madhya Pradesh due to the death of a BSP candidate.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is re-contesting from Kerala’s Wayanad. In Thiruvananthapuram, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor is seeking a fourth successive term. DK Suresh from Bangalore Rural, and Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South.

According to the Election Commission, Kerala has over 2.75 crore voters. In Kerala, a total of 194 candidates across 20 Lok Sabha seats are competing for voters’ support as the state heads to the polls on Friday.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul said that 25,231 polling booths which are ready to welcome all the voters tomorrow morning at 7 am.

“We have 25,231 polling booths which are ready to welcome all the voters tomorrow morning at 7 am. 70% of the polling parties have reached the booths today… We have made elaborate arrangements for the comfort of the voters who come there. There will be an orderly queue management system. We will have volunteers managing the queues. There will be separate queues for elderly people. There is drinking water and toilet facilities. For our friends who are physically challenged, we have ramps on all the booths. We have wheelchairs. We expect it to be a little warm tomorrow, we have shaded areas wherever the booths do not have permanent shaded structures… We are ready as far as security is concerned. Police forces also have been deployed… There are about 1700 vulnerable and critical booths spread across all the statistics in the state… Vulnerable and critical booths, we have special facilities… We have the cameras both inside and outside the booth… We have central parametric forces deployed,” he said.

Of the 20 constituencies in Kerala going to polls, two seats -Alathur and Mavelikara- are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.

The key candidates in Kerala are, Wayanad: Congress leader and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi is recontesting against Annie Raja of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Both of them are part of the national INDIA alliance but are rivals in Kerala. Congress has been winning in Wayanad since 2009 general elections. BJP, which is yet to open its account in the state, has fielded its state president K Surendran in the constituency, Thiruvananthapuram: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor won this seat in the 2009, 2014 and 2019 general elections. The former UN diplomat is contesting against BJP leader and Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar and CPI’s Pannyan Raveendran, Thrissur: K Muraleedharan of Congress is pitted against VS Sunil Kumar of CPI and actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi of BJP, Attingal: Sitting MP Adoor Prakash of Congress is contesting against V Joy of CPM and V Muraleedharan of BJP.

Pathanamthitta: Congress’ Anto Antony is competing against Thomas Issac from the CPI(M) and Anil K Antony of the BJP, Kannur: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran is contesting against CPI(M)’s MV Jayarajan and NDA candidate C Raghunath, who had joined the BJP from Congress, Kozhikode: Congress’ MK Raghavan, the UDF candidate, is running against CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareemm, the LDF candidate, and BJP’s MT Ramesh.

Kottayam: Thushar Vellappalli from Bharath Dharma Jana Sena is contesting against K Francis George of Kerala Congress and Thomas Chazhikadan of Kerala Congress (M), Alappuzha: KC Venugopal from Congress, Shobha Surendran from Bharatiya Janata Party and AM Ariff from Communist Party of India (Marxist) are in the fray. Ariff is the sitting MP from the seat.

In 2019, the Congress party registered victory on 19 out of the 20 seats while CPI-M could only win one seat. The BJP failed to open its account.

Karnataka, saw the BJP securing 25 seats out of 28 seats in the 2019 elections. This time, the BJP is contesting in 25 seats, with its state ally JDS vying for the remaining 3 seats. The three constituencies contested by JDS are part of the second phase – Hassan, Mandya, and Kolar.

Bangalore South and Mysuru stand as other pivotal constituencies going to the polls on April 26.

The key candidates in Karnataka are Mandya: Former Chief Minister and JD(S)’ HD Kumaraswamy is pitted against Congress’s Venkataramane Gowda (Star Chandru), Mysuru: BJP’s Yaduveer Wadiyar is contested against Congress’s M Lakshman, Bengaluru Rural: Sitting MP Congress’ DK Suresh is pitted against BJP’s Cholenahalli Nanjappa Manjunath, son-in-law of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Bengaluru North: BJP’s Shobha Karandlaje is contesting against Congress’ MV Rajeev Gowda, Bengaluru Central: BJP’s PC Mohan is contesting against Congress’ Mansoor Ali Khan and Bengaluru South: Sitting MP Tejasvi Surva is pitted against Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy.

The election campaigning centred around various issues, including the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), allegations of ‘love jihad'(Murder of Congress corporator’s daughter Neha Hiremath in Hubballi), controversies surrounding the movie ‘The Kerala Story’, the Manipur violence incident and Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Wayanad against Annie Raja.

Moreover, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exuded confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party “picking up many more” seats in the southern States in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Jaishankar asserted that a “new level of energy and enthusiasm” is seen across South India.

“I think what you are seeing in South India is really a very new level of energy and enthusiasm. I could see that in Telangana, where I was, but in other southern states as well. So I think there’s a genuine possibility, a serious possibility this time that the BJP would actually pick up many more seats in all the southern states,” Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar earlier on Wednesday campaigned for BJP’s candidate from Telangana’s Bhuvanagiri Lok Sabha seat.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that the BJP’s vote share in the South would increase this time compared to the previous parliamentary polls.

In an interview with Asianet News Network on April 21, PM Modi said, “You see Telangana, where our vote share has doubled. In the 2019 parliamentary elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the South. The BJP has the highest number of MPs. I believe that in 2024 (the Lok Sabha elections), the vote share is going to increase compared to the previous elections. Seats will also increase.”

The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies including all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal and one each in Tripura, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.

Voting will begin at 7 am tomorrow and will conclude at 6 pm. The Lok Sabha election is being held in seven phases till June 1 and votes will be counted on June 4.

The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election, the world’s largest electoral exercise, was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs. According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout registered was over 62 per cent. The third phase election will be held on May 7. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Blistering two-month campaign comes to a close in Kerala

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India News Kerala Politics

Blistering two-month campaign comes to a close in Kerala

Three-way poll battles in the real sense will be witnessed in Thiruvananthapuram, Trissur, Attingal and even in Alappuzha and Palakkad…reports Asian Lite News

With just one day left for the electorate to cast their votes, the over two-month-long blistering Lok Sabha poll campaign in Kerala comes to a close on Wednesday evening.

Kerala goes to the polls on Friday to elect 20 new Lok Sabha members.

In the 2019 polls the Congress-led UDF which won 19 seats secured a vote share of 47.48 per cent, the CPI(M)-led Left Front which bagged just one seat got 36.29 per cent votes and the BJP managed a mere 15.64 per cent vote share.

Thursday will be a day for silent campaigning by all the candidates making the one last call which they think will turn the tide towards them.

Wednesday saw all the candidates and their workers trying to reach as many places as possible and each and every candidate from the three political fronts was heard claiming that they were “winning” and thanking the voters for hearing them out.

With campaigning now coming to a close, calculators are out and the calculations have begun.

Even though there are three main political fronts, one thing that has emerged is there is not going to be a tough triangular contest in all the 20 seats.

Three-way poll battles in the real sense will be witnessed in Thiruvananthapuram, Trissur, Attingal and even in Alappuzha and Palakkad.

In the remaining 15 constituencies it is a straight fight between the traditional rivals and the only question that requires an answer is who will stand to gain if the BJP gets more votes in these constituencies.

This time things might be different and the general norm that if the BJP gets more votes it will benefit the Left, might not hold good.

This is visible at Kottayam, Idukki, and Chalakudy and it is good news for the UDF.

While in seats at Kasargod, Kannur, Mavelikera, Vadakara, Kozhikode and Alathur, the battle has turned out to be a very close one between the Left and the UDF but in seats like Kollam, Ernakulam, Ponnani, Malappuram, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Wayanad, the UDF has a clear edge.

A political analyst on condition of anonymity pointed out that the campaign has been very intense and hence in constituencies where there is a tight fight, a minor swing to any one side can see either the Left or the UDF scrape through.

“The votes of minority communities have also become crucial and could well decide who the winner is,” said the analyst.

Airborne on adjacent cranes on the final day of poll campaigning for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, Congress candidate Shashi Tharoor and BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar who are in the fray from Thiruvananthapuram parliamentary constituency wrapped up their poll campaigning on Wednesday.

Both candidates were seen waving to the crowds at Peroorkada atop cranes adorned with their respective party flags.

Thousands of workers of the UDF, LDF, and NDA started gathering in the tiny town in the afternoon.

Shashi Tharoor, accompanied by Achu Oommen, daughter of former CM Oomen Chandy, climbed atop a crane first. On the other hand, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Chandrasekhar along with BJP district president VV Rajesh, too was seen on an adjacent crane.

With two popular faces taking on each other, the Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala has hogged the spotlight again ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. BJP has fielded Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against incumbent Congress’ Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram.

Tharoor, who has held the seat since 2009, is facing a challenge as the BJP has named a strong face against him. Chandrashekhar has served as the MoS for Electronics, Entrepreneurship and Information Technology.

Chandrashekhar has put up his vision document for Kerala’s capital city and has said that it will speed up the development of the constituency and will cover every segment of society. He also said that Tharoor and former Raveendran have done nothing for Thiruvananthapuram.

He has also said the constituency has been deprived of development for the last 15-20 years and people here are “craving” for jobs and development.

Chandrashekhar also said that the Muslim and Christian communities in the state are made “fearful” of the BJP through a “false narrative”.

Tharoor on the other hand, said that BJP’s message is “not well received” in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh and the party has very little hope from southern India.

Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Kaul, has however cautioned all the political parties to strictly adhere to the code of conduct.

During the last 48 hours, only silent campaigning is permissible, and any gathering of people or organizing of public meetings will be dealt with under Criminal Procedure Code Section 144, said the official.

The use of loudspeakers and organizing of rallies and processions are prohibited. No kind of performance (like cinema, television shows, advertisements, music events, dramas, and other similar displays, opinion polls, poll surveys, and exit polls) that could influence the election outcome is allowed.

Violators could face imprisonment, fines, or both. Exit polls are prohibited until half an hour after the last phase of voting is completed.

Police and enforcement agencies will continue stringent checks to prevent illegal activities.

Actions like the illegal transfer of money, offering freebies and gifts, and distribution of alcohol, if found, will lead to severe legal action. A dry day has been declared for the 48 hours until the completion of voting, banning the distribution and sale of alcohol.

ALSO READ-Rahul is not a serious politician, says Kerala CM

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Rahul is not a serious politician, says Kerala CM

The Chief Minister said that one gets strong hitbacks for what one says and acts…reports Asian Lite News

As the voting day in Kerala for the 2024 election nears, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday continued his attack against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a non-serious and immature politician.

“Many times when serious political developments happened in the Country, Rahul Gandhi was not here. It is the experience of the people in the country that he is not a serious politician. We refrained from commenting on it because he is from another party and it is their internal issue. But during the time of the general election, coming here and making comments in support of central investigation agencies is highly immature,” Vijayan said during a press conference here.

Earlier during his campaign speech in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi had asked why CM Vijayan was being scot-free by the Central investigation agencies for the various scandals against his government though other Opposition leaders are being hounded by them.

Vijayan also refused to criticise the remarks of LDF MLA PV Anvar who asked to examine Rahul Gandhi’s DNA to determine whether he was a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

The Chief Minister said that one gets strong hitbacks for what one says and acts.

Earlier In a scathing attack, Anvar said that Rahul Gandhi has stooped to such a low level that he lost the right to use the surname of Gandhi. He said that a person who was born into the Nehru-Gandhi family can not act like Rahul.

Meanwhile, CM Vijayan also said that the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Muslim community during the election campaign in Rajasthan’s Banswara are defamatory and aimed at communal polarization.

“The derogatory reference to intruders and ‘hoarders’ is untrue and part of their ideological code. The fact that the Prime Minister himself has come forward to take political advantage by saying communalism during the elections is an illustration of the challenges facing democratic and secular values in the country,” he said during a press conference in Kannur.

In an election rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed that the Congress manifesto talks about redistributing wealth to Muslims. (ANI)

Thrissur braces for high-profile battle  

Kerala’s Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, where high-profile candidates are in the fray this time, is going to witness a fierce triangular contest between BJP, Congress and the CPI.

BJP has fielded actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi for the second time, hoping that his charisma as an actor will bring the party more votes beyond what they get from the traditional BJP supporters. Sensing the heat of the competition, Congress and the Left announced candidates who enjoy strong grass-level support.

While Congress has fielded K Muralidharan, son of the late Congress doyen K Karunakaran whose pocket borough was once Thrissur, the ruling Left Democratic Front nominated former Agriculture Minister in the previous LDF government in the state, VS Sunilkumar.

The constituency, where both Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF interchangeably won multiple times in the past seven decades, is currently held by Congress.

Though the Congress’s first choice for Thrissur was its sitting MP TN Prathapan, it had to rethink the choice when K Padmaja Venugopal, Karunakaran’s daughter, defected to the BJP. Muralidharan was shifted from Vatakara, another constituency in Kerala where he is sitting MP, to Thrissur.

Padmaja is quite active in the Constituency campaigning for Suresh Gopi.

In the 2019 general election, Prathapan won the constituency garnering 39.83 per cent of vote share. Rajaji Mathew Thomas of CPI came second. Though Suresh Gopi came third, he garnered nearly 30 per cent of the polled votes despite the late announcement of his candidature giving him hardly 20 days for the election campaign.

However, this time BJP started campaigning early with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding his first roadshow in Thrissur. PM Modi also made another visit to the constituency to attend the wedding of Gopi’s daughter at Guruvayoor Srikrishna Temple.

Though LDF’s Sunilkumar is quite popular in the constituency, the scam in the CPI (M) controlled Karuvannur Cooperative Bank is being raised in the campaigns of others in the fray.

PM Modi himself raised this issue while he campaigned for the BJP candidate. The UDF also put the LDF on the defensive by making this a campaign issue.

The parliamentary constituency consists of assembly constituencies such as Thrissur, Ollur, Pudukkad, Irinjalakuda, Manalur, Nattika and Guruvayur.

The constituency has a considerable Christian population with the Catholic community accounting for 35 per cent of the region’s population.

BJP hopes that its leaders’ including the Prime Minister’s recent reach out to the Christian community will give them a political dividend.

However, UDF and LDF hit back at the BJP pointing out the Manipur riots, where, they allege, many Christian churches were demolished by the rioters in “collaboration” with the BJP government in the state.

All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will go to the polls on April 26. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)

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Rival political fronts in Kerala on high ahead of polls

The Congress-led UDF is relying heavily on the anti-incumbency factor against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan…reports Asian Lite News

With just a week left to elect 20 Lok Sabha members from the state, the three rival political fronts in Kerala are in a buoyant mood as each expects to perform better than they did in 2019. Kerala goes to polls on April 26.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress-led UDF had an easy walkover by getting 47.48 per cent of the total votes polled and 19 seats, CPI-M-led Left secured 36.29 per cent votes and just one seat, while BJP-led NDA got 15.64 per cent and the best they could do was to finish at second place in Thiruvananthapuram and a distant third in the remaining 19 seats.

With the UDF starting at pole position, if they need to improve their performance, as they claim, they will have to retain all the 19 seats and regain the Alappuzha seat, which they lost in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Congress Acting President M. M. Hassan, confidently manning the campaign activities, sitting in the state party headquarters, is expecting a clean sweep.

“The voters know that both, the state government under the corrupt leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have turned out to be a complete failure. Hence, we are confident of a clean sweep,” said Hassan.

The UDF is relying heavily on the anti-incumbency factor against CM Vijayan and the policies of the Modi government, especially the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Meanwhile, CM Vijayan, who is on a whirlwind tour of the 14 districts, is bubbling with confidence.

“In comparison to the 2019 polls, this time, we are going to do well and that’s what we could gauge. Congress is silent on the vexed issue of CAA and it shows that they are aligned to the Sangh Parivar forces,” said Vijayan.

Currently, the Chief Minister is hoping against hope that the 24 per cent of Muslim voters have by now understood that it’s only the Left that can be trusted and that voting for Congress means an indirect vote for BJP, given that more than 100 former Congress MP’s are now with BJP.

If one were to make any assessment based on the ‘noise’ created during the election campaign, then BJP is the clear winner, but whether it will translate to votes is the bigger question.

The one person who continues to believe that BJP will emerge a winner is state BJP President K. Surendran, contesting against sitting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from the Wayanad seat.

“This time, things are going to be different and BJP will be doing well,” said Surendran.

BJP is harping that the Left and Congress are partners in Delhi under INDIA bloc, while they are engaged in shadowboxing here.

The BJP is also trying to spread the word that a vote for the party here is a vote for a stable and forward-looking Modi government that is certain to retain power.

As matters stand, there is a fierce triangular fight in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and possibly in Attingal seats.

Likewise, a keen battle between the traditional rivals – Left and Congress – is currently on at Badagara, Palakkad, Alathur, Kannur, Mavelikara, Chalakudy, Kozhikode, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod. A slight swing could turn the tides for either of them.

However, the Congress party seems to have a clear edge in Wayanad, Kollam, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Ponnani, Malappuram and Alappuzha.

ALSO READ: ‘Fight to protect Constitution and democracy begins today’

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Election campaigns come alive in Kerala

Modi appears to have come to terms with reality and did not speak about the numbers…reports Asian Lite News

Election campaigning has picked up in Kerala now after a slow start, as the leaders of the big three parties contesting in the state are taking on one another. Kerala goes to the polls on April 26 to elect 20 new Lok Sabha members.

The big three – Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress stalwart and Wayanad sitting Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, were in top gear on Monday.

The three star campaigners for their parties did what they do best; attack each other in order to impress not just their voter base but the fence sitters, who eventually turn the deciding factor.

Modi appears to have come to terms with reality and did not speak about the numbers.

Before this, whenever Modi came to Kerala, starting from early this year, he always asserted that this time the BJP-led NDA would get seats in double digits.

On Monday, when he addressed mammoth election rallies at Trissur and at the state capital, PM Modi was quiet about the numbers and requested voters in Kerala to help him by sending their candidates to Delhi to help him run the country for the next five years.

To add force to his requests, Modi went hammer and tongs against CM Vijayan more than the Congress. Modi slammed Vijayan, his daughter for corrupt deals and a section of the CPI(M) for robbing the poor by running away with their deposits in cooperative banks run by it.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who for the first time went around parts of his constituency spread over three districts of the state, accused PM Modi of dividing the country besides harping on one leader, one religion and one language.

Attacking the Kerala Chief Minister, Rahul Gandhi asked why Vijayan was attacking him and not PM Modi. Rahul Gandhi also questioned why the BJP had jailed two non-BJP Chief Ministers and allowed Vijayan to go scot-free.

Unsettled by his political opponent’s remarks, Vijayan said all what Modi said should be taken with a pinch of salt as it is baseless and the BJP-led NDA will not even end up in second place in all 20 constituencies.

“I have been to 13 constituencies and this time the result for the Left will be totally different to what happened in 2019. The voters will teach the Congress-led UDF a lesson and place the BJP in third place,” said Vijayan.

In the 2019 polls, the UDF won 19 seats, the Left got one and the BJP finished second just in Thiruvananthapuram and a distant third in rest of the seats.

ALSO READ-No flags to be used in Rahul’s Kerala campaign

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No flags to be used in Rahul’s Kerala campaign

Hassan, who is also the UDF convener, said that a decision has been taken not to use any flags of the Congress or its allies…reports Asian Lite News

No flags will be used for Rahul Gandhi’s election campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, KPCC acting chief M M Hassan said here on Saturday.

Hassan, who is also the UDF convener, said that a decision has been taken not to use any flags of the Congress or its allies during the poll campaign of Gandhi next week in the hill constituency.

However, he refused to give any reason for taking the decision.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, the UDF convener said that there is no need to communicate to the media the reasons behind the party’s decision.

“Suffice to say that no flags will be used during his campaign in Wayanad. Only party symbols will be used,” Hassan said in response to repeated queries by reporters regarding the reason for such a decision.

Gandhi will participate in various party programmes in Wayanad on April 15 and 16 according to a statement issued by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

In the coming week, he will also be taking part in public meetings and rallies in various Lok Sabha constituencies including Kannur, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, the statement said.

The Congress party’s decision not use its or ally IUML’s flags during Rahul Gandhi’s roadshow in Wayanad earlier this month gave space for the BJP and CPI(M) to take political potshots at the grand old party.

While the CPI(M) had alleged that the flags were not used as the Congress was scared of the BJP, the saffron party had claimed it was because Gandhi was ashamed of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and asked him to reject its support.

The Congress had hit back by saying that the CPI(M) and the BJP have become close friends and had asserted that it does not need any classes from anyone on how to carry out a poll campaign.

Gandhi’s roadshow in Wayanad on April 3 was visibly different from that in 2019 in the constituency when green flags of ally IUML outnumbered the Congress’ in the crowd. This time, both the flags were conspicuous by their absence.

‘We will remove poverty and unemployment’

Noting that unemployment and rising prices were the real issues in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the polls were also for saving the constitution and democracy in the country “which were under continuous attack from the BJP and the RSS”.

He said if INDIA alliance government comes to power, they will remove poverty from India with a single stroke by providing Rs one lakh every year to every poor family across the country.

Addressing a rally here, Rahul Gandhi said “berozgari, menghai aur bhagidaari” were the main issues facing the country, which were not being highlighted in the media.

The former Congress president alleged that Prime Minister Modi was working only for a few billionaires and “was handing over everything to them”. He said there was so much discrimination in the wealth distribution in the country that 22 people owned as much of wealth as 70 crore Indians.

Gandhi accused the BJP of attacking the religion and the culture of the tribals and giving away their land, forests and water.

He talked about ‘Panch Nyay’ with 25 guarantees that the Congress has promised in its manifesto.

Noting that unemployment was the most important issue, he said thirty lakh vacancies pending in various government departments will be filled immediately.

Like the Congress had brought MGNREGA, it will now bring the Right to Apprenticeship Act. This, he said, will guarantee a one-year job for all the graduates and diploma holders in the first year after completing their degrees/diplomas.

He said apprenticeships will be provided in the public sector, private sector and the government departments. The youth will get Rs one lakh in the first year. This means every educated youth in India, who has completed his degree or diploma will immediately get a guaranteed job in the first year, he said.

The Congress leader said a woman in every poor family across the country will get Rs one lakh every year. Besides women will get 50 percent reservation in government jobs and the monthly remuneration of the Asha and Anganwadi workers will be doubled, he added.

For farmers, he announced that there will be a legal guarantee for the MSP of crops. He also said the Congress government will waive off their loans.

Gandhi alleged that 90 percent of the country’s population, consisting of backwards, Dalits, adivasis, minorities and the poor from general castes, had just 6.1 percent decision making powers. He said Congress and INDIA alliance will conduct a caste census if voted to power.

Bastar will go the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha election on April 19. (ANI)

ALSO READ: ‘BJP in quest for dominance of Hindi, Hindutva, Hindustan’

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India News Kerala Politics

Kerala BJP chief vows to rename Sultan Bathery

Surendran is contesting against the Communist Party of India (CPI), Annie Raja, and Congress sitting MP Rahul Gandhi…reports Asian Lite News

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala president K Surendran, who is contesting from Wayanad, stirred up a controversy on Thursday by promising to change the name of Sultan Bathery town to Ganapativattam, if he wins the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

“Actually, the place is Ganapativattam. How many years ago did the Sultan’s invade? Who is Tipu Sultan? How is he related to the people of Wayanad? What is the importance of Tipu Sultan? That place was known as Ganapativattam. People are aware of this,” Surendran said while speaking to ANI.

Alleging that Tipu Sultan, the erstwhile ruler of Mysore led several religious atrocities in Wayanad and Malabar, the Kerala BJP chief said that both his rival political alliances, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Alliance and the Congress-led United Democratic Front have renamed the place to Sultan Bathery.

“People know that Ganapativattam was renamed because both LDF and UDF, are with Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan attacked many temples, converted lakhs of Hindus in Kerala, especially in Wayanad and Malabar regions,” Surendran said.

Surendran is contesting against the Communist Party of India (CPI), Annie Raja, and Congress sitting MP Rahul Gandhi.

Kerala, which sends 20 parliamentarians to the Lok Sabha will go to polls on April 26. Counting of votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Home voting begins in West Tripura LS seat

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Kerala initiates legal action over smear campaign against state

The Kerala government has initiated legal action against an allegedly fake communal narrative on social media against the state….reports Asian Lite News

Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Thursday filed a complaint with the state police chief against a social media account on the X platform with the name of ‘Mr Sinha’.

Sivankutty expressed anger as it shows a Kerala school text book which according to the person’s (Mr Sinha) post is meant to cause huge resentment in the society.

Sivankutty took to his X platform and wrote, “This book is not published by the Kerala Govt’s Education Dept. Merely another endeavor to incite animosity towards the state. Those acquainted with us understand the camaraderie & unity among Keralites. No room for hatred – precisely why communal agenda fails to take root here,”.

Sivankutty in his complaint has asked the police to ensure that steps are taken to see the post is deleted and appropriate action is taken against the creator of it.

Graph is down for BJP: Isaac

Former Finance Minister of Kerala and CPI-M candidate from Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat, Thomas Isaac took a jibe at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government and said that in Kerala, “people want Modi to be out” and that the “graph was down” for the BJP in the state.

While speaking to ANI, the CPI(M) candidate said, “In Kerala, people want Modi to be out. The choice is between Congress and CPM. BJP had around more than 20 per cent of the votes in the last parliament elections but the vote share came down sharply to 16 per cent in the assembly elections. I think the graph is down for the party.”

He further said that Prime Minister Modi’s claim of winning in “double digits” from Kerala was the biggest joke and that if he were to win in double digits, it would be winning in “two zeros.”

“It includes a double-digit seat from Kerala (BJP’s claim of 400 plus). Including Kerala is the biggest joke for the PM to come and make a claim. He should announce something like this in North India rather than come to Kerala and say, he will win two zeros (in Kerala),” said Isaac.

Thomas Isaac further said that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) would win the polls by a huge margin and said, “In Kerala in 2004, not a single Congress candidate was selected for the parliament. It is unlikely that we win 18 seats this time but it is sure that we will win a big majority of seats in Kerala.”

When asked about Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on CAA, the CPI-M candidate said, “CAA is a serious issue in Kerala, the Muslim community and democratic-minded people are concerned about it. This has been a very serious problem for Congress, they have not outrightly said that they will withdraw CAA once they come to power. But we have taken the position.”

Isaac also spoke about the controversial movie, the Kerala Story, “Inter-religious marriages will continue to take place in Kerala, inter-caste marriage was one of the key slogans of social movements in Kerala and it’s misleading to call it ‘Love-Jihad’. These are the slogans raised to create ill will between the social groups in Kerala.”

Earlier on Thursday, Anto Antony, Congress leader and United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency expressed confidence in retaining his seat while claiming that there is no scope for Bharatiya Janata Party or its candidate Anil Antony in the upcoming elections.

“There is no space for BJP here, the fight here is between LDF and UDF. BJP is only a small front, they did not get anything from Kerala. Anil Antony contesting as a candidate of BJP. People do not believe in BJP here. They are very secular They live a life of comradeship. That’s why they do not believe in BJP. There is no scope for Anil Antony,” Anto Antony told ANI on Thursday as he seeks a fourth term from the seat.

Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency, which is traditionally a UDF stronghold voted for Anto Antony thrice since 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

While BJP has fielded Congress defector Anil K Antony against Anto Antony, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) has fielded former minister and veteran leader Thomas Isaac from the seat.

All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will go to the polls on April 26.

During the 2019 general elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 of the 20 seats. Of these, 15 seats were taken by the Congress, while the rest were won by other UDF members.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. Nearly 96.8 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming polls at over 12 lakh polling stations. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. (IANS/ANI)

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Fight primarily between INDIA bloc partners in Kerala

On the other hand, the UDF which won 19 seats secured a vote share of 47.48 per cent and the Left Front which bagged just one seat got 36.29 per cent votes…reports Asian Lite News

With April 26, the date for voting in the Lok Sabha polls getting closer in Kerala, it is getting clearer by the day that the battle is primarily between key INDIA bloc partners the Congress-led UDF and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left, with the BJP-led NDA in for a triangular fight in two constituencies.

In the 2019 General Elections, barring the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat, the NDA candidates finished a distant third and managed a 15.64 per cent vote share.

On the other hand, the UDF which won 19 seats secured a vote share of 47.48 per cent and the Left Front which bagged just one seat got 36.29 per cent votes.

An analysis of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies reveals that, while the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others claims that this time big surprises are in store, figures tell a different story.

Things may not be as easy as the BJP leadership thinks. In the 2019 polls, only in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency did the BJP candidate get above three lakh votes and finish in second place.

The BJP candidates could manage above two lakh votes in just four constituencies, namely Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Palakkad and Attingal. In nine constituencies the NDA candidates mustered above one lakh votes and in six constituencies their candidates could not even manage one lakh votes.

Out of the 20 constituencies, NDA candidates got the least votes in Kannur (68,509) and the highest votes in Thiruvananthapuram (3,16,142). As things stand now, a very clear triangular fight has emerged in Thiruvananthapuram where the BJP candidate, Union Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar is facing off against the sitting Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor and the CPI candidate Panniyan Ravindran.

At Thrissur actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi is fighting the INDIA bloc partners. The other constituencies where the BJP appears to be putting all its energy into is at Attingal, where Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan is facing off against sitting Congress MP Adoor Prakash and CPI(M) candidate V Joy and at Palakkad where their candidate is local BJP veteran Krishnakumar who is facing off against the CPI(M)’s A Vijayaraghavan and the Congress’ VK Sreekandan.

At Pathanamthitta also the BJP is expecting to put up a stiff triangular battle as it has managed to rope in Anil Antony, son of Congress veteran, AK Antony. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and AK Antony have already said in public that the NDA will not even finish second in any of the constituencies and AK Antony went a step further to say that the best days of the BJP were in 2019 when the Sabarimala temple issue was at its peak and this time they will only create noise and settle for third place.

Chandrasekhar sends legal notice to Tharoor

BJP candidate for Thiruvananthapuram, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, has slapped a legal notice to his Congress counterpart, Shashi Tharoor, for defamation.

In his notice, Rajeev Chandrasekhar accuses Tharoor of disseminating patently false information among the constituents of Thiruvananthapuram, purportedly spreading misleading information regarding bribing key voters and influential figures such as Parish priests, among others.

Chandrasekhar has expressed ‘shock’ at the allegations made by Shashi Tharoor in a TV interview by a Kerala-based news organization called ’24 News’.

The BJP leader has also demanded the retraction of what he deems as reckless statements made by Shashi Tharoor and further demanded that he issue a public apology, or else face legal ramifications for the same.

The notice read, “Immediately withdraw all the allegations and aspersions made by you the Noticee against Our Client, i.e. Rajeev Chandrashekhar on the aforesaid news channel dated 06.04.2024; Tender an unconditional public apology to Our Client to his satisfaction through print and electronic media about the said baseless allegations and aspersions made by you the Noticee; and Immediately cease, refrain and desist from defaming, harassing, hampering the reputation of Our Client and spreading any uncalled for rumour and stop indulging in any such activities in the future.”

The legal notice also states that Tharoor has made these statements “with an intent to harm” Rajeev Chandrasekhar. It emphasizes how such defamatory statements have harmed and disrespected the entire Christian community of Thiruvananthapuram and its leaders by accusing them of engaging in cash-for-votes activities, further highlighting the need for a public apology within 24 hours.

“Shocked and surprised to watch the news video dated 06.04.2024 on a Malayalam news channel named 24 News, wherein you, the Noticee (Shashi Tharoor), made defamatory statements alleging that Our Client (Rajeev Chandrasekhar) had indulged in illegal activities of offering money to voters and that Our Client is spreading lies in Christian communities. Not only are the said statements totally and completely false but it is clear that the same was made with the clear mala fide intent to tarnish the reputation of Our Client to try and gain an unfair advantage in the upcoming elections,” the legal notice further said.

This legal notice comes shortly after Tharoor violated Rule I(2) of the Model Code of Conduct, which strictly states that political candidates must confine their criticisms to “their policies and programme, past record and work” and refrain from making criticisms of other parties or their workers based on “unverified allegations or distortion”.

In this case, Tharoor’s statements made to ’24 News’ on how Rajeev Chandrasekhar offered money to key voters in the constituency, including religious and community leaders such as parish priests, without disclosing their names publicly, have not been verified.

Tharoor was also accused of “violating sub-section 3 of section 123 of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951, by appealing to the religious identity of the voters, and his actions constitute a corrupt practice under the RP Act as held by the decision of the 7-judge bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in Abhiram Singh v. CD Commachen (Civil Appeal No.37/1992).”

The legal notice further stated, “It is apprehended that you (Shashi Tharoor) have concocted these allegations and circulated them to influence the voters in Thiruvananthapuram. It is feared that you have engaged in spreading such false news to subvert the process of free and fair elections.

It is feared that your statements are now being circulated by your agents, supporters, and party members through various platforms including social media and messaging apps to spread the false allegations against Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the notice added. (ANI)

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CAA issue takes centrestage in Kerala

Kerala’s election buzz: CAA sparks debate among traditional rivals – Congress and CPI(M) – ahead of single-phase polling for 20 Lok Sabha seats….reports Asian Lite News

 Weeks before the single-phase polling to Kerala’s 20 Lok Sabha seats, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continues to take centre stage in the election campaign of the state’s two traditional political rivals – who are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level but fierce competitors in the state.

A reason why the CAA is now one of the most discussed and debated poll issues between the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front is the state has nearly 24 per cent Muslims in its over 3.30 crore population.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took up the issue right after the CAA was passed by the Parliament in 2019, asserting that it would not be implemented in Kerala. On the last day of 2019, his government, with the support of the Congress-led opposition, got a resolution demanding the scrapping of the provision passed nearly unanimously by the Assembly, with the lone BJP legislator O. Rajagopal being the only one opposing it.

Since then, the issue was lying dormant but regained focus with the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls, and Vijayan again used it to attack the Congress.

The Chief Minister has been consistently slamming the Congress’ national leadership in general and Rahul Gandhi, who is an MP from the state, in particular over their “silence” on the CAA.

But when he claimed that the issue was also missing in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the state leadership of the Congress, including the Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan and veteran legislator Ramesh Chennithala, hit back at him, alleging that he was shedding crocodile tears and pleasing the BJP leadership by attacking Rahul Gandhi.

However, Vijayan is refusing to abandon the issue, noting in the election campaign that right from 2019 when this issue first surfaced, the Left, inside and outside the Parliament, had strongly come out against it but the Congress “played hide and seek”, showing some inclination for a joint protest, but backing out later.

His tirades intensified when the Congress manifesto came out and he pointed out that while his CPI-M’s manifesto is clear that the CAA will be repealed, the Congress is still “silent” on it.

“Just look at the Congress manifesto, there is total silence on what they will do if they come to power with regards to the CAA. Is it not clear that they are hand in glove with the BJP with regards to the CAA,” he claimed.

But the Congress is hitting back at Vijayan, with acting state Congress President M.M. Hassan accusing the Chief Minister of attacking Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to keep Prime Minister Narendra Modi “happy” as he has grave cases against him and his family.

Hassan also said that Vijayan is “engaged in spreading lies” against Rahul Gandhi, but the truth is that the Congress leader has 18 cases in various states because he protested and spoke against the CAA.

The BJP, starting from PM Modi to the grassroots party workers, is also seeking to capitalise on the issue, accusing the two fronts of hypocrisy by being part of the INDIA bloc but fighting in Kerala.

State BJP President K. Surendran contended that times have changed and the people of Kerala have now understood that the CPI-M and Congress are two sides of the same coin and both these parties have just one agenda of garnering the Muslim votes and will go to any extent for this.

“They hug in Delhi and they fight in Kerala. This tactic will not work anymore,” he said.

Kerala Congress Rivalry Peaks in Kottayam

The electoral landscape of Kottayam, Kerala, paints a vivid picture of political manoeuvring and strategic campaigning as the Lok Sabha elections draw near. The significance of this constituency transcends mere political rivalry; it embodies a microcosm of Kerala’s socio-political dynamics, with a blend of regional identity, agrarian concerns, and national issues.

The campaign buzz in Kottayam commenced early, ignited by the announcement of the first candidate for the state. Kottayam, often considered the citadel of influential Kerala Congress parties and the hub of rubber plantations, sets the stage for a compelling electoral battle. Amidst the fervent discussions to finalize candidates, the Kerala Congress (M) asserted its presence by nominating MP Thomas Chazhikkadan for re-election under the Left Democratic Front (LDF) banner.

However, the political landscape in Kottayam is not a mere showdown between traditional rivals. It’s a multifaceted contest marked by the convergence of various political factions. Chazhikkadan’s opponent, Francis George, represents the Kerala Congress (Joseph), an ally of the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF). This electoral rivalry encapsulates the intricate alliances and realignments within Kerala’s political spectrum.

What distinguishes Kottayam’s electoral battle is the direct confrontation between factions of the Kerala Congress (M) and the Kerala Congress (J), both vying for supremacy in the region. This dynamic interplay of factions adds layers of complexity to an already intense campaign atmosphere.

Key issues reverberating through Kottayam’s political discourse range from national concerns like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to regional challenges such as declining rubber prices and agrarian distress. The rubber price issue, in particular, holds paramount importance in this constituency, reflecting the livelihood concerns of the local populace.

Amidst the electoral cacophony, candidates vie for attention by presenting their visions and promises for the constituency’s development. Chazhikkadan emphasizes his track record as an MP, citing infrastructural projects and development initiatives undertaken during his tenure. Conversely, George advocates for farmers’ rights and proposes comprehensive plans for the revival of the constituency, including agricultural reforms and infrastructural development.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) also seeks to make inroads by addressing the concerns of rubber growers and projecting a development-centric agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As Kottayam braces for the electoral showdown, the stakes are high, resonating not only with political ambitions but also with the legacy of prominent leaders like Oommen Chandy and K M Mani. The outcome of this election will not only shape the political landscape of Kottayam but also reverberate across Kerala’s socio-political milieu, reflecting the aspirations and concerns of its diverse electorate.

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