Wadakkanchery rape case: Peramangalam CI suspended for humiliating victim

Kerala police Monday suspended Peramangalam circle inspector K.V. Manikandan for allegedly insulting a gang-rape victim while questioning her. Manikandan was suspended as per the order of Thrissur Range IG M.R. Ajith Kumar.Kumar conducted a preliminary probe into the allegation leveled by the victim that the police officer had asked her "indecent questions" about the crime. Manikandan is also accused of forcing the woman to change her statement. A 33-year-old woman hailing from Thrissur, who was allegedly gang raped by four men two years ago, had in a press meet revealed that CPM leader and Wadakkancherry municipal councilor P.N. Jayanthan was among those who allegedly outraged her modesty. The woman, a mother of two, had also complained about the 'insensitive and indecent' manner in which the police questioned her about the incident.Actor Bhagya Lakshmi, who was instrumental in bringing the crime to light in her Facebook post, criticized the police officer for posing such questions.

The woman said though she had earlier filed a complaint in 2015, she was 'forced' to withdraw it after the accused threatened to kill her children. Kerala police relaunched a probe into the incident. CPM suspended Jayanthan from the party and said it would probe the allegations against him.CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the party had promptly acted when the allegations were leveled."We will make sure such things which are not correct are not allowed," he told reporters here.

He also said the Thrissur District Secretary should not have revealed the victim's name. CPI(M) Politbureau member Brinda Karat said that naming the victim was a "mistake". "We are not supposed to name the victim. So it was a mistake to name the victim," she said in Delhi. Police have recorded the statements of the woman and her husband. In another related development, Wadakancherry MLA Anil Akkara complained to the DGP that the victim's statement had been leaked.

He said the phones of woman police officers who took the victim's statement should be verified. The woman had appeared before media here, alleging that she had been gang raped by four persons, including by the CPI(M) councillor, two years ago and was being harassed.

Kerala Government 100 days Achievements

The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala, which completed 100 days in office, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said it was following a "two-pronged" approach of stepping up measures for long-term development and taking immediate steps to redress the grievances of the marginalised sections. He also reiterated its commitment to uphold secularism and warned of stern action against creating communal tension. Setting up of Kerala Infrastructure Fund Board for mobilising resources and announcemnet of various debt relief measures for different sections in the soceity were a part of the two-pronged approach, he said in a statement.

Admitting that there was a resource crunch in the state, Mr Viayan said Kerala would be "pushed backward" in all the sectors if "we wait for initiating projects till mobilising resources". There is a plan to mobilise Rs. 50,000 crore for taking up various infrastructure projects in the next five years, he said, adding that the funds would be mobilised through Kerala Infrastructure Fund Board. On its development policy, he said the government wold go for eco-friendly projects which would not cause any damage to the environment. On the social sector, Mr Vijayan said his government's main priority was to protect human rights, secularism and democracy. Stern action would be taken against activities that create communal tension, he added. "This government will not yield even an inch to communalism and will move on the path of securalism by taking all the sections of people into confidence," Mr Vijayan said.

A comprehensive plan would be implemented with an objective to make the state "waste-free" in the next five years. Similarly, the state would be declared open defecation-free on November 1, he added. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce this," the Chief Minister said. The Kannur airport would be made fully operational by April, 2017 while the work on the Kochi Metro project was progressing rapidly, he said. Work on a 45-metre-wide international standard national highway has also started, he pointed out. The work on improving the waterways of the state for transportation was also progressing, he added. On the welfare sector, Mr Vijayan pointed out that the first step of his government was to hike the amount of all welfare pensions to Rs. 1,000.

The government also took steps to ensure that the beneficiaries received pension with arrears before the Onam festival, he said, adding that an amount of Rs. 3,100 crore was going to reach the people by Onam. Rejecting the allegation of the opposition that his government had failed to intervene to check price rise of food articles, Mr Vijayan said Rs. 150 crore has been earmarked for market intervention. Besides, a sum of Rs. 75 crore had already been spent on strengthening the public distribution system. Stating that steps were on for implementation of the Food Safety Act in the state, he said new ration cards would be distributed among the people in the next six months.

Another "major achievement" of his government in the short period was opening the closed cashew factories, mainly in Kollam district, and thereby, ensuring jobs for nearly 18,000 workers, the Chief Minister said.

Cauvery issue: Violence in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu inspired by chauvinism, myopic politics, media

An armed confrontation between two Indian states, that too over water, may be unimaginable for many. But, on Quora, you would actually find people discussing the prospects of a war between the two rival states. Laughable it may sound, but it is a pointer to the venomous rivalry that exists between the two border states. The ongoing violence in Bengaluru over the Cauvery water dispute is just a reflection of the strained relations between the two states. Chauvinists on either side of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border are always on a short fuse. Such is the nature of the Kannadiga-Tamil rivalry that violence can erupt even after a minor spark, sometimes even without it. In 2000, when Kannadiga superstar Rajkumar was kidnapped by Veerappan, violence broke out in Karnataka simply because the brigand happened to be a Tamil. For almost 75 days, while the actor remained in Veerappan's custody, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu remained on the edge, with sporadic violence threatening peace in both states. Considering the volatile nature of relations between the two states, the emotive issue of sharing of Cauvery waters was expected to trigger violence in the two states. Kannadigas are averse to sharing water from the Cauvery basin with their neighbouring states. So, the Supreme Court order directing the Siddaramaiah government to release 15,000 cusecs water (later revised to 12,000 cusecs) to Tamil Nadu was meant to create ripples in the two states.

The dispute over sharing of Cauvery water dates back to the 19th century. Several governments, court orders and arbitration panels have failed to resolve the row, primarily because the Kannadigas do not believe in the lower riparian rights of downstream states, especially during the low-monsoon years. As this article in The Wire argues, Karnataka has historical reasons to be upset about the quantum of water to be shared with neighbouring states. Girish Nikam writes that the Cholas built reservoirs and check dams in Tamil Nadu in the 10th century, while the rulers of Mysore built Krishna Raja Sagara, the first major reservoir, in 1934.

Karnataka's politics, where no party can afford to be seen compromising the riparian rights of Kannadigas, further contributed to the problem. At an all-party meeting in Karnataka to discuss the SC order on water sharing, even the BJP leaders argued that the order not be implemented. On cue, CM Siddaramaiah dispatched a missive to the Prime Minister, seeking the Centre's intervention and arguing that Tamil Nadu has enough water this season to address its needs. To this dangerous mix, the media and Twitterati have added more poison by spreading rumours, videos and inflammatory messages. Television channels in both the states, reports say, are playing up incidents of attacks on Kannadigas and Tamils, leading to retaliatory violence. According to The Indian Express, the fire was reignited on Monday by TV channels playing the regional card. Some television channels, on Monday, showed images of the Kannadiga-owned New Woodlands Hotel in Chennai being attacked with petrol bombs. The reports suggested that it was in retaliation to the attacks on Tamils. Images of a Kannadiga being beaten up by Tamil activists and buses being vandalised were also shown, the report added.

"We will also show them,” a statement made by Vatal Nagaraj, a veteran leader who exhorts Kannada chauvinism, only indicates "retaliatory incidents in Karnataka," The Indian Express reported. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are on the brink of another cycle of violence inspired by chauvinism, myopic politics and an irresponsible media, both conventional and social. Only by restraining all of them would this war between the two rivals would come to an end.

The Supreme Court will on Monday hear Karnataka’s plea to reduce the quantum of Cauvery water to be released to Tamil Nadu from 15,000 cusecs to 1,000 cusecs after violent protests on the sensitive issue paralysed life across the state. The urgent hearing on a holiday was scheduled after Karnataka’s plea seeking modification of the SC’s September 5 order to release 15,000 cusecs of water for 10 days as immediate relief to Tamil Nadu farmers was mentioned before the court’s registry. A bench of justice Dipak Misra and justice UU Lalit will sit to only hear the matter as the court is closed on Monday. The hearing was fixed after consulting the Chief Justice of India TS Thakur. Read: Cauvery dispute: Conflicts, gaps and institutional spaces for reconciliation The plea noted that Karnataka was facing “huge public pressure” and police prevented attempts to damage public property during recent statewide strikes with great difficulty. The application also referred to inputs from security agencies that said if the current flow of water was allowed to continue further, the situation “may go out of hand”. The hearing coincides with the Cauvery Supervisory Committee’s meeting to decide on the quantum of the river’s water to be released to Tamil Nadu and other states.

The Karnataka government has demanded that instead of 10 days, the top court should restrict the release of water to only six as the state was facing a distress situation due to massive protests that inflicted daily losses of Rs 500 crore. “Even the minimum arrangement mentioned by your lordships has caused distress and havoc in the entire southern part of Karnataka, paralysing civil life. The agitation of farmers has been that their dry crop is equaled with that of the farmers in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu’s need for the rice crop consumes more than twice the water which is needed for light crops in Karnataka,” it said. The application sought to emphasize that farmers in Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya and Bengaluru had been squatting on the roads and streets, adversely affecting the IT industry – a source of huge revenue by way of income tax, service tax, and foreign exchange of USD 60 billion. In its September 5 order, the top court had directed Tamil Nadu to approach Supervisory Committee, set up to implement the award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, within three days for release of water as per the final order of the CWDT.

.Over 350 people have been arrested for vandalism in IT-hub Bengaluru, where buses were burnt and shops were damaged on Monday. 16 areas of the city are still under curfew. After violence, which may potentially create law and order problem, domestic airlines including national carrier Air India and private carriers - Indigo, Vistara, Jet Airways - announced on Tuesday that they would waive flight cancellation/ rescheduling changes for flights to Bengaluru for a specified period.

Two people died in police firing after cops opened fire on protesters in Bengaluru's Rajgopalnagar area on Monday evening. The protests have affected tech companies. Flipkart and Amazon said their operations had been impacted and TeamLease feared "mammoth losses". The streets were deserted all day on Tuesday. Buses were off the roads and resumed only in the evening. In tweets on Tuesday morning, the police warned people against rumours. "Please do not blindly believe in messages circulating on WhatsApp," said one tweet. "Bengaluru situation is totally calm, strict action will be taken against vandals/miscreants," said another. The Prime Minister has been asked by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene. Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi said the situation is "distressful" and added that breaking the law is not a "viable alternative" since it was causing loss to the poor. On Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wrote to her Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah seeking protection and security for Tamil-speaking people and their properties after 30 buses from Tamil Nadu were set on fire by protesters. Fearing backlash, many Tamils were reportedly leaving Bengaluru.

Trouble resurfaced in the decades-old dispute over the Cauvery river, which flows through Karnataka into Tamil Nadu, after the Supreme Court last week asked Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water to its neighbor The situation escalated on Monday after a court ruling indicated that Karnataka has to yield more water than it was asked to last week. Karnataka says it does not have enough water for farming or drinking. But Tamil Nadu has told the court its farmers will face a huge crisis without more water. "The order is hard to follow but we'll still follow the Supreme Court order," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, urging people not to take law into their hands. He assured drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mandya and villages of the Cauvery river basin till June next year. Cauvery Protests: Karnataka Situation 'Alarming', Jayalalithaa Writes To Siddaramaiah Describing the violence in Karnataka as "alarming", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to her counterpart in the neighbouring state, Siddaramaiah, seeking protection to Tamil speaking people and their property, hours after he had made a similar plea to her. Expressing concern, she said "hotels and properties belonging to Tamils in Karnataka are being attacked and damaged. This is an alarming situation and is causing considerable anxiety." "I am concerned that the situation in Karnataka is serious with several instances of mob violence targeting Tamil speaking persons and their properties," she said in the letter. Amid reports of escalating violence in Karnataka over the Cauvery issue in which Tamil properties including buses were targeted, she sought action to ensure safety for them. As Rajan Departs, RBI Opens Door to Islamic Finance (The Week) EMAIL PRINT 18 COMMENTS

Cauvery Protests: Karnataka Situation 'Alarming', Jayalalithaa Writes To Siddaramaiah Cauvery Protests: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to her counterpart Siddaramaiah. CHENNAI: HIGHLIGHTS Jayalalithaa wrote to Siddaramaiah about protests over the cauvery issue She said she was concerned about the well being of Tamils in Karnataka She described the violence in Karnataka as 'alarming'; urged restraint Describing the violence in Karnataka as "alarming", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to her counterpart in the neighbouring state, Siddaramaiah, seeking protection to Tamil speaking people and their property, hours after he had made a similar plea to her.

Expressing concern, she said "hotels and properties belonging to Tamils in Karnataka are being attacked and damaged. This is an alarming situation and is causing considerable anxiety." "I am concerned that the situation in Karnataka is serious with several instances of mob violence targeting Tamil speaking persons and their properties," she said in the letter.

Amid reports of escalating violence in Karnataka over the Cauvery issue in which Tamil properties including buses were targeted, she sought action to ensure safety for them. "I request you to take immediate and effective action to provide all necessary protection and security to ensure that no harm is caused to the person and property of Tamil speaking people in Karnataka," she said in her letter to Mr Siddaramaiah. She said, "the violence has escalated and a large number of vehicles, including more than 40 buses, 45 lorries and many other vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu number plates have been burnt and damaged." Cauvery Protests: Karnataka Situation 'Alarming', Jayalalithaa Writes To Siddaramaiah All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: September 13, 2016 08:32 IST

by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Experts shocked, as new trick saves online shoppers thousands in India (Madbid.com) As Rajan Departs, RBI Opens Door to Islamic Finance (The Week) EMAIL PRINT 18 COMMENTS Cauvery Protests: Karnataka Situation 'Alarming', Jayalalithaa Writes To Siddaramaiah Cauvery Protests: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to her counterpart Siddaramaiah. CHENNAI: HIGHLIGHTS Jayalalithaa wrote to Siddaramaiah about protests over the cauvery issue She said she was concerned about the well being of Tamils in Karnataka She described the violence in Karnataka as 'alarming'; urged restraint Describing the violence in Karnataka as "alarming", Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to her counterpart in the neighbouring state, Siddaramaiah, seeking protection to Tamil speaking people and their property, hours after he had made a similar plea to her. Expressing concern, she said "hotels and properties belonging to Tamils in Karnataka are being attacked and damaged. This is an alarming situation and is causing considerable anxiety." "I am concerned that the situation in Karnataka is serious with several instances of mob violence targeting Tamil speaking persons and their properties," she said in the letter. Amid reports of escalating violence in Karnataka over the Cauvery issue in which Tamil properties including buses were targeted, she sought action to ensure safety for them. "I request you to take immediate and effective action to provide all necessary protection and security to ensure that no harm is caused to the person and property of Tamil speaking people in Karnataka," she said in her letter to Mr Siddaramaiah. She said, "the violence has escalated and a large number of vehicles, including more than 40 buses, 45 lorries and many other vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu number plates have been burnt and damaged." Stating that groups of protesters from Karnataka were regularly assembling at the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border near Hosur, she said they were threatening vehicles and commuters from Tamil Nadu. Ms Jayalalithaa said she was writing to bring to Mr Siddaramaiah's "urgent attention" the need to ensure the safety and security of many lakhs of Tamil speaking people residing in Karnataka and of their properties in the light of the escalating incidents of violence. Referring to his letter, regarding "certain incidents," in Tamil Nadu, she said "despite very provocative incidents that are taking place in Karnataka, absolute restraint has been observed in Tamil Nadu by all sections. We have ensured that no major incidents of any kind targeting Kannada speaking people or their properties have occurred." Referring to the two incidents in Chennai and Ramanathapuram that was flagged by Karnataka, she said these were minor adding action was taken very promptly, cases registered and miscreants arrested. "In any event, all precautionary measures have been taken and law and order continues to be well maintained in Tamil Nadu," she said. "The protests by some sections in Tamil Nadu, including by farmers, have been peaceful and lawful." She said the Tamil Nadu DGP was instructed to ensure that law and order is maintained and adequate protection provided to all Kannada speaking people and their properties in Tamil Nadu. The DGP was instructed as soon as the directions of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue were received on Septemeber 6 and following telecast of violent protests in Karnataka by the media, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

Pinarayi Vijayan and 18 others take oath as new Kerala CM and Ministers.

CPM strongman Pinarayi Vijayan was today sworn in as chief minister of Kerala heading a 19-member ministry of the party-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) that had 13 new faces including two women.The CPM or Communist Party of India-Marxist will have 12 ministers, the Communist Party of India or CPI will have four and three other LDF constituents - the Janata Dal-S, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress-S - will have one each. Last week, the LDF wrested Kerala back from the Oomen Chandy-led Congress. "This will be a people's government and will function for the welfare of the people. There will be no caste, religious and political barriers and we will function with that spirit," Mr Vijayan has promised. Among the pledges his newspaper ads this morning are safety for women and minorities, welfare of students and the elderly and a promise of new jobs and control of inflation. The son of a toddy tapper, Mr Vijayan was picked to be chief minister over Mr Achuthanandan, the CPM's star campaigner.

Pinarayi Vijayan will take oath today as chief minister and is "committed to turn Kerala into a truly God's own country." Pinarayi Vijayan served for 17 years as the CPM's Kerala state secretary, the longest tenure ever. He has been elected to the state assembly five times and won this year's election from Dharmadam constituency by a margin of 36,000 votes. The Cabinet of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government comprises 19 members. Governor P. Sathasivam administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and 18 members of his Cabinet at the Central Stadium here.

Live updates: 04.47 p.m.: The swearing-in ceremony, a 48-minute affair, comes to a close. The Ministers will now attend their first Cabinet meeting.

04.44 p.m.: T.M. Thomas Isaac takes oath as Finance Minister. The former Economics professor from Alappuzha was Finanace Minister in the previous LDF government too. He has been credited with spearheading the People's Plan Campaign. 04.42 p.m.: P. Tilothaman will be the Public Distribution and Civil Supplies Minister. He is the third Minister from Alappuzha district. 04.39 p.m.: V.S. Sunil Kumar takes oath as Agriculture Minister. 04.38 p.m.: CPI(M) State committee member G. Sudhakaran will handle Public Works and Registration portfolios. The first president of the SFI in Kerala, he was earlier a part of Mr. Achutanandan's Cabinet too. 04.35 p.m.: K.K. Shylaja takes oath as Health and Social Welfare Minister. 04.33 p.m.: C. Ravindranath takes oath as Education Minister. 04.29 p.m.: T.P. Ramakrishnan takes oath as the Minister for Excise and Labour. Formerly the Kozhikode district secretary of the CPI(M), he won from Perambra. He is a member of the State secretariat of the party. 04.28 p.m.: K. Raju of the CPI, who won from Punalur, takes oath. He will handle the Forest, Wildlife and Environment portfolio.

04.25 p.m.: A.C. Moideen takes oath as Tourism and Cooperation Minister. The Kunnamkulam MLA had had a stint as CPI(M) Thrissur District Secretary. 04.23 p.m.: Mercykutty Amma, who won from Kundara, and one of the only two women in the Cabinet, takes the oath as the Fisheries Minister. She is also the CITU national president. 04.22 p.m.: The Minister for Electricity and Devaswoms is Kadakampalli Surendran. He won from Kazhakoottam and it is his second term as MLA. 04.18 p.m.: E.P. Jayarajan of the CPI(M) takes oath as Sports and Industry Minister. A three-time MLA and a first-time Minister, he is a CPI(M) central committee member. 04.16 p.m.: K.T. Jaleel takes oath as Minister for Local Self Government. At 48 years, he is the youngest Minister in the Cabinet. He was earlier the general secretary of the Muslim Youth League. He won as an LDF-backed independent. 04.15 p.m.: A.K. Balan of the CPI(M) takes oath. He was Minister for Power in the V.S. Achuthanandan government. The MLA from Tharoor will now handle the Law, Culture and SC/ST Affairs. 04.11 p.m.: Kadannappalli Ramachandran takes oath as Ports Minister. 04.08 p.m.: Actor Mammootty is in attendance at the ceremony. 04.07 p.m.: A.K. Saseendran of the NCP takes oath as Transport Minister. A five-time MLA, he won from Elathoor. 04.05 p.m.: Mathew T. Thomas of the JD(S) takes oath as Water Resources Minister. He won from Thiruvalla. He was the Transport Minister in the previous LDF government before resigning over differences with the LDF leadership. He takes the oath in the name of God, a rarity in LDF ceremonies. 04.03 p.m.: E Chandrasekharan of the CPI takes the oath as Revenue Minister. The CPI's State treasurer won from Kanhangad. He is a first-time Minister. 04.02 p.m.: CPI(M) Leaders V.S. Achutanandan, Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat are present at the swearing-in ceremony at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. 04.01 p.m.: Pinarayi Vijayan takes oath as Chief Minister. 4 p.m.: Governor P. Sathasivam arrives for the swearing-in ceremony.

Proposed Ministers from CPM and CPI

Vijayan was elected to lead his party at a meeting of his party leadership on Friday. Pinarayi Vijayan would be sworn-in as Kerala's 12nd chief minister on May 25 at the Thiruvananthapuram central stadium in the state capital. Generally, the new cabinet takes oath at the Raj Bhavan but this time, deviating from the routine, the LDF is expecting a larger turnout of invitees and hence a bigger venue. Like in 2011, the LDF is contemplating a 19-member ministry. There would be 12 members from the CPM, including the chief minister, 4 from the CPI and one each from the Janata Dal (S), Kerala Congress (S) and the NCP. The ministry will have eight new faces from the CPM, sources said. The names believed to be finalized E.P. Jayarajan, K.K. Shailaja, A.K. Balan, T.P. Ramakrishnan, J. Mercykuttiyamma, G. Sudhakaran, T.M. Thomas Isaac, A.C. Moitheen, K.T. Jaleel, C. Raveendranath and Kadakampally Surendran. Ponnani MLA and CPM leader P. Sreeramakrishnan is likely to be the Speaker. CPI ministers to be new faces

Meanwhile, it is believed that all the four ministers from the CPI, the second largest constituent of the LDF, will be new faces. E. Chandrasekharan, V.S. Sunil Kumar, K. Raju and P. Thilothaman are likely to be the ministers from the CPI.

Chirayinkeezhu MLA V Sasi will be recommended for the post of Deputy Speaker.It is believed that Thomas Isaac will handle finance while the department of industries will go to E.P. Jayarajan. Shailaja is likely to be the health minister. The decisions were taken by the CPM state secretariat, which met at AKG Centre, the party headquarters, here.

Pinarayi Vijayan named Kerala chief minister

Pinarayi Vijayan is set to become the next chief minister of Kerala after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) emerged triumphant in the 16 May state assembly election. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, chose Vijayan, 72, over V.S. Achuthanandan, 92, a former chief minister of the southern state, who led the Left’s election campaign. “We are very happy that in a unanimous decision we have decided that comrade Pinarayi Vijayan has been proposed as the leader of the LDF legislative party,” CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said while addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram. “We will put this forward with the other parties of the Left Front as well.” The Left Front had refrained from announcing a chief ministerial candidate in the run-up to the election and both Achuthanandan and Vijayan had been seen as front-runners for the position. The two leaders in the past have had their differences.Vijayan is the only politburo member who has been elected to the assembly this time. In the 140-member state Assembly, CPM-led LDF won 91 seats , UDF headed by Congress got 47 while BJP and Independents bagged one each. Soon after the decision to nominate Vijayan to the CM's post became known, party workers at AKG Bhavan started celebrations and began distributing sweets.

“...considering comrade Achuthanandan’s age and physical limitations, we have come to the conclusion that comrade Pinarayi Vijayan will be our chief ministerial face,” Yechury said. Commenting on the future role of Achuthanandan, Yechury said, “Achuthanandan is like the Fidel Castro of Kerala. He will guide and inspire the party.” The decision was taken in a state secretariat meeting held in Kerala on Friday where a majority of the members were in favour of Vijayan’s selection. The meeting was attended by party general secretary Yechury and former general secretary Prakash Karat. The move also comes as the party is making attempts to revive its organisational structure after fielding state and central committee members. This year, Vijayan contested elections for the first time since 1998. The CPM is the largest party in the LDF, which secured 91 seats in the 140-member Kerala assembly in the vote count on Thursday. Analysts are hopeful of the state’s growth under Vijayan’s stewardship.

“Vijayan has a record of being a good minister and a reasonably modern-minded leader. Being a first-time chief minister, he would want to prove himself. Vijayan can provide a decent administration if he creates a good team from the 91 members that have been elected,” said Paul Zacharia, a Thiruvananthapuram-based political commentator and writer. He added, “While making the announcement, Yechury shared the dias with VS (Achuthanandan) which in itself is a good sign. VS may have resigned himself to being a figurehead. If VS decides to keep his ambitions in control it will be a fairly smooth government.” Born in 1944 to a toddy tapper family in Kannur, Vijayan served as CPM state committee secretary from 1998 to 2015. He is the longest serving state secretary and is known to be a grassroots leader. He has been elected to the state legislative assembly four times.

Vijayan became the minister for electricity and cooperation in 1996. Currently, he is a member of the central committee and the politburo of the party. He won the assembly election from Dharmadom in Kannur district with a margin of 36,905 votes.

Exit polls hint at anti-incumbency and corruption in Kerala

Kerala Election 2016 Exit Poll Pollsters UDF LDF BJP+ Others India Today-Axis UDF 43 LDF 94 BJP 3 OTH 1 CVoter UDF 58 LDF 78 BJP 2 News Nation UDF 70 LDF 69 OTH 1 0 Chanakya UDF 57 LDF 75 BJP 8 OTH 0 Summary of Kerala Assembly Election 2016 Opinion Poll

According to a pre-poll survey conducted by IMEG (Institute for Monitoring Economic Growth), Thiruvananthapuram, the CPI(M)-led LDF is coming to power in Kerala in 2016. It appears that voters of Kerala are going to reject both the BJP and Congress-led incumbent UDF. The IMEG survey has projected the LDF to win 83-90 seats in the 2016 Assembly elections while the UDF will have to satisfy itself with 50 to 57 seats. The BJP-led NDA may see an increase in its vote share but it may not be sufficient to open its account in the Assembly. The IMEG survey was conducted among 60,000 voters from south, central and north regions of Kerala. You may also like to read Kerala Election Date 2016 Kerala Assembly Constituencies LDF Candidate List 2016 Kerala Assembly elections: Times Now-CVoter opinion poll hints at the return of Left According to a pre-poll survey by Times Now-CVoter and CNN-IBN suggests a whopping victory for the LDF as the anti-incumbency factor will lead to the defeat of ruling UDF. The LDF is likely to get 86 seats in the 140-seat assembly. The ruling UDF is expected to bag only 53 seats during the elections scheduled to be held on 16 May. The NDA, which is likely to eat into the vote share of UDF, will see 10% votes going in their favour. Party/Alliance Seat Projection Seat Share % LDF 86 44 UDF 53 41 NDA 1 10 Others 0 5 Kerala Opinion Poll by India TV C-voter The opinion poll conducted by C-voter for India TV indicated that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) may stage a comeback in Kerala. If the report of the survey is taken at a face value, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s UDF will be ousted from power since it is expected to win only 49 seats. The LDF is likely to come back to power by winning 89 seats in the 140-member Assembly. There’s a slight probability of BJP-led front winning one seat. Party Seats LDF 89 UDF 49 BJP-led front 1 Kerala Opinion Poll by Elections.in Party/Alliance Seat Projection LDF 82 UDF 55 NDA 3 Kerala Opinion Poll by Asianet poll

(Feb 2016) As Kerala gears up to hold elections for the 140-seat assembly, the opinion poll survey indicates that the Left will win the polls. According to C for Survey conducted for Asianet, BJP will open its account in the state for the first time, and that too with 18% vote share. The 2016 Kerala Assembly elections opinion poll has predicted that LDF will win between 77 and 82 seats, thus securing the majority. The survey results indicate that the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) will emerge as the second largest party with 55 to 60 seats. The BJP is likely to gain three to five seats. It is to be noted that the Oommen Chandy-led UDF will get 37% of the vote share despite being mired in controversies and the LDF’s

vote share will reduce from 44.94% in 2011 to 41%. The reason, according to pollsters, is eating away of the UDF and LDF vote shares by the NDA. The survey, which continued from 1-16 February, was conducted in 70 constituencies comprising 568 villages and 148 towns. Party No. of Seats Vote Share LDF 77 – 82 41.00% United Democratic Front 55 – 60 37.00% BJP 3 – 5 18.00% Polling Agency: Asianet Survey Date: 1 Feb to 16 Feb 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly Election 2011 Results

Party Seats Communist Party of India (CPI) 13 Communist Party of Indian (Marxist) (CPM) 45 Indian National Congress (INC) 38 Janata Dal (Secular) JD(S) 4 Kerala Congress (Jacob) (KEC)(J) 1 Kerala Congress (M) (KCM) 9 Kerala Congress (B) KEC(B) 1 Kerala Revolutionary Socialist Party(Baby John) (KRSP) 1 Muslim League Kerala State Committee (MUL) 20 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) 2 Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) 2 Socialist Janta (Democratic) (SJD) 2 Independent (IND) 2 Total 140

THE SUPREME COURT REJECT THE PLEA OF ACCUSED IN PALMOLEIN CASE

Dismissing the petition filed by three accused in Kerala Palmolein import case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said the trial must continue in the case and that no one can be acquitted at this stage .The court was hearing a petition filed by former Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, former Chief Vigilance Commissioner P J Thomas and Congress leader T H Mustafa, seeking acquittal from the case.

The court also criticised the state government for trying to “mislead” the apex court. The government pleader had informed the Supreme Court that a review petition in this regard has been submitted to the High Court. However, the lawyer who appeared for CPI (M) leader V S Achuthanandan pointed out that this is wrong. Further, the bench headed by the

Chief Justice inspected the documents and censured the government Jiji Thomson, present chief secretary; PJ Thomas, former Kerala IAS officer; and TH Mustafa, then food minister are among eight accused in the case. In March, the Kerala High Court had rejected Jiji Thomson's plea seeking to stop all further proceedings in the case against him until the Supreme Court disposes Special Leave Petition (SLP). Earlier, his plea seeking dismissal of the case was rejected by both the lower court and high court. The Palmolein case relates to the import of 15,000 tonnes of palmolein oil from a Malaysian company in 1991 when the late K. Karunakaran was chief minister. The import had allegedly resulted in a loss of Rs 2.32 crore for the state.

RECENT POLITICAL ISSUES IN KERALA: HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS 2016

RECENT POLITICAL ISSUES IN KERALA: HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS ON 10.05.2016 AT 3.00PM

HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS

HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS ON 10.05.2016 AT 3.00PM http://result.kerala.gov.in/. For Result click the side link " HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS " HIGHER SECONDARY AND VHSE RESULTS

Kerala shocked by brutality of Perumbavoor girl's murder (Kerala's Nirbhaya )

A 30-year-old law student in Kerala was raped and murdered and her body was found with the intestines hanging out in an incident that has chilling echoes of the 2012 gangrape of Delhi student Jyoti Singh, who came to be known as Nirbhaya. The woman was found dead inside her home in Ernakulam on Thursday with signs of strangling and 30 wounds on her body. She is believed to have been brutalized with a sharp instrument and also had a head injury. She was last seen by neighbours in the afternoon when she had gone to fill water near her house. The police suspect she was assaulted between 1 and 5 pm. The neighbours say they didn't hear anything.

The woman lived with her mother, who, the police say, is mentally unstable and has been admitted to a hospital. Her father had left them years ago and the family was struggling financially. No arrests have been made in the past four days. Ahead of voting for assembly polls in the state, the case has drawn political attention. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that investigations are on and those responsible would be dealt with severely. "The incident is terrifying and a reminder of how such things are on the rise in Kerala and other states," said TN Seema, a Left candidate for the May 16 polls.

In December 2012, 23-year-old medical student Jyoti Singh was gang-raped on a moving bus by five men who tortured her with an iron rod. She died 13 days later amid angry protests in India. The outrage led to new laws on crimes against women. According to the police, the incident took place in broad daylight but none of the neighbours staying nearby intervened. It has been five days since the incident took place, but the police are yet to arrest anyone, and relatives allege that no political leaders or activists have come forward to offer help. Friends of the victim, who was staying with her mentally challenged mother in a single room house, came to know about her death two days later from a local newspaper. They feel the perpetrator could have been inside the house for a long time considering the number of wounds and the manner in which the victim was assaulted. The assault and murder is reminiscent to the December 16, 2012 gangrape of Nirbhaya, a physiotherapy intern, who was assaulted by six men on a private bus in Delhi. The CPI-M has latched onto the murder which occurred on April 28 to accuse the Congress-led UDF government in the poll-bound Kerala of 'inaction' to trace the culprits. "Police have failed to get any lead about the culprits even five days after the incident," CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said in Thiruvananthapuram.

Rejecting the charge, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said a "scientific" probe was being conducted into the incident and asserted that the culprits would be brought to book. Police said Ernakulam Range IG Mahipal Yadav is supervising the probe by a team of officials, headed by Perumbavoor Dy SP after it was reported that 30-year-old Jisha was subjected to rape and fatal assault at her small wayside home in Kuruppampadi police limit. Jisha was found dead in a pool of blood at 8 PM by her mother when she reached home after her daily menial job. "It was a brutal murder. There were stab injuries on her body. We suspect she was subjected to smothering and strangulation," Yadav told PTI.

He, however, refused to share details about the investigation. Police said whether the woman was subjected to sexual assault before or after the murder would be clear only from the postmortem report.