72.9% voter turnout recorded in Thrissur

Jayarajan-Javadekar meeting controversy is baseless like biryani pot row: V.S. Sunilkumar

Dip in poll percentage will be favourable for the LDF, says the partys Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency candidate

K. Muraleedharan repeats allegations of CPI(M)-BJP deal in Thrissur

The UDF candidate expresses confidence in winning in the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency

Heat wave alert issued in Kollam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts of Kerala

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heat wave alert for Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts in Kerala, predicting high temperatures up to 41 degrees Celsius. The alert, for April 27 and 28, comes after extreme heat was observed in recent days. Authorities are advising caution, warning of sunburn, heatstroke, and dehydration. They recommend staying indoors during the day, carrying umbrellas, and staying hydrated. Public events are advised to be postponed to the evening.

Weather Advisory: Heat Wave Alert Issued for Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad Districts in Kerala

Weather Advisory: Heat Wave Alert Issued for Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad Districts in Kerala The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued heat wave alert in Kollam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts of Kerala. The heat wave conditions would prevail in many places of these districts on April 27 and 28, the IMD said in a statement. The alert was issued in the wake of extreme heat recorded in the last few days and based on predictions that the temperature would rise up to 41 degree celsius in Palakkad and 40 degree celsius each in Kollam and Thrissur districts, it said. People should maintain extreme caution during such situations, authorities said. There are chances of people suffering sunburn and heatstroke, the statement said, adding that heatstroke can also lead to death. Authorities also advised people to take umbrellas while going out and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Among many directives, the IMD urged people to avoid going out during the day time as much as possible and postpone all public events to evening.

Scorching Heat Sparks Alert in Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad Districts

Scorching Heat Sparks Alert in Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad Districts The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued heat wave alert in Kollam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts of Kerala. The heat wave conditions would prevail in many places of these districts on April 27 and 28, the IMD said in a statement. The alert was issued in the wake of extreme heat recorded in the last few days and based on predictions that the temperature would rise up to 41 degree celcius in Palakkad and 40 degree celcius each in Kollam and Thrissur districts, it said. People should maintain extreme caution during such situations, authorities said. There are chances of people suffering sunburn and heatstroke, the statement said, adding that heatstroke can also lead to death. Authorities also advised people to take umbrellas while going out and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Among many directives, the IMD urged people to avoid going out during the day time as much as possible and postpone all public events to evening.

Sweet summer success: Kerala farmers see surge in snap melon

KOCHI: The paddy fields that line the banks of the Periyar and the Chalakudy rivers are laden with golden-hued fruits. A notably warm and extended summer with sporadic rains has brought forth a splendid blossoming season for cultivators of snap melon, a fruit that grows well in humid conditions. This year has been particularly rewarding for snap melons, says Sebastian K M alias Lalu, a 54-year-old farmer from Karumalloor near North Paravoor, whos been cultivating the fruit for over a decade. The fruit is locally referred to as pottu vellari, meaning cracked cucumber in Malayalam, due to the distinctive cracks that adorn its skin. As the season starts in January, prices soar to as high as Rs 75 per fruit, gradually tapering to Rs 45 by May end. The succulent pulp of the local variety is the primary reason for its popularity, cherished for its gentle sweetness and distinct flavour. Roadside stalls and bakery owners attest that they sell like hotcakes. Historically, snap melons (cucumis melo momordica) are believed to have originated in Kodungallur, Thrissur. In ancient times, the fruit was frequently served during the renowned Meena Bharani festival at the historic Kodungallur Devi Temple. The sowing timetable for snap melons varies depending on rainfall, typically spanning from the first to the last week of January. Cultivation practices prioritise organic fertilisers such as cow dung and poultry waste. A notable advantage of cultivating snap melons is their minimal irrigation requirements. Farmers primarily rely on drip irrigation during the plants growth phase. However, once fruiting begins, the plants draw moisture from the soil. Sebastian emphasises the criticality of careful irrigation, highlighting the risk of potential crop loss within days if mishandled. Additionally, he underscores the vulnerability of snap melon cultivation to unseasonal rains, which can lead to substantial crop damage, making it a particularly risky venture. Once snap melons reach ripeness, they begin to crack rapidly, posing a challenge for transportation. To mitigate this, farmers often place the fruits onto areca nut leaves for safe transport to markets. With an exceptionally short shelf life, the fruits skin starts to crack within just six hours of ripening, earning it the Malayalam moniker pottu vellari. These fruits primarily find their way to open markets through numerous makeshift stalls that line National Highway 17 from Chavakkad to Ernakulam during the summer season. These stalls specialise in selling snap melon juice, prepared by simply mashing the fruit with a spoon and mixing it with a dash of jaggery powder or sugar. This refreshing beverage can be concocted instantly. Moreover, innovative variations of the drink, incorporating ingredients like milk, have also emerged, adding further appeal to this beloved summer refreshment. The fruit has an extremely short shelf-life, wilting within hours of cracking. Interestingly, theres a discernible difference in taste between fruits just before and after cracking. Knowledgeable consumers often prefer cracked fruits; some even venture directly to the fields to select the perfect ones, explains Suraj, a snap melon vendor in North Paravoor. Dr Shinoj Subramanian, Head of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) under the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi, has been actively involved in raising awareness about the fruits nutritional value and advocating for its consumption and juices among the public. The initiative aims to support fruit farmers and promote precision farming of snap melons. Many people are still unaware of the nutritional benefits and effectiveness of snap melons, especially during the summer season, he remarks. This fruit is an excellent source of beta-carotene, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin C, Dr Sinoj adds, highlighting its nutritional richness. As part of its awareness-cum-promotional campaign, KVK organised a mega harvest festival of snap melons cultivated in various parts of Alangad Grama Panchayat in February last year. The event, which showcased different fruit juice varieties prepared using various recipes, received an overwhelming response from the public, recalls Subramanian. Experts stress the importance of incorporating pulpy summer fruits into ones diet, highlighting their abundant microfiber content, surpassing even that of watermelons, and their role in regulating body temperature. According to Dr Narayanan Kutty, former head of the Horticulture Wing of Kerala Agricultural University in Thrissur, these fruits are exceptional thirst-quenchers, boasting 90 per cent water content and offering instant cooling effects. Notably, they are fat and carbohydrate-free, with their seeds boasting excellent digestive properties. So one can consume as much amount of the fruit they want without any fear of gaining weight or other health concerns, Dr Narayanan says. In addition to Kerala, these fruits are also grown in select regions of Tamil Nadu and other North Indian districts. Mala village, situated on the southern outskirts of Thrissur district, is renowned as the epicentre of snap melon cultivation. As summer approaches, farmers from across the state converge on the Mala-Ashtamichira region, employing precision open farming techniques to cultivate the fruit in various cycles until the arrival of the monsoon. Over the past decade, the fruits popularity has surged, inspiring young farmers to grow snap melons every two weeks to maintain a steady supply. Remarkably, the plant yields fruit within just 45 days, he says. The fruits popularity has soared in recent years due to rising summer temperatures. Despite its shorter shelf life compared to watermelons, an increasing number of farmers are venturing into its cultivation annually. The majority of the fruit grown is shipped to Kochi and its surrounding areas, such as North Paravoor. The fruit is currently facing shortage as the main cultivation season has ended. The fourth harvest is currently underway, and the supply is restricted to those farmers who planted their seeds later, emphasises Sebastian. Snap Melon smoothie Ingredients Snap Melon: 500gm (without seeds and skin) Sugar: To taste Coconut milk: 300ml Sugar (Jaggery): 80gm Method: Mix all the ingredients. Put them in a mixer jar and blend it until a thick consistency forms. Serve it chilled. Other Smoothies 1 Small banana: 2 Jackfruit ice cream: 120gm Yoghurt: 150 ml Sugar: To taste 2 Caramel ice cream: 120gm Fresh milk: 200 ml Sugar: To taste Snap melon salad Ingredients Sliced snap melon : 50gm Feta cheese : 15gm Snap peas : 25gm Pumpkin seeds: 10gm Basil leaves: 5gm Pomegranate molasses: 10ml Sliced green Apple: 25gm Olive oil: 10ml Salt to taste White pepper powder: 5gm Method: Arrange all the ingredients on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with some pomegranate molasses for that extra crunch. Pottu vellari juice Ingredients Snap melon: 1 Sugar: As per need Water: As per need Method: Peel the skin off the melon and remove the seeds. Cut the fruit into small pieces. Add water and sugar as required. Serve with chunky melon pieces.

Thrissur records a low voter turnout of 72.2%

Constituency witnessed a fall from 77.92 % in 2019

IMD warns of heat wave conditions in Kollam, Thrissur, Palakkad

Palakkad records the highest temperature of 41.4C, followed by Punalur with 38.5C

Ola service centre raised invoices for repairing nothing on my S1 Pro

BHPian bijims recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Update after the service centre visitI visited the Ola Service Centre in Thrissur (Peramangalam) yesterday, and boy were there many scooters waiting to be serviced, repaired and whatnot. I don't know how much pride they put in showing that they have over 30 vehicles waiting outside gathering dust and another 30 or so more inside the service centre. A common sight in what I noticed was that 90% of them were either the OLA S1 PRO GEN 1 or OLA S1, with hardly a couple of OLA S1X+ and OLA S1 Air in the lot. I had booked the service appointment in advance (timing 1 pm to 4 pm) and reached at 2:30 pm but it is of absolutely no use. The security guard displayed ownership of the service centre and said they had over 60 vehicles waiting, and the service centre staff were on a lunch break. I persisted that mine was a panel gap issue and just wanted some service personnel to take a look at it and see what they could do. He asked me to come back after 3 pm, and I could do nothing. I went into the sales section and was greeted by a nice polite lady sales personnel, and I told her my difficulties, she immediately sent me a technician she knew, and he inspected the gaps and told me to come back tomorrow to pick my scooter up. I told them that I was coming from over far away (the service centre in Thrissur town which is just 20 km from my house said they do only small work) just to get these repaired as per the appointment given to me and I am leaving for Muscat tomorrow evening and won't be able to wait and come back. He told me to wait for an hour and let him see what could be done. I showed him the panel gaps and the poor fitting of the mirror the delivery executive in Thrissur had done and asked him to kindly fix that too. He obliged. While waiting I was inspecting the 30-odd scooters gathering dust outside the showroom and noticed every single one of them having a few panel gaps here and there, some were more pronounced while others were subtle. After half an hour, the service personnel came back and told me they could do nothing and it was a manufacturing defect. I sighed and he told me there was nothing to do and I should just accept it. Saddened, I took my scooter and drove away. Afterwards, in the evening I got a call from the OLA backend team who asked me whether I got everything fixed to my satisfaction I told her No, and what had happened. I don't know if it would be of any use but anyway, I conveyed my dissatisfaction. Anyway, while on the ride back home, I tested the scooter quite thoroughly and found most of its functions working as well as they are supposed to. The brakes were on point. Forced regen was working well, Ola Maps were accurate, and the other features like music, party mode, and mobile app connectivity all worked well. Most importantly the range shown was accurate, and even though I was riding with a pillion and some luggage (altogether 150 kg), I was able to extract 120 km from an 85% charge (100 to 15%), which left me quite impressed. Overall, I would say that these panel gaps, fit and finish issues are the major drawbacks of the OLA S1 PRO GEN 2, while most of the other issues plaguing the GEN 1 Scooters have been fixed. However, such inconsistencies in panel gaps, including improper alignment, huge gaps in the mudguard, and panel gaps below the handlebar are unacceptable and should be dealt with by OLA ASAP. So, to all those looking for an OLA scooter kindly look above your front tyre for the huge panel gap between the body and the mudguard as it is a common sight among many scooters. To add to the misery, my scooter comes with a panel gap below the handlebar which no other scooter gets, so I am sad to say I am stuck with a scooter with panel gaps higher than the norm for OLA scooters. Finally, to conclude, I must say that the OLA S1 range of scooters isn't definitely for the ones who prefer build quality and fit and finish and prefer their scooters aesthetics being top notch. For that please have a look at the Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube etc. But for those who prefer function over form (and don't mind the form being poor), you can go for the OLA S1 GEN 2 series (be it the PRO, AIR or X).Update from the Ola customer backend support teamI don't know what the service centre and Ola Backend Team are up to here, but I got a call yesterday asking me whether I had gotten everything fixed to my satisfaction, I told them NO, I had visited the service centre and they had me wait for an hour told me it's a manufacturing defect and there is nothing they could do about it. Earlier I received a couple of text messages telling me that My scooter's repair work had been initiated and then my repair work was completed and Ola Scooter Service was done and delivered back to me. I guess, the backend team raised a call on the response from the service centre team that they had taken the scooter for service and had completed work on it whereas in reality they made me wait for an hour, took my scooter in and after 15 minutes, told me there is nothing to do. Now, the OLA app shows a repair estimate of Rs 265.50 when in reality absolutely nothing has been done. In the meantime, after this thread had gone live, OLA raised a ticket on their own citing a Social Media Escalation along with an Invoice of Rs 225. I don't know what in the hell are they raising these invoices for when there was absolutely nothing done YET on their part to resolve my issues. The service centre personnel have shamelessly raised two invoices (one for Rs 265.50 and another for Rs 225) for doing absolutely nothing on my scooter. I have attached the relevant screenshots. Hopefully, they do something about my issues. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

In a first, a two-time PM bidding for third term with zero anti-incumbency: BJP's Anil Antony

In a first, a two-time PM bidding for third term with zero anti-incumbency: BJP's Anil Antony Anil Antony, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pathanamthitta on Friday expressed confidence of a historic mandate for the BJP and its coalition in the ongoing Lok Sabha Election 2024. Antony, after casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, highlighted that this is the first time in India's history that a two-time sitting Prime Minister is seeking re-election for a third term with zero anti-incumbency. We are very sure of a historic mandate in Kerala. This is a national election that will decide who will be the PM for the next 5 years, and which party and coalition will be governing this country. This is the first time in India's history that a two-time sitting PM is going for a third election with zero anti-incumbency, said Antony, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bid for a third consecutive term. Antony expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects, stating that the party would win more than 370 seats, and its coalition over 400 seats. 13 states are going to polls today. Every single state is seeing huge voting numbers so there is a lot of excitement for the PM vision for India. And Kerala is no exception so we are very sure that we will win more than 370 seats for our party and more than 400 seats for our coalition, Antony said. This time we will create history from Kerala last time we had a double-digit vote share this time we are strongly in contention in double-digit seats and we will win multiple of them and one of them will be definitely the seats I am contesting from is Pathanamthitta, he added. Meanwhile, Antony was seen showing his inked finger after casting his vote, symbolizing his participation in the electoral process. His competitors in the Pathanamthitta constituency include Thomas Isaac from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the incumbent MP Anto Antony from the Congress party. Earlier, BJP-led NDA candidate from Thrissur Suresh Gopi casts his vote in Thrissur, Kerala in the second phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 on Friday. After casting his vote, Gopi spoke about the significance of this election and the participation of the people in Kerala. You will see the people's hearts. The nation will see the participation of Kerala in the national development movement, says Suresh Gopi, NDA candidate from Thrissur, after casting his vote. So the heart will bloom and Thrissur and such other constituencies in the states, Gopi said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the UDF won 19 of the 20 seats, and the remaining 1 seat went to LDF. All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will go to the polls today. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)

In a first, a two-time PM bidding for third term with zero anti-incumbency: BJP's Anil Anthony

In a first, a two-time PM bidding for third term with zero anti-incumbency: BJP's Anil Anthony Anil Antony, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pathanamthitta on Friday expressed confidence of a historic mandate for the BJP and its coalition in the ongoing Lok Sabha Election 2024. Antony, after casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, highlighted that this is the first time in India's history that a two-time sitting Prime Minister is seeking re-election for a third term with zero anti-incumbency. We are very sure of a historic mandate in Kerala. This is a national election that will decide who will be the PM for the next 5 years, and which party and coalition will be governing this country. This is the first time in India's history that a two-time sitting PM is going for a third election with zero anti-incumbency, said Antony, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bid for a third consecutive term. Antony expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects, stating that the party would win more than 370 seats, and its coalition over 400 seats. 13 states are going to polls today. Every single state is seeing huge voting numbers so there is a lot of excitement for the PM vision for India. And Kerala is no exception so we are very sure that we will win more than 370 seats for our party and more than 400 seats for our coalition, Antony said. This time we will create history from Kerala last time we had a double-digit vote share this time we are strongly in contention in double-digit seats and we will win multiple of them and one of them will be definitely the seats I am contesting from is Pathanamthitta, he added. Meanwhile, Antony was seen showing his inked finger after casting his vote, symbolizing his participation in the electoral process. His competitors in the Pathanamthitta constituency include Thomas Isaac from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the incumbent MP Anto Antony from the Congress party. Earlier, BJP-led NDA candidate from Thrissur Suresh Gopi casts his vote in Thrissur, Kerala in the second phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 on Friday. After casting his vote, Gopi spoke about the significance of this election and the participation of the people in Kerala. You will see the people's hearts. The nation will see the participation of Kerala in the national development movement, says Suresh Gopi, NDA candidate from Thrissur, after casting his vote. So the heart will bloom and Thrissur and such other constituencies in the states, Gopi said. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the UDF won 19 of the 20 seats, and the remaining 1 seat went to LDF. All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will go to the polls today. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)

Will block unholy alliance between BJP & CPM: Congress' K Muraleedharan

Will block unholy alliance between BJP & CPM: Congress' K Muraleedharan Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency candidate K Muraleedharan on Friday cast his vote at Jawahar Nagar LP School in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and said that the Congress will block unholy alliance between BJP & CPM in the state. While speaking to the reporters, K Muraleedharan said that the party will win all the seats in the state. We are going to win all 20 seats in Kerala. Unfortunately, there is a deal between CPM and BJP in Kerala. The news has come out that EP Jayarajan (LDF convener) met BJP leader Prakash Javadekar. Their link is clear. We will win but we will block an unholy alliance between BJP & CPM in Kerala. 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. Congress has fielded K Muraleedharan, son of 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. All 20 seats will vote in the second phase in Kerala. These include Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, and Thiruvananthapuram. The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies across 13 States/Union Territory including 13 in Rajasthan, 20 in Kerala, 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 & Kashmir According to the ECI, over 15.88 crore voters will be voting in the second phase which includes 8.08 crore male electors, 7.8 crore female electors, and 5929 third-gender electors. A total of 4553 flying squads, 5731 static surveillance teams, 1462 video surveillance teams and 844 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock to strictly and swiftly deal with any form of inducement of voters across the 1.67 lakh polling stations, as per the ECI press note. (ANI)

After phase one, PM is panicking: KC Venugopal after casting vote in Alappuzha

Alappuzha: Congress candidate KC Venugopal cast his vote today at a polling booth in the Alappuzha constituency in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Venugopal is in the electoral fray against Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate AM Ariff and Bharatiya Janata Party's Sobha Surendran from the Alappuzha seat in Kerala After casting his vote, Venugopal told ANI, I am confident that the people of Alleppey will stand with me. After phase one of the Lok Sabha elections, the PM is panicking. I thank the PM for bringing the Congress manifesto into the public domain in a big way. Our manifesto is for the people whereas BJP's is for Adani and Ambani. In Kerala, UDF will sweep all 20 seats. The way BJP and CPM attacked Rahul Gandhi, the people of Wayanad will show that they are with him. The land of backwaters, with its history of swinging in favour of both the majors, Congress and the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), comprises seven assembly segments spread across Alappuzha and Kollam districts, namely, Aroor, Cherthala, Alappuzha, Ambalappuzha, Haripad, Kayamkulam and Karunagappally. Alappuzha is a stronghold of Congress, though this constituency has a communist legacy. Venugopal has a successful electoral history in Alappuzha, where he won the seat in the 2009 and 2014 general elections. Voting in all the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala is underway in the second phase. The results will be announced on June 4. Earlier, BJP-led NDA candidate from Thrissur Suresh Gopi cast his vote in Thrissur, Kerala in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election 2024 on Friday. After casting his vote, Gopi spoke about the significance of this election and the participation of the people in Kerala. You will see the people's hearts. The nation will see the participation of Kerala in the national development movement, sai Suresh Gopi, NDA candidate from Thrissur, after casting his vote. So the heart will bloom and Thrissur and such other constituencies in the states, Gopi said.

Kerala LS poll campaign recap: Josh, jostle & jolts

LDF CPM, CPI, Kerala Congress (M), JDS (T), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), RJD, Indian National League, Congress (S), Janadhipathya Kerala Congress, Kerala Congress (Skaria Thomas) Highlights The Left campaigns primary focus was on the Citizenship Amendment Act, using it as a plank to cash in on anti-BJP sentiments. The Left banked heavily on anti-incumbency against the Centre and sitting UDF MPs. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan remained the star campaigner throughout, travelling across the state to address conventions. National leaders such as CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo members Prakash Karat and Brinda Karat, and CPI general secretary D Raja campaigned in Kerala. In Vadakara, the Left engaged in a whisper campaign that if UDF candidate Shafi. Paramabil wins, the bypoll to his Palakkad assembly seat would BJP. CPM went all out to woo Muslim minority voters, posturing as the real champion of the communitys causes. The party also took efforts to retain its traditional Hindu vote base, and sought to make inroads into Christian belts. Through consistent campaigning, the Left attempted to create an anti-Centre narrative in the state. In what was viewed as a shrewd strategy to sideline the BJP, the chief minister unleashed a barrage of attacks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The CPMs strong organisational structure appeared to be the Lefts biggest strength. Controversies In Vadakara, LDF candidate K K Shailaja alleged wide circulation of her fake videos, photos and morphed images. The social media campaign against her created quite a stir across the state, and also led to legal a tussle between Shailaja and UDF candidate Shafi Parambil. Left MLA P V Anwar stirred a hornets nest after he termed Rahul Gandhi a fourth-class citizen who should undergo a DNA test to confirm whether he indeed hailed from the Nehru-Gandhi clan. The scenario worsened after CM Pinarayi Vijayan backed Anwar, saying Rahul was not beyond criticism Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a campaign event in Kozhikode UDF Congress, IUML, RSP, Kerala Congress (Jospeh), Kerala Congress (Jacob), Kerala democratic Party, CMP, RMP, AIFB, JSS, National Janata Dal Highlights Managed to draw massive participation of people during the campaign in most of the constituencies. Key agendas included highlighting denial of welfare pensions in the state, failures of Central and state governments, unemployment, man-animal conflict Strategic moves included surprise candidature of Shafi Parambil in Vadakara and K Muraleedharan in Thrissur, and rejecting the support extended by SDPI. The UDFs talking points included scam allegations against Chief Minsiter Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter, death of Sidharthan J S, student of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Wayanad, the Panur bomb blast involving DYFI workers. It also raised issues such as double voters in Alappuzha, Attingal and Palakkad constituencies, and bogus voting in Kannur and Kasargod. Alleged a nexus between the BJP and CPM in the Thrissur Pooram mess-up. Star campaigners included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, Telangana C M Revanth Reddy, and top leaders such Priyanka Gandhi and Sachin Pilot Controversies Decision to avoid using flags of the Congress and its ally IUML for campaigns in Wayand, fearing a backlash in north India against the Leagues green flag Cyber attack against Vadakara LDF candidate K K Shailaja Thiruvananthapuram candidate Shashi Tharoor was booked by the cyber police on a BJP complaint accusing him of spreading baseless allegations against NDA candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The latter had earlier served a legal notice, accusing Tharoor of defamation Prime Minister Narendra Modi with NDA candidate C Krishnakumar in Palakkad NDA BJP, BDJS, Shiv Sena, JRS (CK Janu), NCP (Ajit Pawar) Kerala Congress Democratic, National Progressive Party, Nationalist Kerala Congress, LJP, Kerala Kamraj Congress Highlights The BJP-led NDA heavily banked on Modis Guarantee throughout its campaign Highlighting strong governance, welfare schemes and development initiatives of the Modi government Strong stand against terrorism Wooed voters dangling the prospect of candidates becoming Union ministers if elected Accused INDIA bloc allies CPM and Congress of fighting in Kerala and hugging in Delhi Sustained attack on the scam allegations against the state government Consolidation of Hindu-Christian votes was one of the key agendas. Highlighted SDPI support to UDF, and PDPs support to LDF Gained backing from the SNDP, Sivagiri Mutt, and some churches in some regions Some of its strategic/surprise moves included fielding state president K Surendran against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad, pitting Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram, offering Pathanamthitta seat to Congress veteran A K Antonys son Anil Antony, and inducting former chief minister K Karunakarans daughter Padmaja Venugopal Star campaigners included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, BJP national president J P Nadda, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma and BJP Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai Controversies Political wheeler-dealer T G Nandakukar accused Pathanamthitta BJP candidate Anil Antony of having taken bribes in the past Wayanad candidate K Surendran stirred a debate as he said Sulthan Bathery should revert to its old name, Ganapathi Vattom

Kerala: BJP-Led NDA candidate Suresh Gopi casts vote in Thrissur

The News Mill

Confidence soars, hope floats in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a high-voltage campaign, the Lok Sabha elections are finally here. As Kerala goes to the polls in a single phase on Friday, all three fronts are optimistic about improving on their performances in the last election. With three different kinds of anti-incumbency factors in play against the Union government, state government and against sitting MPs in a majority of the constituencies the fronts have enough reasons to hope for a favourable verdict. In an election where the Left is primarily banking on the sentiments against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the sway of Muslim votes and the consolidation of community votes would prove the most crucial factor. However, the biggest takeaway from this Lok Sabha polls would be a major shift in the character of Kerala politics. This could well be the first election where the bi-polar politics of Kerala has transformed into a real tri-polar fight, with BJP candidates vying for top slots, that too for all the right reasons, in at least five constituencies where the party hopes to either win or finish second or even sabotage the probable winner. This election being crucial for all three fronts, the Congress-led UDF hopes to repeat its 19/20 performance of 2019 while LDF, going by internal assessments, is confident of substantially improving its tally, whereas the BJP hopes to make it big in at least two constituencies. Having claimed a Left wave across the state right from the beginning, the LDF has gradually settled into a more realistic expectation. Both CPM and CPI leaderships claim a pro-Left trend in all 20 constituencies and is confident of overcoming the anti-incumbency factor. The CPM is looking forward to victories in a minimum of four to five seats. The party calculates Attingal, where V Joy takes on Congresss Adoor Prakash and BJPs V Muraleedharan, as one of the most probable seats. We have a clear edge in Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Mavelikkara and Attingal. In Vadakara, there were certain issues, but now theres good support from women voters. In the final round, we hope to come up trumps in Kannur, Chalakudy, Kollam and Pathanamthitta too, said a senior CPM leader. Compared to 2019, when the Left faced negative votes from the Hindu community over Sabarimala and a Muslim consolidation over the Rahul Gandhi factor, this time around, theres only the anti-incumbency factor against the state government. The LDF however claims that it has overcome anti-incumbency and is banking heavily on an anti-BJP sentiment to gain ground. Noticeably, many feel the Lefts allegation of a Congress-League-BJP nexus is more on the lines of an anticipatory bail, in case things dont turn out as planned. Meanwhile, UDF has managed to make a mark in the final phase of campaigning. The front claims to have a favourable situation in all 20 seats. Secretly, though, they admit certain regional factors could throw a spanner in the works. In Attingal and Palakkad, there are certain issues with both the candidates and with campaigning. Similarly, the Twenty20 factor, in addition to the Jacobite and Orthodox support to the Left, could prove costly for the candidate in Chalakudy, pointed out a Congress leader. The Congress is sure that, unless there are last-minute undercurrents, the Muslim votes will remain with UDF. In Thiruvananthapuram, where BJP finished second in 2014 and 2019, Rajeev Chandrasekhar is clearly a strong challenger. Both UDFs Shashi Tharoor and LDFs Pannian Raveendran have stated that the BJP would be the main opponent, thus acknowledging its crucial role. Similarly in Thrissur, where Suresh Gopi takes on CPIs ex-minister V S Sunil Kumar and Congresss K Muraleedharan, there are reasons to believe that BJP could occupy at least the second slot, if not the first. Similarly, in Attingal, Palakkad and Pathanamthitta, besides Kottayam where BDJS leader Thushar Vellapally is contesting, the votes polled by NDA candidates will be a decisive factor. With the three fronts having left no stone unturned to prevent a leakage of votes, the polling day is when the undercurrents, vote-trading, and final strategies would find manifestation. Poll planks Citizenship Amendment Act was a major poll plank for the Left Two anti-incumbency factors anti-Modi and anti-Pinarayi would prove crucial In some constituencies, theres anti-incumbency against sitting MPs too Both the LDF and the UDF hope to woo Muslim minorities, as sway of Muslim votes will be the deciding factor The BJP hopes to make it big in at least two constituencies Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur while also nurturing hopes in at least five seats PM Narendra Modi addressed voters in close to 10 constituencies in a high-profile campaign The LS campaign began as a fight between LDF and UDF over CAA. Towards the fag end, there was a verbal duel between Rahul Gandhi and Pinarayi Vijayan The fake video allegation in Vadakara led to a legal fight between CPMs K K Shailaja and Congresss Shafi Parambil In Thiruvanamthapuram, UDFs Shashi Tharoor and NDAs Rajeev Chandrasekhar were locked in a legal fight over alleged remarks This could well be the first election where the bi-polar politics of Kerala has transformed into a real tri-polar fight, with BJP candidates vying for top slots

Kerala: Candidates tweaked schedule to beat the heat in exhausting poll campaign

KOCHI: With heatwave-like conditions prevailing in the state, the month-long election campaign turned out to be a gruelling task for candidates. Campaigning in open vehicles was exhausting with candidates being exposed to the sun and a hot wind. Most candidates scheduled their campaigns in open vehicles during the morning and evening hours and focused on visits to institutions and houses in the afternoon. With heat and humidity causing health issues, to avoid dehydration, the candidates preferred light and vegetarian food, drinking plenty of water. The southern districts have received isolated showers, which helped bring down the temperature. But the situation in north Kerala, especially Palakkad, Malappuram and Kannur, remains tough, said Cusat Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research director S Abhilash. Campaigning in an open jeep was a tough task as hot air was blowing on our faces for hours together, the open-jeep campaigning extended from early morning to 3pm, for the past three weeks. The extreme heat caused rashes because of which I couldnt sleep properly at night, said Alathur LDF candidate K Radhakrishnan. Campaigning was strenuous in Palakkad where the mercury has been hovering above 41 degrees Celsius for the past couple of weeks. The green canopy in the villages provided much relief, said LDF candidate A Vijayaraghavan. We rested under banyan trees and held small corner meetings, said UDFs V K Sreekandan. As a Palakkad native, the hot climate has not been a challenge. For the past 28 days, I have been travelling in an open jeep throughout the day, he added. It has been exhausting, but I didnt have any health issue, said BJP candidate C Krishnakumar. I consumed plenty of butter milk and curd to keep the body cool. UDF candidate for Thrissur, K Muraleedharan too said the campaign was tiring. It has been energy-sapping. The diet has been normal, but I drank a lot of water, he said. The candidates fear the hot conditions may force some voters to stay indoors, leading to a drop in polling percentage.

Voter alert: IMD issues heatwave warning in Kerala, advises caution

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The sweltering heat will be a cause for concern for voters across Kerala who will exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections on Friday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alerts and heatwave warnings in 12 districts on polling day. The IMD has said the temperatures are expected to be 2 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal in the state. As of last week, around 437 heat-related ailments have been reported in the state since the advent of summer. There have been one confirmed and two suspected heat-related deaths. IMD has predicted the likelihood of a heatwave in one or two places in Palakkad on Friday, making the democratic exercise challenging for party workers, voters and officials alike. Meanwhile, the Election Commission has made elaborate arrangements at booths in view of the hot and humid weather. Voting will be held in 25,231 booths across Kerala. Drinking water, areas having shade and separate queues for the elderly and the differently-abled are among the ECs arrangements made at booths to ensure voters comfort. All arrangements are in place. There will be separate queues for the elderly to reduce their waiting time. We have sensitised district collectors, and first aid, including ORS packets, will be made available at polling stations vulnerable to extreme heat, Sanjay Kaul, Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala, told TNIE . Mothers coming to the booths with children will be able to use creche facilities at the polling stations, he said. Maximum temperature in Palakkad is likely to hover around 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, making it the hottest district in the state. Maximum temperatures will be 39 degrees Celsius, the second highest, in Kollam and Thrissur districts. Maximum temperatures will be 38 degrees Celsius in Kannur and Kozhikode districts and 36 degrees Celsius in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts. Southern districts are expected to receive thunderstorms in the evening. We have advised authorities to keep community health centres and primary health centres on alert to deal with heat-related incidents, said an official with the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority. Be smart, be safe Avoid prolonged heat exposure Wear light-weight, light-coloured, loose, cotton clothes Cover your head with a cloth or hat or use an umbrella outdoors Drink sufficient water even if not thirsty to prevent dehydration Avoid direct sunlight from 11am to 3pm

Kerala: A peek into war rooms on D-Day eve

INDIRA BHAVAN On the eve of the state going to polls, Indira Bhavan, the Congress state headquarters, was abuzz with activities. Quite a contrast when compared with the 2021 assembly election days, when the party office wore a desolate look. Congress state in-charge M M Hassan was at his office right from Thursday morning, often going into a huddle with senior party leaders. There was a steady stream of leaders entering and exiting the building. Also, the war room set up at the first floor of Indira Bhavan saw executives busy on calls with leaders from all the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The youngsters were monitored by senior Congress leader Manacaud Suresh. Congress state in-charge M M Hassan with other leaders at Indira Bhavan Hassan told TNIE that the UDF had taken stringent steps to prevent undercurrents and bogus voting. In three to four Lok Sabha seats, we are expecting tough contests, he said. Congress leader Pandalam Sudhakaran told TNIE that majority of the local leaders calling him from other constituencies were eager to know the trend in Thiruvananthapuram. The trend is very much visible; there is heavy anti-incumbency sentiment against the chief minister and LDF government, he added. A floor above the war room, members of the media committee, social media cell and administration were immersed in hectic work. AKG Centre The state headquarters of the CPM appeared deserted on Thursday. The reading room, usually a vibrant space, was vacant. The TV set was switched off. All the leaders are out campaigning, said an AKG Centre staff member. Several senior district leaders, who usually frequent the centre, have been absent since the election was announced. All have been busy with the tasks assigned to them. The accommodation rooms for state-level leaders, too, are vacant. You will get to see the usual faces here only from Saturday, the staffer said. On Thursday, many district leaders were in Attingal constituency. Education Minister V Sivankutty, who is in charge of the district, also did not turn up at the centre. He was busy with the silent campaigning for Thiruvananthapuram LDF candidate Pannian Raveendran. Mararji Bhavan The atmosphere at the BJP state office in Thiruvananthapuram was tranquil on the eve of election day, a departure from the bustling campaign days when the building buzzed with activity. Only a handful of workers lingered around in the grand lobby of the new building. Many had after a morning ceremony marking the 29th death anniversary of K G Marar, a foundational figure in the state unit. Former BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan at Mararji Bhavan The basement, which had been transformed into a war room, also looked deserted. There were more pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, national president JP Nadda and candidates than the number of party workers. Today, you will not see any crowd here. We have deployed all our local leaders and workers to bolster the silent campaig, said BJP state secretary J R Padmakumar, who was overseeing final preparations. We want to ensure maximum participation of workers to increase the voting percentage above 80. The weather can play spoilsport. We, however, are in a winning mode. Padmakumar added that field workers were also tasked with monitoring instances of double voting. We will be vigilant and lodge complaints when necessary, he said. National executive member P K Krishnadas and former state president Kummanam Rajasekharan were also present in the basement, engaging in discussions with party members. Prakash Javadekar, BJPs Kerala prabhari (in-charge), had left earlier in compliance with the model code of conduct. Padmakumar revealed that 37 internal departments operated in the basement. This included call centres, cells for manifesto drafting, statistical analysis units. The party also had a legal team on standby to lodge complaints on model code violations. Two complaints were filed on Thursday, one in Thiruvananthapuram and another in Thrissur.

Sun, style and strategy: Sartorial choices of Lok Sabha candidates in Kerala on fleek

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the mercury climbs, so does the style quotient on the campaign trail. From seasoned veterans to fresh faces, candidates are shaking up their wardrobe and hair care routines to beat the blazing sun and win over voters. Some candidates stick to their signature style no matter the weather. Take the Vadakara LDF candidate K K Shailaja, whose crisp cotton sarees and infectious smile can cool down the hottest of days. When you imagine a politician in Kerala, the first image that comes to mind would be someone wearing a stiff white cotton shirt and the evergreen mundu. Though times have changed, some remain the same when it comes to the campaign trail. The majority of them are UDF candidates. They include UDF Kasaragod candidate Rajmohan Unnithan, Kannur candidate K Sudhakaran, Kozhikode candidate M K Raghavan, Thrissur candidate K Muraleedharan, Alappuzha candidate K C Venugopal and Mavelikkara candidate Kodikkunnil Suresh. LDF's Panniyan Raveendran is not to be ignored in his all time simple attire and long hair. To an extent, this saves them the trouble of choosing what to wear. Whether it is an election or not, white cotton shirts are what I choose any day, said K C Venugopal. 'No one wants to stay here anymore': The unflattering Kerala story Bonacaud Junction has to tell Another group of candidates are the kurtawalas. Elections have made them choose cotton kurtas over anything else. Thiruvananthapuram UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor, NDA candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Pathanamthitta LDF candidate Thomas Isaac come under this category. Kollam NDA candidate K Krishnakumar wears cotton kurtas all day for campaigns. I wear cotton kurtas from Fabindia and try to have a change twice a day but it doesn't usually happen. Also in politics, changing more times can sometimes do more bad than good. However, if I get to change also, I immediately sweat. It's the heat of the campaign, that's fine, he said. Shafi Parambil, the Vadakara UDF candidate, can be seen in all kinds of clothes. One day he pulls off the chic young candidate in shirts and jeans, the next day he will be in white cotton shirts and mundu. Never does he miss wearing snazzy printed shirts and jeans and spreading his vibrancy into youth groups. From plain to printed, Alappuzha LDF candidate A M Arif is spiffy in linen shirts for campaigns. To escape the heat, the best is wearing linen shirts and mundu. I wear only linen for campaigns, said Arif. This candidate in the high-profile Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat has no house and lives in the party office NDA candidates Niveditha Subramaniam of Ponnani and Sobha Surendran of Alappuzha are saree folks. Cotton saree is a saviour in this weather, I avoid all other materials and try to change twice a day usually it doesn't happen but when I do, it's truly a refreshment and gives energy for the second half of the day, said Niveditha Subramaniam. Ernakulam LDF candidate K J Shine is usually seen in cotton sarees or set mundu but prefers salwar kameez for campaigns. During the first phase, I used to try and wear saree or set mundu but gradually I prefer salwar kameez to other clothing, said Shine. Battling hair loss amid the grueling campaign schedule, candidates like Krishnakumar and Niveditha Subramaniam prioritize haircare, finding time for weekly oiling sessions. Heavy hair loss is a factor while campaigning in this weather, you look haggard after campaigning but I try to oil my hair weekly, said Niveditha Subramaniam. Anna Linda keeps it real, admitting that election season leaves little time for hair and skincare routines. There is no time to take care of the hair and skin during election time, so he leaves it that way, she said about Hibi Eden's routine. The sartorial choices of candidates in this weather have been on fleek. From cotton classics to chic prints, they have made every effort to shine bright under the scorching sun.

This candidate in the high-profile Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat has no house and lives in the party office

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: S Mini, the candidate fielded by the Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, is a politician from top to toe. In fact, she does not own a home and has been living in the party office for nearly three decades. Like most of her colleagues in the party, Mini, the lone woman in the fray in the high-profile segment, believes that the value of life comes from within and is not determined by material possessions or social status. She lives at the party's state committee office in the Kerala capital, along with her husband and party leader Shajar Khan. The couple's only son Alan M.S. is a degree student at Tirur in Malappuram. Mini joined the party at the age of 22, when she was doing a pharmacy course at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram. The firebrand leader of SUCI(C) says she joined the party against the wishes of her parents and siblings. There was stiff opposition from them and I was forced to quit home during my college days. Initially, I lived at a hostel and later moved to the party office. It was a wise decision for someone who wanted to become a full-time party worker, she says. Wayanad Election Notes: The solitude of Kerala's most famous tribal activist Vilappilsala protest During her political career spanning three decades, Mini was involved in numerous people's movements, small and big, in different parts of the state. The longest and toughest one perhaps was the people's protest against a polluting waste plant at Vilappilsala in the Kerala capital, says the 49-year-old. The strike which began as a relay satyagraha ended in a full-blown protest two years later. Somehow, we managed to overcome the numerous sabotage attempts by the government, city corporation and the police. I dedicate the victory to the mighty women in Vilappilsala, she says. What began as occasional outbursts took the form of an organised protest with the intervention of the SUCI(C). As the party's designated leader to Vilappilsala, Mini's initial assignment was to organise the local women. We formed committees for every fifty households and important decisions were taken by an apex committee. Party did not impose its decisions but equipped people to claim their rights, she said. The people's protest met with success when the government decided to shut the plant. At the peak of the strike, Mini was detained by the police for one full day. Years later, she was jailed by the police for accompanying Mahija, the mother of engineering student Jishnu Pranoy, to the DGP's office. Jishnu was found dead at the hostel of Nehru Engineering College in Thrissur and Mahija was proceeding to the DGP's office to protest against the delay in arresting those who allegedly pushed Jishnu into suicide. Mini was arrested by the police on conspiracy charges. She was jailed and released after eight days of judicial remand. The police are yet to file a charge-sheet in the court. Lush greenery, stark misery: Election vignettes from Kerala's Achankovil forest Nurses' rights The Indian Nurses Parents Association which works for nurses' rights was established under Mini's leadership. The idea of an organisation of parents was to help nurses who couldn't come out in the open against their employers. Mini travelled extensively in the country to resolve the issues faced by nurses and nursing students. One incident she vividly recalls is the visit to a private medical college at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. The college had not returned the certificates of about 50 students, mostly Keralites, who refused to execute an illegal bond for a no-pay job after studies. The management did not change their stand in the deliberations with the INPA. Finally, Mini, with the help of a local SUCI leader, approached the district collector. She convinced him about the Supreme Court order banning the bond system at educational institutions. The collector then issued an order asking the management to return the certificates. Though the mission was successful, Mini says the collector was transferred within a few days, allegedly owing to the pressure from the college management which had considerable political clout. The manager later became the education minister in that state, she says. SUCI(C) contesting eight seats The party has fielded candidates in eight seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Mini is the candidate in the Thiruvananthapuram seat. The other constituencies are Kollam, Mavelikkara, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Chalakudy and Kozhikode. Campaigning is in full swing and the party has good visibility in all the places. The party's first unit in Kerala was formed by a group of students of the TKM College of Engineering, Kollam. It stepped into electoral politics by fielding Kochucherukkan in the Eravipuram seat for the 1970 Assembly election. The party's first Lok Sabha candidate James Joseph who contested from the Kollam seat garnered over 8000 votes. Founded in 1948, the SUCI(C) had a presence in the assemblies of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Odisha at different times. Its lone MP was in the 15th Lok Sabha -- Tharun Mandal who was elected from West Bengal. Today, the Kerala unit of SUCI(C) has about 1200 full-time cadres and a few thousands of members.The party intervened in numerous public issues and equipped people to fight for their rights. It took the lead to unite people and organisations to fight for people's rights on issues ranging from the mineral sand mining at Thrikkunnapuzha to the anti-K-Rail protest. The party played a significant role in the people's movements at Chengara, Vilappilsala and Moolampilly.

US-UK vlogger couple allege sexual harassment during Thrissur Pooram

Indian nationals aboard 'MSC Aries' in good health, return delayed due to technicalities: MEA

Indian nationals aboard 'MSC Aries' in good health, return delayed due to technicalities: MEA Nearly two weeks after an Israel-linked container vessel was seized by Iran's military, India on Thursday said there are certain ''technicalities involved'' in the return of the remaining 16 Indian crew members is concerned. Ann Tessa Joseph, the sole woman cadet among the 17 Indian crew members of the vessel ''MSC Aries'' that was seized on April 13, was released on April 18 following ''concerted efforts'' by the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government. In response to a question during his weekly media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the 16 Indians are in ''good'' health. The Indian mission was given consular access to the Indians by Iranian authorities. There are 16 Indians onboard MSC Aries now as one woman has come back, Jaiswal said. ''These 16 people, we had asked consular access for, which we got. Our officers went there and met. They are in constant touch with their families. Their health is good. And they have no problems of any kind onboard the ship,'' he said. ''As far as their return is concerned, there are certain technicalities involved, there are some contractual obligations, once that is done, it will depend on that when will they return,'' he added. Joseph, who hails from Thrissur in Kerala, landed at the Cochin international airport on April 18 afternoon. The 17 Indians were part of the 25-member crew of the ship. India has been in touch with Iran to secure the release of the Indians onboard container ship. West Asia is reeling under tensions in view of hostilities between Iran and Israel. Iran recently launched its first direct attack on Israel by firing hundreds of drones and missiles in response to a suspected Israeli strike on its consulate in Damascus on April 1. In its reaction, India has called for immediate de-escalation of the situation.

All arrangements completed for Lok Sabha polls in Kerala on Friday

Thiruvananthapuram : All preparations have been made for the smooth conduct of the polls in Kerala on Friday.Voting for all the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections will begin today at 7 am. Polling will continue till 6 pm. There are 2,77,49,159 voters in the state this time. Of these, 1,43,33,499 are women.Of the total voters, 5,34,394 are first-time voters in the age group of 18-19 years. There are also 2,64,232 differently-abled voters and 367 transgender voters in the state. The Chief Electoral Officer appealed to all voters, irrespective of age and gender, to exercise their right to vote and participate in the festival of democracy.A total of 194 candidates are in the fray in 20 constituencies in the state. All arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling at the polling booths and to ensure that the voting machines are safely transported to strong rooms after the polling. A total of 1,01,176 polling personnel have been deployed for the polling process at 25,231 booths set up at 13,272 centres in the state. The polling process will be controlled by four officials, including the presiding officer, at a booth. There are 437 booths controlled only by women, 31 booths controlled by youth below 30 years of age and six booths controlled by differently-abled employees in the state. There are also 316 ethnic polling booths and 131 theme-based booths. Ramps and wheelchairs have been set up at the booths for differently-abled voters. Voting machines in Braille script have also been provided for the visually impaired.There will be a special queue facility at the booths for differently-abled voters and senior citizens. In addition, a sign language facility and travel facility for differently-abled voters have also been arranged. A total of 30,238 electronic voting machines (EVMs) are being used in the state in the Lok Sabha elections this year. In case of operational failure of any machines, the reserve machines will be delivered through the respective sector officers instead. The voting machines have been brought to the polling booths after completing the preliminary testing, three phases of randomization and mock polling. The polling will begin at 6 am on Friday after a mock poll is conducted again in the presence of representatives of political parties at the polling booths to ensure the safety of the machines. As many as 66,303 security personnel have been deployed at polling booths, distribution centres and strong rooms to ensure a smooth voting process. The Rapid Action Force has also been deployed at all police stations for security. Special security measures have also been taken in Maoist-affected areas involving central forces to ensure that voters cast their votes fearlessly. To ensure free and transparent polling, the Chief Electoral Officer said that a webcasting system has been put in place for real-time monitoring in all booths in eight districts of the state and 75 percent of booths in the remaining six districts. The real-time monitoring system has been implemented in all booths in Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram districts. Cameras have also been installed outside the booths to control crowding at polling stations with multiple booths. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the webcasting facility has been introduced to ensure a transparent election by preventing booth capturing, money distribution and bogus voting. Webcasting has also been arranged in the affected booths. In the office of the Chief Electoral Officer and the control rooms set up under the ROs of 20 Lok Sabha constituencies, A similar monitoring system has been set up in strong rooms and counting centres.

Note for vote allegation against BJP in Thrissur

It was alleged that the BJP distributed 500 among voters of Sivaramapuram colony, Olari

BJP has added bogus names in voters list: Congress

Around 28,000 fake names added to the list in Thrissur, says Congress leaders

Thrissur NDA candidate Suresh Gopi visits religious and community leaders ahead of LS Polls

KOTTAYAM: As the campaigning for the 18th Lok Sabha elections came to a close on Wednesday, Suresh Gopi, the NDA candidate for the Thrissur constituency On Thursday embarked on a day of visits to various religious and community leaders across thestate. His day began with a visit to the St. George Forane Church in Aruvithura near Pala, where he offered prayers. He then met with Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, the bishop of the Pala diocese of the Syro-Malabar Church, at the bishop's residence. Following this, Gopi engaged in a discussion with Kanjirappally bishop Mar Jose Pulickal and later met with G Sukumaran Nair, general secretary of the Nair Service Society, at the NSS headquarters in Changanassery. In the afternoon, Gopi met with Vellappally Natesan, general secretary of the SNDP Yogam, in Kalichukulangara. Gopi stated that these visits were personal and intended to seek blessings from the religious and community leaders. He emphasized to reporters that his interactions were purely private and not politically motivated. However, the timing of these visits, just before the Lok Sabha elections on Friday, raises questions about their potential political implications.

LS polls Phase 2: Rahul, Tharoor in fray; Hema Malini, Om Birla seek hat-trick of wins

New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls with BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies.Staggered over seven stages, the first phase of the elections held last Friday for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories saw a voter turnout of around 65.5 per cent. In the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday, polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi is the sitting MP from Wayanad in Kerala and is seeking re-election. He is pitted against CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran. In the 2019 election, Gandhi secured victory by a substantial margin of more than 7 lakh votes against his closest rival, CPI's P P Suneer. Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor is hoping to retain the Thiruvananthapuram seat for the fourth time. He is pitted against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the BJP and CPI's Pannyan Raveendran. Malini, who has represented the Mathura constituency since 2014, is contesting against Congress' Mukesh Dhangar while Om Birla, a two-time MP from Kota, is facing Prahlad Gunjal from the Congress party. Union minister Shekhawat is eyeing a third win from the Jodhpur seat while Congress candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda would look to put a spanner in the works of the BJP candidate. Tejasvi Surya, the sitting MP for Bangalore South and the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), will face Congress' Sowmya Reddy. Former chief minister of Chhattisgarh and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon, a stronghold of the BJP for over 30 years. Baghel is pitted against BJP's Santosh Pandey, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections succeeding Abhishek Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Raman Singh, also from the BJP. Replacing three-time MP Rajendra Agarwal, who has been holding the Meerut seat since 2004, Arun Govil, famous for portraying Lord Ram's character in Ramayan TV series, is making his electoral debut against BSP's Devvrat Kumar Tyagi and SP's Sunita Verma. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Virendra Kumar Khatik is eyeing a fourth win from Tikamgarh. The Congress has fielded a new face, Pankaj Ahirwar, from the constituency. In 2019, Khatik defeated Congress' Kiran Ahirwar by a margin of over 3.48 lakh votes. The contest for the Alappuzha seat in Kerala has turned into a prestige battle for the Congress with All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal's return to the Lok Sabha poll fray after 2014 as the party looks to wrest the only seat it lost to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in its landslide 19-1 victory in Kerala in the 2019 polls. Venugopal has not lost any major election in his career. He won the Alappuzha Assembly seat thrice in a row in 1996, 2001, and 2006 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Alappuzha in 2009 and 2014. In 2019, he did not contest after the party elevated him to the post of the AICC general secretary. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi is also in the fray from Thrissur against K Muraleedharan of Congress and VS Sunil Kumar of CPI(M). Sukanta Majumdar, incumbent BJP MP from Balurghat in West Bengal is seeking re-election. He is pitted against Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Party.

LS polls Phase 2: Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor in fray; Hema Malini, Om Birla seek hat-trick of wins

NEW DELHI: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor, and actor-turned-politician Arun Govil are among the key candidates in the fray for the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls with BJP's Hema Malini, Om Birla and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat seeking a hat-trick of wins from their respective constituencies. Staggered over seven stages, the first phase of the elections held last Friday for 102 seats across 21 states and Union territories saw a voter turnout of around 65.5 per cent. In the second phase of Lok Sabha polls on Friday, polling is scheduled in all 20 seats of Kerala, 14 of the 28 seats in Karnataka, 13 seats in Rajasthan, eight seats each in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, seven in Madhya Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, three seats each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one seat each in Manipur, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir. Gandhi is the sitting MP from Wayanad in Kerala and is seeking re-election. He is pitted against CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's K Surendran. Wayanad: Left, BJP hopes to prick Rahuls balloon In the 2019 election, Gandhi secured victory by a substantial margin of more than 7 lakh votes against his closest rival, CPI's P P Suneer. Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor is hoping to retain the Thiruvananthapuram seat for the fourth time. He is pitted against Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar from the BJP and CPI's Pannyan Raveendran. Malini, who has represented the Mathura constituency since 2014, is contesting against Congress' Mukesh Dhangar while Om Birla, a two-time MP from Kota, is facing Prahlad Gunjal from the Congress party. Union minister Shekhawat is eyeing a third win from the Jodhpur seat while Congress candidate Karan Singh Uchiyarda would look to put a spanner in the works of the BJP candidate. Tejasvi Surya, the sitting MP for Bangalore South and the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), will face Congress' Sowmya Reddy. Former chief minister of Chhattisgarh and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel is contesting from Rajnandgaon, a stronghold of the BJP for over 30 years. Baghel is pitted against BJP's Santosh Pandey, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections succeeding Abhishek Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Raman Singh, also from the BJP. Replacing three-time MP Rajendra Agarwal, who has been holding the Meerut seat since 2004, Arun Govil, famous for portraying Lord Ram's character in Ramayan TV series, is making his electoral debut against BSP's Devvrat Kumar Tyagi and SP's Sunita Verma. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Virendra Kumar Khatik is eyeing a fourth win from Tikamgarh. The Congress has fielded a new face, Pankaj Ahirwar, from the constituency. In 2019, Khatik defeated Congress' Kiran Ahirwar by a margin of over 3.48 lakh votes. The contest for the Alappuzha seat in Kerala has turned into a prestige battle for the Congress with All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal's return to the Lok Sabha poll fray after 2014 as the party looks to wrest the only seat it lost to the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) in its landslide 19-1 victory in Kerala in the 2019 polls. Venugopal has not lost any major election in his career. He won the Alappuzha Assembly seat thrice in a row in 1996, 2001, and 2006 and was elected to the Lok Sabha from Alappuzha in 2009 and 2014. In 2019, he did not contest after the party elevated him to the post of the AICC general secretary. Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi is also in the fray from Thrissur against K Muraleedharan of Congress and VS Sunil Kumar of CPI(M). Sukanta Majumdar, incumbent BJP MP from Balurghat in West Bengal is seeking re-election. He is pitted against Biplab Mitra of the Trinamool Congress and Joydeb Siddhanta of the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Uttar Pradesh: RLD onboard, BJP looks for dominance

Right & Left: BJP goes all-out to promote Kerala as Modis Own Country

Politicians disapprove of surprises. Upending Keralas binary bliss is a charismatic ideological interloper who is queering the pitch with a saffron surprise. The voting formula remains unchanged, however: netting male and female votes with the former calling the shots. Now women voters have given the communists and the Congress something to worry about. This time, across castes, classes and communities, the majority of them will be voting with a mind of their own. The BJP attributes this change to Modis stature as a pro-woman prime minister who has launched myriad schemes for them. There is also campaign chemistry. Modis road show through Palghat was massive; women were in overwhelming presence in the crowds. It was mass hysteria, recalls Krishnakumar, the BJP candidate from Palakkad. Women broke into tears upon seeing the prime minister like they do in temples. Even a large number of Muslim women favour the PM. Many of them are openly campaigning for BJP, even wearing hijabs; in Thrissur they hard-sell Suresh Gopi as the PMs personal nominee. But doesnt BJP have a communal reputation? Not in Kerala, denies a young girl campaigner whose thattam (short head cover) causally covers her unruly hair. Here, he is for us, the women. Many Muslim women, especially young, dont wear hijab. If they must, they wind their dupattas around their head desultorily. Triple talaq is not a big deal, such instances are rare. But the UCC (Uniform Civil Code), which Muslim women expect, will be implemented is the lure of Modi. Muslims are mostly businessmen and the Sharia law in Kerala doesnt allow the inheritance to be passed on to the daughter after the head of the family dies. This is resented by some fathers too, who have inducted their girls into the family firm. Malappuram, a majority Muslim district specially created by Keralas first communist CM EMS Namboodiripad on sectarian lines, has changed its psychological demographics over the previous generation. The Gulf money has brought wealth and Malappuram women and girls sport trendy hairdos beneath their designer hijabs. The traditional polyester burqa is omnipresent but is mostly worn by women belonging to the poor Muslim class. But numerous Muslim households reject the conservative values the imams are ramming down the throats of their congregations. All this by no means suggests that Keralas Muslim women have suddenly cast off their veil. In north Kerala especially, where the RSS and Muslim families have kept bloody vendettas going for decades, there is a murdered father, brother or son in many homes. Elsewhere, the communal divide is between Muslims and a section of Christians. For decades Malayali women have been active stakeholders in the communist movement. Today they look prosperous at LDF campaign stops, resplendent in silk sarees and gold. At a road junction, one Marxist worker had a gold yantram (divine talisman around her neck). Make no mistake though: the BJP is promoting Kerala as Modis Own Country. Is womens vote bank splitting? The BJP vote share grew from 13% in 2011 to 15% to 18% now. The female ballot can get them within the 21% range to reach the critical point. Hindu women are the largest segment of Keralas women population and have significantly veered towards BJP from the other blocs. Hinduism has emerged from its secular chrysalis to become a matter of personal pride. Its morning in Palakkad and women dressed in traditional Mundus and veshtis are leaving with prasad and flowers. Keralas temples are old and protected by patriarchal trees, sticking to the traditional stone and wood architecture of the region; the earth paved with flagstones around the buildings. Till a few years ago, it seemed Dilli door ast was the BJP story as the ageing Bahadur Shah Zafar put it. For Keralites, the North was a faraway Jurassic land and Modi was a distant figure. In 2024, the BJPs liege lord has finally landed in Kerala, and has a metaphorical kitchen cabinet ready for him. It is the taste of Malayali Hindutva, a flavour that will change the syncretic reputation of the Malayali forever. And its a fast and furious moveable feast.

Congress' salvage bid, BJP's hard push & Left's vigil in Thrissur photo finish

Thrissur's electoral battle features K Muraleedharan, Suresh Gopi, and VS Sunil Kumar. The campaign involves strategic shifts, family ties, and Modi's influence. The outcome hinges on community voting patterns and recent local controversies.

All the three fronts confident in Thrissur

Campaigns converge at Swaraj Round;prohibition order declared in the district till 6 a.m. on April 27

On election eve, Delhi L-G Saxena meets Syro-Malabar Church head; requests audience with other church heads

KOCHI: As Kerala heads to the polls on Friday, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena arrived on a two-day visit to meet the heads of various Christian churches. The Lt Governor had requested an audience with the heads of the Syro Malabar Church, Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and others. Fr Antony Vadakekkara, public relations officer (PRO) of the Syro Malabar Church, said the Delhi Lt Governor met with Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil at Mount St Thomas at Kakkanad in Kochi. The meeting was not a political one. It was a courtesy call during which both of them discussed non-political topics, said Fr Vadakekkara. He pointed out that the church had already affirmed its stand. Syro Malabar Church does not go as per the wishes of any political party. We have our own choices and decisions. Just because Saxena came and met with us doesn't mean that we will support BJP, he added. Though Saxena sought a meeting with the Latin Catholic Church, sources said the church refused to grant an audience. Early this week, the Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) questioned the delay in lifting the freeze on the bank account of the Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese of the Latin Catholic Church. The Latin Archdiocese alleged that the central government freezed its bank account as a punitive step against their participation in the Vizhinjam protest. Similarly, the Devalokam, Kottayam-based Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church head Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews III did not meet Saxena as he was away in Kunnamkulam in Thrissur. Fr Mohan Joseph, PRO of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, said, No meeting happened between the Delhi Lt Governor and the Catholicos Baselios Marthoma Mathews III. The Catholicos is presently in Kunnamkulam and won't be back soon. The meeting with Catholicos Baselios Thomas I, the head of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church at Puthencruz in Ernakulam, also did not materialise since he was hospitalized. Kuriakose Mar Theophilose, chairman Media Commission of the church, said there has also been no meeting with the Malankara Metropolitan Joseph Mar Gregorious, the second in-charge of the Church. Recently, Mar Gregorious made the church's stand by clearly hinting at support for LDF. Prof K V Thomas, Kerala's special representative in Delhi, said the meeting of Delhi Lt Governor Saxena with the Church on the eve of the election is intimidation tactics. This is a threat to democracy, it's also a threat to the minority community, Prof Thomas said.

Thrissur Lok Sabha Elections 2024: All You Need to Know About Biggest Kerala Battle Amid Pooram Festivities Row

Thrissur will go to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on April 26, amid a heated political war of words over alleged police high-handedness in the Thrissur Pooram festivities

Will the 13th contest turn lucky for K Muraleedharan in Thrissur?

THRISSUR: Although Congress leader Rahul Gandhis campaign in Chavakkad, under the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, was cancelled, it was a busy day for UDF candidate K Muraleedharan in Thrissur. He began his day meeting workers at Kerala Agriculture University in Mannuthy early in the morning. Muraleedharan delivered a brief speech there, mainly criticising the Central and state governments. Afterwards, his Innova car headed to Thrissur town where he had planned to meet employees of various firms. His first stop was at the Central Warehouse Station in Kuriachira, located on the outskirts of the town, which houses several warehouses. Muraleedharan personally met with workers from all the warehouses. At the end of the campaign, a group of workers affiliated with the INTUC surrounded him, with one of them hugging him and requesting a group photo with the candidate. He agreed and posed with the workers. Muraliyetta, dont let Thrissur go to anyone else. Only you can do this, one of them shouted. I am leading from the front. The rest is up to you. You must ensure it, the former state Congress president boosted the workers spirit. After waving to all of them, he boarded his vehicle, which then headed to the godown of a prominent textile firm near Thrissur. Muraleedharan, currently in his 13th electoral battle, faced defeat in the 1998 LS polls in Thrissur, a constituency with a history of setbacks for his family. Despite this, he exudes confidence in retaining the seat. The UDF is not only banking on his image as the son of the late chief minister K Karunakaran but also his reputation as a point man within the Congress. His unexpected candidacy in Thrissur, after his sister switched to the BJP, doesnt seem to be a significant factor now. Muraleedharan said he has been receiving positive responses from the people of Thrissur since the start of his campaign. Thrissur holds a special place in my life; its where I was born and schooled. Its my fathers home turf. So, I feel no need for introduction here, he said. Thrissur key to BJPs bid to break Kerala jinx Coincidentally, on the day, Thrissur city police commissioner Ankit Asokan was transferred following alleged high-handedness during the Thrissur Pooram festival. Muraleedharan sought a judicial inquiry into the incident, stating, The commissioner alone couldnt have disrupted the pooram. Who supported him? Who was behind him? These questions need probe. The transfer of the commissioner is not an adequate step. When asked about his rivals, Muraleedharan emphasised that it is not a personal contest but an ideological one. I present my ideology, and others present theirs, he said. After meeting with the employees, Muraleedharan and his accompanying party workers moved to another location. The campaign tour was scheduled to start at 4 pm in Varandarappilly, in Puthukadu assembly segment, where Congress workers had been eagerly waiting for Muraleedharans arrival.

I have no hope from state govt or political candidates

Electoral battle intensifies as Thrissur district grapples with massive code of conduct breaches

Sobha Surendran refutes charges of financial irregularities raised by dallal Nandakumar

ALAPPUZHA: Sobha Surendran, the NDA candidate in Alappuzha constituency, found herself in the eye of a storm as T G Nandakumar aka Dallal Nandakumar raised allegations of financial irregularities against her on Tuesday. Nandakumar alleged that he had given Rs 10 lakh to Sobha but she did not return the amount. Sobha told reporters in Alappuzha that she had indeed received Rs 10 lakh from Nandakumar, but that was an advance for selling a plot of land in her possession. Though Nandakumar agreed to buy the land and gave Rs 10 lakh as advance amount, he went back on the deal. Nandakumar was not ready to register the land. Hence I refused to return the money to him, she said. I am ready to register the land in Nandakumars name. When I needed money for the treatment of my family member, I decided to sell a property. Nandakumar agreed and gave me Rs 10 lakh as advance, but he was not ready to register the land. I am always ready to register the land if he pays the balance amount. When we discussed the land sale, he tried to hand over the cash, but I was not ready to accept the money and asked him to pay it through my bank account as evidence, she said while speaking to reporters in Kayamkulam on Tuesday. Shobha also raised an allegation against Nandakumar that he had approached her to bring a prominent leader of CPM from Kannur to the BJP and demanded a bribe for doing so. Nandakumar met me at the national committee office of the BJP in Delhi for that purpose. He approached me after knowing that I was in charge of inducting new members to the party in south India. I met the CPM leader who wished to join the party in the house of Nandakumar, but the person was not ready to speak directly to me. Nandakumar demanded a huge amount as bribe for bringing leaders from other parties to BJP fold. Now, Nandakumar should reveal which leader wished to join BJP from CPM? Shobha said. When the yatra led by CPM state secretary M V Govindan reached Thrissur, a senior leader of CPM met me at Ramanilayam. Nandakumar should clarify who that was. Later that leader reached Delhi, but the Kannur lobby in the CPM threatened him and Nandakumar dropped the plan, Shobha said.

Woman TTE attacked on board Chennai Mail

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A woman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) faced an attack from a passenger in Chennai Mail that departed from Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday. The railway police booked Roji Chandran, working in the Merchant Navy, from Aluva, in connection with the incident. The incident happened before the train reached Kollam. Rajani Indira, the TTE who was on duty in the train, alleged that a middle-aged man tried to hit her with his hands after he was asked to vacate the berth booked by a woman passenger. She also complained that the policemen on duty at the Kollam station did not act based on her complaint. Later the railway police at Kayamkulam took Roji into custody based on the complaint from the TTE and some of the passengers in the compartment. However, the railway police played down the incident. There was a verbal duel between the TTE and the accused in an AC compartment. The incident was blown out of proportion in the wake of recent attacks against TTEs, said an officer in Kollam. They have charged Section 353 against Roji for obstructing a public servant from discharging her duty. TTEs have been complaining about the lack of support from the police when dealing with passengers. At the beginning of this month, a migrant labourer fatally pushed a TTE outside a moving train at Thrissur.

Thrissur key to BJPs bid to break Kerala jinx

KOCHI: The opening move for the battle for the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency was made on January 3, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a gathering of 2 lakh women and conducted a 1 km-long roadshow in the heart of the city. Two weeks later, on January 17, he visited the Guruvayur temple for the wedding of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopis daughter Bhagya Suresh. In a rare and symbolic gesture, the PM presented wedding garland to the couple. During the same trip, Modi made an impromptu visit to the Sree Rama temple in Triprayar within the constituency. Months later, Gopi was chosen as the NDA candidate for Thrissur. The PM made an additional visit to the area in April, dropping enough hints on how much importance the BJP gives to the region. The BJPs primary goal is to break the Kerala jinx and secure a seat that could establish a foundation for the partys future in the state. Once a prominent figure in Mollywood, Gopi captivated audiences with his roles as a good Samaritan battling sinister forces. Cooperative bank scams: BJP's trump card in Thrissur Despite losses in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 state assembly polls, Gopi has remained active in the constituency, addressing neglected issues and helping the needy, which gained him immense popularity. The CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) has fielded V S Sunil Kumar from the CPI in Thrissur. Kumar, who hails from the district, transitioned from student leader to MLA and minister, earning the local communitys trust over the years. Meanwhile, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) replaced sitting MP T N Prathapan with K Muraleedharan, the son of late K Karunakaran. Muraleedharans strong familial and political connections bolster his candidacy. The election fervour in the constituency is palpable. The streets are lined with towering hoardings, colourful posters, and banners. Despite the heat, party workers from all three fronts remain enthusiastic. Thrissur has a politically unpredictable history Thrissur has long been a hub of trade and ambitious entrepreneurship, with residents deeply engaged in commerce, excelling in lending, and pioneering chit funds that evolved into modern banking. Families with surnames like Alappat, Alukkas, and Kalyan have made significant strides in the gold jewellery retail industry, establishing a global presence. This Tier 2 city boasts one of the highest concentrations of millionaires in India and is home to six listed companies. However, the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency presents complexities for political parties due to its unpredictable political history. Over the past six elections, incumbent MPs have often been defeated. From 1952 to 2019, Thrissur has elected LDF candidates 10 times while UDF candidates have won 7 times. Currently, all seven assembly constituencies within Thrissur are held by the LDF. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA secured over 30,000 votes in five assembly constituencies. Will the big Congress bet on Muraleedharan winning Thrissur after Padmaja's switch pay off? In 2019, T N Prathapan of the Congress won with 415,089 votes (39.83%), while CPIs Rajaji Mathew Thomas came second with 321,456 votes (30.85%). Suresh Gopi finished third with 293,822 votes (28.19% of the total 1,042,122 votes cast). The polling percentage was 77.94%. As is the case in most constituencies in Kerala, minority votes play a crucial role in Thrissur with Christian voters accounting for 2024% and Muslim electors 1417%. The BJP has been wooing the Christian community, with Gopi donating a golden crown as an offering to Our Lady of Lourdes Metropolitan Cathedral in January. Among the major factors that could disrupt the status quo in Thrissur is the scandal at the Karuvannur Service Co-operative Bank, governed by the CPM, and delays that affected the renowned fireworks display at the Thrissur Pooram festival. Thousands of depositors at the bank are still waiting for their matured deposits, while the Enforcement Directorate has questioned senior CPM leaders from the district. During his campaign, PM Modi has also raised the Karuvannur scam, promising a resolution. The bank scandal, anti-incumbency sentiment, and festival-related issues could impact the LDF and benefit the NDA candidate. On his part, the LDF candidate has an advantage due to his local roots and modest image. As for Muraleedharan, a strong minority vote consolidation in favour of the Congress could work in his favour. With three formidable candidates in the fray, the three-cornered contest in Thrissur promises to be exciting with dramatic twists and an uncertain outcome that will go down to the wire. Local BJP deems Modi factor a plus for Suresh Gopi against Leaders Son

Shadow of Manipur violence hangs over BJPs prospects in Thrissur Hindustan Times

Shadow of Manipur violence hangs over BJPs prospects in ThrissurHindustan Times

2,319 polling booths in Thrissurdistrict

Candidates busy on last round of campaignin Thrissur constituency

LDF, UDF candidates take out roadshow, NDA candidate takes out a vehicle rally

Kerala High Court moved seeking guidelines against police interference in temple festival rituals

Petitioner says police had used excessive force and District Collector imposed illegal restrictions during conduct of Thrissur Pooram

Kerala : High voltage campaign to decide the future of three high-profile candidates on Thrissur seat

With three high-profile candidates in the fray, Thrissur is one of the keenly watched constituencies in Kerala.

Why Thrissur May Be BJP's Best Chance Yet To Secure A Lok Sabha MP From Kerala

Keralas Thrissur LS constituency where high-profile candidates battle it out in triangular contest

The News Mill

Elections 2024 | The Chaos at Thrissur Pooram Has Become a Hot Poll Topic

The blame game over who dampened the festivities continues to rage, with two top police officials being suspended.

Wild elephant dies after falling into well in Keralas Thrissur

Rescue operation by Forest department proves futile. Carcass later taken out using crane

Raja of ragas: Swathi Thirunal's legacy reverberates

KOCHI: There is music even otherwise on the history-laden streets of East Fort in Thiruvananthapuram. But there will be an added lilt in the air for five days from April 24 when the Swathi Sangeethotsavam begins, organised by the Swati Sangeeta Sabha to commemorate the 211th birth anniversary of the celebrated poet-monarch. Just yards away from the Karthika Thirunal Auditorium where the event would be held, the Levy Hall would also hold the Swathi Aradhana. The venues would stage some versatile musicians whose renditions of the works of Swathi Thirunal would fill the classical alleyways around the Padmanabhaswamy temple, where centuries ago the poet-monarch sang thus to the deity he worshipped: Oh, the one with lovely tresses, What do I do now? The one with lotus eyes, Sreepadmanabha is yet to come... The ode was born some 200 years ago on the premises of Kuthiramalika from a man whose birth, life and death were melodious and momentous, musical and magical, and muddled and mysterious much in that order. Here, he was the feminine soul reaching out to Lord Padmanabha with the impatience of a woman in love. The poem, set to Raga Kurunji with a mystically passionate swing about it withstood the test of time and found presence in several later media of art. Its enchantment continues as could be found from the umpteen covers of the poem and its dance versions posted online. Through such compositions, Swathi Thirunal remains undoubtedly popular among artists and art lovers in Kerala. His hallmark lyrical poetry, rich in passion and set to enigmatic scales that render the compositions a meditative yet sensuous texture, is finding new ground with not only the younger breed of musicians but even amateurs. Swathi Thirunal, who founded the first observatory along with astronomer John Caldecott. The onset of social media has vastly changed the trajectory of an artist, where one need not wait for stages to showcase ones talent. This also gives the flexibility for artists to perform what they like and find, and Swathi Thirunals compositions are among the most explored in that sense. From rare krtis of the legend uploaded by veterans such as Aswathy Thirunal Rama Varma to dance and music covers by amateur dancers and musicians, YouTube and Instagram flood with compositions of Swathi Thirunal as reels and videos. Notable among the posts are those based on some of the 65 Sringara padams he wrote, which have views as well in thousands if not lakhs. Thanks to YouTube and Instagram, Swathi Thirunal has become a household name, says Vaisakh R, a fresh graduate from the Univesity of Kerala who plans to launch his own YouTube music channel. But till about a few years ago, Swathi Thirunals compositions saw light among the common folk as mellifluous film numbers like Gopalaka Pahimam Anisham and Alasara Parithapam. Beyond that, he was Travancores king who was immersed in music making. Not all was known of him as a ruler who brought modernity in both art and administration that too under the crushing gaze of the British. His inclusivity streak got him not only to patronise artists from far and wide but also to set up schools and health centres. With his name now on the internet trends, the other facets of him are also seeing popular light, says Vaisakh. He was a human, unlike his contemporaries who wore divine auras. He wrote for the masses. We can see this in the utsava prabandhams he wrote for occasions, the navaratri kritis he wrote for the navaratri festival, his joint work with the Tanjore Quartet (Chinnayya, Ponnayya, Vadivelu and Sadasivam), the navavidha bhakti group of songs, the musical operas on Ajamilaupakhyanam and kuchelaupakhayanam, the Sringara padams reflecting the fluidity of moods, you name it and its there. He wrote in Manipravalam, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi... and embraced the entry of western musical instruments such as violin. A similar treatment was given to dance and other forms of art. And all this within the 33 years he was alive. To me, he is more than a Thyagaraja, says Vaisakh, hinting at his plans to study Swathi Thirunal deeper. To aid such studies, the University of Kerala is including a whole paper on Swathi Thirunal in its revised syllabus for music, says Dr R Sreedev, faculty at Sri Swati Thirunal College of Music and member of the syllabus revision committee. Eminent Carnatic vocalist Sreevalsan J Menon, whose body of work includes attempts at rare compositions of Swathi Thirunal, feels the evergreen interest in Swathi kritis could be because of the language and emotional connection his works can forge with people. Alasara parithapam and Aliveni are the most popular of his works that have turned into mostly dance reels. There are many who send me YouTube links of dance versions of many Swathi kritis I have sung, he says. Swathi kritis getting popular over the years have several reasons, says acclaimed singer Aswathi Thirunal Rama Varma. The pandemic in general brought down several walls. Swathi kritis have a versatility about them. The same person who composed the devotional Jaya Jagadeesha Nanda Kishora in Ragam Yamunakalyani has also made the philosophical Karanam Vinakaryam in Ragam Kambhoji. Another huge reason is his work towards bringing together all forms of Indian classical music. Some 30-odd Hindustani bandishas are there to his credit. Then, he was a complete artist whose passion for art touched all the aspects geetam, vadyam nrittam (dance, instruments, music). He reached out to people with simpler versions of tough Sanskrit songs. It was sad he was trapped in the robes of a Maharaja, he says. Rama Varma has tried to incorporate that inclusiveness as he tries to include all singers in the festivals he organises. Internet age is also the reason why Swathi kritis are getting more popular in the West. My disciple Amrita Venkiteshs tiny students from the US send me videos of the kritis they learn and sing. The AIR has begun uploading the full version of the navaratri concert on their YouTube channel for connoisseurs of the West and the Middle East. So its a combination of different factors why Swathi is the first choice of young artists, especially dancers, he adds. Sreevalsan feels Swathi Thirunal has always got his due at least from the organisers and singers. There have been government awards in his name. Then there are publications, books and research at the macro and micro level. A reason for his acceptance among the singers could be that his compositions are very concert-worthy. But there are some whose phonetics are tricky, which makes it non so popular among musicians outside Kerala, he says. While Swathi might have got traditional reverence from practitioners of the art in Kerala, he was a mystery that many in the Carnatic circle did not wish to indulge in. There were also controversies that marred his acceptance for long among the Carnatic elite and the sabha goers of Chennai and other citadels of the classical system. Achuthsankar S Nair, head of the department of computational biology and bioinformatics, University of Kerala, who also holds PhD in music and wrote a book Swathi: Born to a mother, remembers the article in the Illustrated Weekly some 40 years ago where he found Veena vidwan Balanchander making a few observations on the veracity of the composers works. I felt his observations to be contradictory. On the one hand, the gentleman was speaking of how he felt Swathis works were not his but of people who were under his patronage like the Tanjore Quartet and on the other, he was claiming Swathi Thirunal was a non-entity. My research into the king spanning decades began there, Achuthsankar says. As part of his thesis, the scientist went on to dissect the works of the ruler screening the texts for identity markers. The method spots the writing pattern unique to an individual. He found Swathi Thirunals marker in about 250 of his compositions, including those that were under contention. There may have been others who chipped in but I considered those compositions which were being touted as doubtful, he says, adding a work of the monarch has been written down in Western notation and preserved in Cambridge Universitys music department and the first book on Carnatic music in history in 1853 had 86 compositions of Swati Thirunal brought out by an ordinary citizen. He stood out in his diversity, variety and inclusivity to adapt even Western composers like Mozart and Beethoven in his works. A man with a great love for knowledge who died at a young age, depriving him the advantage of time that his contemporaries got. Swathis anniversary is now celebrated by even individuals and art groups is a marker of his popularity. The Lalithambika Sangeeta Natya Koodam in Thiruvananthapuram was one such institution that held concerts and recitals to commemorate the anniversary. In Thrissur, a Monihiyattam performance on Swathi kritis was staged by Kalamandalam dancers and in Kochi, too a similar event was organised. The Swathi fervour has found ground in the US too with Swathi Sangeeta Sabha in Charlotte. The India Cultural Centre and Temple, Memphis, is installing a life-size statue of the composer alongside other greats such as Annamacharya and Purandaradasa. Swathi Thirunal, with his famous trait of inclusivity, will be Keralas contribution, says Vaisakh.

Amicus curiae finds serious lapses in inspection of tuskers before Thrissur pooram

KOCHI: The amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala High Court to oversee the verification process and issuance of fitness certificates for elephants paraded for Thrissur Pooram reported that the tuskers were brought without necessary documentation such as work register, movement register, and food register which should have been reviewed by forest officials before issuing fitness certificates. The report highlighted that the forest department can verify the details of an elephants travel only if the movement register is provided during inspection. Similarly, officials from the animal husbandry department must record the details of the first and second mahouts, including their ages, in the register for inspection. The amicus curiae recommended that the forest department should provide an inspection register to elephant owners, including medical certificates and other relevant documents. The register would allow the department to verify any past medical treatments and ensure that the movement of the elephant, its food pattern and parades are updated during the elephants transportation. The amicus curiae also recommended that the forest department should conduct regular inspection of captive elephants records, at least once every two weeks during the festival season. T C Suresh Menon, the amicus curiae, and Advocate Sandhesh Raja K were present on-site as per the High Courts order. They observed that the inspection of elephants on the Paramekkavu temple premises began around 4 pm. The list of elephants to be paraded by the devaswoms changed three times, with 40 elephants inspected from Paramekkavu Devaswom and 44 from Thiruvambady Devaswom. During the inspection, they found that Pambady Sundaran had a serious wound on its right rear side with blood oozing out and an opaque left eye, yet it was cleared for the parade. Tusker Vyloor Parameswaran had a mal-united left forearm, causing difficulty in walking, but it was also cleared. Tusker Ezhuthurakka Gangaprasad had wounds on his hind legs, yet it was also cleared for the parade. The report stated that more than 28 elephants were tethered in a confined space with little room for movement. While inspecting three elephants in the eastern corner of the ground, mahouts of other elephants withdrew from the area. The absence of the animal husbandry department doctor and the forest departments advice that it was unsafe to stay there prompted the officials to escort the amicus curiae team out of the area. Paramekkavu Devaswom refused to cooperate, says amicus curiae The amicus curiae has criticised the Paramekkavu Devaswom in a report amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the management of Thrissur Pooram. The report stated that Rajesh, the secretary of Paramekkavu Devaswom, harshly criticised the High Court during a meeting, accusing it of interfering in the conduct of Thrissur Pooram and the inspection and parading of elephants. Rajesh said that the devaswom would not assist authorities in implementing distance rules for parading elephants, taking a stance contrary to the position submitted by Paramekkavu Devaswoms counsel. According to amicus curiae, Rajeshs behavior and statements during the meeting were described as threatening, as he declared that the High Court could pass any orders it wanted, but he would not comply with them.

Malayali love for gold too hard to resist for burglars

KOCHI: The lustre has been attracting the attention of the illustrious -- though of a criminal persuasion! As high prices and the ceaseless demand of Malayalis combine to give the yellow metal added sheen, its inter-state burglars who are looking to benefit from the interplay. And Kochi the commercial capital of Kerala is emerging as a favoured destination for those looking for a piece of this toxic action. According to police, some of the burglars arrive on flights for a quick operation. On April 20, dreaded burglar Mohammed Irfan, from Bihar, broke into the house of film-maker Joshiy, a day after another group from Maharashtra targeted jewellery shops in Kochi and Kalamassery. The group, comprising a man and three women, was arrested on Sunday while attempting to force their way into a jewellery shop in Thrissur. The gang had arrived by flight from Mumbai and was based out of Angamaly. The increase in the price of gold could be attracting inter-state gangs to the state, says Kochi commissioner S Syamsundar. They know about the Malayalis penchant for gold. Even though most people keep their ornaments in bank lockers, there are some who hold on to it for use during social events. Added to this is the fact that the price of gold has skyrocketed in recent months, Syamsundar pointed out. We plan to revamp patrolling activity after the election, he said. During the election period, security is already on high alert. After the vote, patrolling will take on a new dimension. We will look to cover each and every locality in the city in coordination with the public, Syamsundar said, adding that theft and burglary cases in the city rarely go unsolved. In February, an Ernakulam Rural police team on the hunt for two burglars from Uttarakhand was fired upon by the duo in Ajmer. They were fleeing after stealing gold ornaments from two houses in Aluva. Officers arrested Danish, 23 and Sahjad, 33, who had decamped with 38 sovereigns of gold and `33,000 in cash. A few years back, three persons from Delhi burgled 20 sovereigns of gold from six houses in Kadavanthra and Palarivattom. The trio had also arrived in the city by flight. A top police officer said Ernakulam district attracts criminal minds as it is easily accessible by road, rail and air. Unlike other places, thieves can vanish immediately after committing a crime here. Thats why we have cases in which gangs arrive by train or plane for their criminal activity and leave in a jiffy, he said. Recent Cases April 19 - Four-member gang steals gold ornaments from two jewellery shops in Edappally and Kalamassery after arriving by flight from Maharashtra. All four members arrested from Thrissur. April 20, 2024- Diamond and gold jewellery worth over D1.2 crore stolen from the house of film-maker Joshiy in Panampilly Nagar. Bihar native Mohammed Irfan held. April 2022 - A three-member gang from Delhi carried out six thefts between April 21 and 24. The members also reached Kochi by flight. They were caught from a lodge in Kochi. February 15 - Tamil Nadu man posing as a KWA official burgles laptops and electronic equipment from several houses in Palarivattom. The accused landed in Kochi by flight and roamed the city on a stolen motorcycle. Feb 9 & 10 - Two Uttarakhand natives break into two houses in Aluva and steal gold jewellery.

Vadakara's electoral battle intensifies as Shafi's campaign challenges Shailaja's dominance

KOZHIKODE: The Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency has been in the spotlight since the onset of election discussions in Kerala, with the Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil of the UDF pitted as a surprise candidate against former health K K Shailaja of the LDF. By the time the UDF announced its candidates in the state, Shailaja had completed her second round of campaigning in the constituency. Several poll pundits viewed Vadakara as a secure seat for the LDF. The decision to relocate sitting MP K Muraleedharan to Thrissur, and field Shafi in Vadakara drew widespread criticism against the Congress leadership. Leftist circles speculated that Muraleedharan fled Vadakara to avoid competing against Shailaja. Shafis initial reluctance to campaign in Vadakara also drew fear factor jibes. Initially, Shailaja seemed to have a clear advantage. Her reputation as the health minister who handled crises such as the Nipah outbreak and the Covid-19 pandemic facilitated an effortless entry into campaign activities. Indeed, Teacher Amma was billed as the LDFs strongest candidate in Kerala. It was natural for political analysts to predict an uphill challenge for Shafi. However, he surprised many by launching his campaign with a massive rally. Defying predictions, he has been attracting large crowds to most of his campaign meets. Shafis youthful image and robust social media presence seem to have enabled him to mount a formidable challenge, turning the initially lopsided Vadakara contest into a suspense thriller. Vadakara is now one of the most discussed constituencies in the state. Both candidates have launched extensive social media campaigns, releasing numerous reels and posts to appeal to young voters and making Vadakara the most discussed constituency in the state. A virtual battle has been raging. The Panur blast dealt an unexpected blow to the LDF. Seizing the opportunity, the UDFs cyber team insinuated that those involved in the bomb-making had links with Shailaja. Youth Congress state president and Shafis campaign head Rahul Mamkoottathil shared a photo purportedly showing Shailaja alongside a Panur blast suspect. Meanwhile, Revolutionary Marxist Party leader and Vadakara MLA K K Rema added a new narrative to the UDFs campaign, highlighting the CPMs history of violent politics. Shailaja, however, staged a comeback with an emotional press conference on April 10, alleging that the UDF was circulating doctored images of her on social media. She filed a police complaint, and accused Shafi of orchestrating the cyber attack. A controversy erupted as it was alleged that Shafi and the UDF were disseminating a morphed video of Shailaja. The LDF leadership and socio-cultural figures rallied behind Shailaja, urging Shafi to restrain his campaign tactics. As the issue heated up, CPM workers in Vadakara utilised the morphed video issue as a grassroots campaign plank. The move, however, backfired when Shailaja clarified during a press conference that she never mentioned a morphed video. In response, Shafi sent a legal notice to Shailaja for tarnishing his image. And video clips of Shailaja mentioning videos were shared widely on social media. Keyboard warriors of the Congress accused Shailaja of lying to defame Shafi. Amid all the din, NDA candidate Praphul Krishnan has remained on the sidelines. Given the current scenario, political experts and media outlets are tipping Shafi to have gained the upper hand in the intense contest between the CPM and Congress. Quick glance Total voters: 14,21,883 Male - 6,81,615 Female - 7,40,246 Third gender - 22 Candidates Shafi Parambil (UDF) Age - 41 Assets - Rs 89.34 lakh Cases - 39 K K Shailaja (LDF) Age - 67 Assets - Rs 1.56 crore Cases - 4 Praphul Krishnan (NDA) Age - 38 Assets - Rs 55,73,716 Cases - 6 2019 K Muraleedharan (UDF) - 5,26,755 votes P Jayarajan (LDF) - 4,42,092 Sajeevan V K (NDA) - 80,128 Victory margin - 84,663

What went wrong with Kerala's iconic Thrissur pooram festival | All you need to know

What went wrong with Keralas iconic Thrissur pooram festival All you need to know

UDF, NDA seek judicial probeinto Thrissur Pooram controversy

Attempt to spread rumours for political advantage: LDF

Congress finds BJP, CPI(M) designs in Thrissur Pooram controversy

Congress candidate K Muraleedharan alleged that both the Sstate and Ccentral Ggovernments acted in unison with an eye to derive electoral gains out of the situation by destroying festival charm

Allegations Of Political Excesses & Political Backlash Mars This Years Thrissur Pooram Festival Which Featured Ram Lalla Canopies

The cultural hub of Kerala, Thrissur, recently found itself embroiled in a political maelstrom after the revered temple festival, Thrissur Pooram, was marred by allegations of police excesses and unwanted The post Allegations Of Political Excesses & Political Backlash Mars This Years Thrissur Pooram Festival Which Featured Ram Lalla Canopies appeared first on The Commune .

Kerala: Vijayan Government Comes Under Fire For Thrissur Pooram Fiascos, CM Orders Transfer Of Police Officials Days Before Polls

Kerala train commuters decry overcrowding as Railways prioritize premium services

KOCHI: There seems to be no end in sight to the woes of train travellers in the state. People who depend upon trains, not only their daily commute but also long-distance travel, are venting their anger at the railways strategy of introducing more and more premium trains like the Vande Bharat as a money-spinning measure. Reducing the number of general compartments to facilitate more AC and sleeper coaches has left many high and dry. Describing his experience during a recent journey on the Kochuveli-Mysuru Express, Liyons J, secretary of Friends On Rails, which describes itself as a WhatsApp network that aids train commuters, said, The sleeper compartment resembled a refugee camp. Even the aisles were taken over by passengers with general tickets. This is happening because of the cut in the number of general compartments on long-distance trains, he adds. Train travel has become a dangerous affair, points out Dr Meera, a Kozhikode resident who depends on trains for her frequent travels to her hometown in Kollam. People are even forced to travel hanging from doors. There have been many cases of passengers getting seriously injured or losing their lives after falling from running trains. But all this goes unreported, she says. According to Dr Meera, there have been times when she has cancelled trips after arriving at the station to find general compartments jam-packed. I have to ensure the safety of my child, who is part of most of my travels, she stresses. Of course, none of the passengers are against the rail transporters need to increase revenue, says Srijith T J, an officer with Kerala Agro Industries Corp Ltd. But that should not be at the cost of passengers, who are the ones filling its coffers. Srijith points out that when the railways changed old coaches for new LHB ones, it reduced the number of general compartments from two to one and four to two on many express trains. However, they increased the number of AC coaches from three or four to eight while reducing the sleeper coaches from 12 to 8. Now, the situation is such that it is tough to get a reservation even in sleeper coaches, he adds. Passengers also point to another of the railways money-making strategies. Tickets for sleeper coaches are sold right up to the arrival of trains. It should be noted that these tickets do not ensure seats as charts have already been prepared. But once these passengers get on the train they encroach on seats of those who had made reservations months back, says Ramesh Mathew, a frequent traveller. The removal of de-reserved facility has also hit daily commuters hard. According to Ramesh, the most congested long-distance trains are the ones plying the northeastern routes. Regular users have now ditched them. Migrant labourers dont bother with the reserved status of coaches. For them, it is fine to travel in any compartment, he says, adding that there is a dire need for operating more Antyodaya Express trains on the eastern region via Chennai or through Vizag, Berhampur and Howrah. Ease and low cost attracted many passenger to train travel. However, there has been no concurrent increase in the number of trains or coaches. If more MEMU trains are introduced from Ernakulam to Kollam via Kottayam or Alappuzha, KSRTC will fold up in no time, says Ramesh. Ernakulam-Thrissur is the busiest sector in Kerala. But there are not many passenger trains on the route. Malabar passengers complain about the lack of trains between Shoranur and Kannur in the afternoons. Their complaints are genuine. There are fewer afternoons trains for daily and short-distance passengers, he added. However, railway officials say that there is an adequate number of trains for passengers, with special services introduced, whenever necessary. Three new special trains have started service towards the northern parts of the country, an official added. Summer specials Southern Railway will operate 239 trips of special trains on 19 routes to clear the extra rush this summer. These trains will link Tamil Nadu and Kerala to state like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, New Delhi, West Bengal, Gujarat, etc. The trains are: 06083 & 06084 Kochuveli-SMVT Bengaluru 06043 & 06044 Dr MGR Chennai Central-Kochuveli 06081 & 06082 Kochuveli-Shalimar 06071 & 06072 Kochuveli-Nizamuddin 06085 & 06086 Ernakulam-Patna

LDF's Sunil Kumar blames police for Thrissur Pooram crisis

THRISSUR: LDF candidate V S Sunil Kumar on Sunday expressed concern over the alleged conspiracy against him on social media in connection with the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram, and blamed inefficiency by the police for the problems that hampered the event on Friday. Appearing in a live video via his social media handle, the former minister who is contesting from the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency, said Revenue Minister K Rajan had assured necessary action against the authorities concerned, but not until the Model of Code of Conduct was in effect. Whatever happened at the festival ground was definitely not fair. Pooram is for the people and the state government has always been with the organisers, Sunil Kumar said, highlighting the conduct of the 2019 Pooram. He also accused his political opponents of using the developments to tarnish his public image. I always stood with the Pooram organisers right from the time I became an MLA. When I got elected as Thrissur MLA and became the agriculture minister, my responsibilities increased but I always stood with them, be it amid the crisis for fireworks display after the Puttingal tragedy or the Thekkinkadu Maidan rent issue. This time, it was unfortunate the fireworks display got delayed and fans were disappointed, he said.

Kerala's voter turnout patterns: Past elections shed light on potential outcomes

KOCHI: With just four days to go for the general polls in Kerala, all three political fronts will be focusing on a critical factor: voter turnout. Although each front claims that a high turnout would favour them, an analysis of Lok Sabha elections in the state shows that high polling percentages hovering around 80 per cent have usually benefited the UDF. In 2019, the state registered a voter turnout of 77.67 per cent, and the Congress-led UDF won 19 of the 20 seats. Kerala saw such high turnouts in the post-Emergency elections of 1977 (79.2 per cent) and 1989 (79.03 per cent), both of which favoured the Congress. In the 1984 elections, held shortly after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, the state recorded a voter turnout of 77.13 per cent. The Congress won 17 seats. Interestingly, in 1977, Congress was in alliance with CPI, Kerala Congress, and the Muslim League. The Congress-led front secured 17 seats in the state even as the rest of India punished the party for imposing Emergency. In 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the voter turnout in Kerala was just 71.43 per cent. The CPM-led LDF won 18 seats, leaving the UDF and NDA with one seat each. In 1996, the voter turnout was 71.13 per cent. The LDF won 10 seats, a relatively strong performance. In 1999, the Left won 9 seats with only 70.19 percent turnout. According to political observers, voter turnout goes up when there is heavy anti-incumbency sentiment. Some of them highlighted that a spike in voter tunout was earlier considered beneficial to the UDF because its vote base was fluid, unlike the LDFs rigid cadre-based sure votes. It was assumed that a rise in polling percentage meant a rise in non-Left votes. Thats not always the case, argued P P Dhanuraj, founder-chairman of the Kochi-based think tank Centre for Public Policy Research. This general theory has been disproved in several assembly elections, he said. The 2019 Lok Sabha polls turnout to what was recorded during the 2016 assembly election (77.5 per cent), which the LDF had won in a convincing manner. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that anti-incumbency drives turnout up. According to political observers, the Sabarimala issue and the candidacy of then Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad boosted the high turnout of voters in 2019, up by nearly 4 per cent from the 73.6% in 2014. It was the second highest polling rate in three decades, after 79.03% in 1989. Interestingly, north Kerala districts registered higher turnouts than central and southern regions of the state. The highest polling was recorded in Kannur (83.21%) where Congress leader K Sudhakaran contested against CPM sitting MP P K Sreemathi and won by a margin of 94,559 votes. Wayanad, which was in the spotlight after Rahuls candidature, saw its highest polling ever at 80.31 per cent since the constituency was formed in 2009. Notably, eight of Keralas 20 Lok Sabha constituencies recorded more than 80 per cent polling for the first time in history. The lowest polling in 2019 was recorded in Thiruvananthapuram (73.66 per cent), followed by Pathanamthitta (74.24 per cent), Attingal (74.4 per cent), and Kollam (74.66 per cent). In 2019, there was a feeling that the Congress would return to power at the Centre. Hence, the majority of Muslim votes went to the UDF, said political observer N M Pearson. However, the current political landscape is different. The perceived anti-incumbency sentiment against the state government might not largely affect the Left. Rather, the anti-incumbency votes against the Centre could shift to the CPM. Thus, there might not be an-LDF wave this time. Pearson also noted that Kerala rarely saw intense competitions during Lok Sabha elections. This time, too, one cant say there is a heated contest, he said. Therefore, there is a possibility of a drop in voter turnout when compared with 2019. Only a few constituencies such as Thrissur, Vadakara, and Thiruvananthapuram are witnessing fierce contests.

Pooram fiasco: Kerala government transfers Thrissur police commissioner, ACP

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/THRISSUR : Amid mounting criticism of police high-handedness during the Thrissur Pooram, the state government on Sunday cracked the whip, ordering the transfer of Thrissur Police Commissioner Ankit Asokan and Assistant Commissioner (ACP) K Sudersan. The transfers will be effected after getting the consent of the Election Commission owing to the model code of conduct, a statement said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is in-charge of the home portfolio, also directed the state police chief to conduct a departmental probe into the complaints and submit a report within a week. Kerala cops take sheen off Thrissur Pooram, draw flak from fans The governments order came after the restrictions imposed by the police during the pooram invited severe criticism and gave ammunition for the UDF and the BJP to ramp up its attack against the Left front and the state government during the last phase of the election campaign. Protesting the police restrictions, the Thiruvambady devaswom had stopped the ceremonies abruptly late on Friday. Subsequently, the fireworks display was delayed by over three hours. The devaswom authorities had alleged that police used barricades wherever possible and restricted free movement of people. Amid complaints that the police went overboard in its security arrangements, a video has surfaced on social media that showed the police commissioner blocking the committee members and volunteers who were heading to feed elephants and taking parasols for Kudamattam inside the temple. Many cops on duty were unaware of rituals, timings An internal report of the Special Branch has held the commissioner responsible for the unexpected events, according to sources. As per the special branch report, only superior officers were briefed about the pooram duty beforehand, while the other personnel on duty were ignorant about festival rituals and its timings. 'No compromise on rituals': Paramekkavu conducts fireworks as scheduled for Thrissur Pooram It is learnt that many police personnel were unaware of the madathil varavu ceremony at night and hence, blocked its way around 10.30pm, creating a chaos at Pazhayanadakkavu. The report also said on several occasions, the police commissioner behaved rudely with the public and even committee members of devaswom, resulting in a discontent. About 3,500 cops were deployed on duty for ensuring safety during the 36 hours of Thrissur pooram festivities. Due to the duty allocation ahead of the election, those who were on pooram duty were mainly from other districts with no knowledge about its rituals. It is learnt that the location of the duty and timings were provided only on the eve of the pooram with no briefing about the arrangements. Many cops were not briefed According to an internal report of the special branch, only superior officers were briefed about the pooram duty beforehand, while the other personnel were unware of the rituals and timings. Fireworks at Thrissur pooram delayed for hours due to protest from organizers

Local BJP deems Modi factor a plus for Suresh Gopi against Leaders Son

Suresh Gopi, the BJPs celebrity candidate for the Thrissur seat, is giving himself an afternoon makeover. He is stirring henna in a small brown bowl. Actor politician or acting politician? Actor politician, of course, Gopi laughs out aloud. Gopi, one of Keralas best known and best loved actors, is on his second act, trying to win hearts and minds in Thrissur. His presence is unmissable, the difference being seeing him in election posters instead of film adverts. He projects himself as an Ivanhoe of the poor, and recalls the role he played as a Rajya Sabha MP to help constituents in economic distress. Each time, I staged a sit-in without drinking a drop of water. Usually political leaders travelling in cars always drink water, he says sotto voce. Gopi sees himself as a nationalist with a clear economic vision, quoting Amit Shahs direction on local cooperative bank policies when he visited Thrissur. He recalls the Congress blocking his bill. I asked Shashi chettan (elder brother) why he voted against my bill, which would get the poor jobs. He arrogantly answered that the Congress has a duty to the alliance and so many cooperative banks would be affected, Gopi recalls. The NDA candidates house is on a quiet suburban street; a traditional Kerala home with gables, clay-tiled roof, wooden pillars supported by eaves, and large windows. Kerala seems to be returning to its original, but hybrid architectural ethos; the multicoloured concrete construction trend popular after the Gulf boom is slowly giving way to the aesthetics of the past. It would be premature and inaccurate to speculate about old Hindu building styles making a comeback, because rich Muslims seem to be hiring the same architects. The architecture of Gopis campaign philosophy isnt communal. Muslim votes matter in Thrissur and go usually to the Congress. Suresh Gopi is a big name among Malayalis, having acted in over 300 films; hence why was not he, but the unknown Muraleedharan appointed a Central minister? Gopi answers, I told the Prime Minister that I would rather remain the way I am because power builds walls, both small and big. He has no plans to quit acting. My heart is filled with artistic, not political, aspirations. I need to follow my passion and Im the sole breadwinner in my family. An honest admission for a politico. Gopi calculates he needs to make three or four movies a year, which will leave him 160 days for pro-poor political work. He claims he is the inspiration behind some of Modis social schemes. He had called on Modi when the former was Gujarat CM. I told him that women in rural India have to shove clay into their private parts for five days monthly. They dont have toilets either. He recalls Modi going into deep thought. In 2014, women were given sanitary pads and toilets were built in every village, the actor grins as if all the dots have been connected. Why does no political party in Kerala have a national face? Itll come. Once you see a successful person in the political space, the best of the best will join the mission. Be patient. The world is ours, not just the country. Its not clear if Thrissur will be Gopis. His main opponents are the street smart Sunil Kumar, a CPI comrade and former LDF minister, and UDFs K Muraleedharan, son of Leader K Karunakaran, a political giant who straddled Kerala politics. The Congress representative, in spite of his soft demeanour, gets ebullient when he sees crowds of admirers cheering him. He caustically remarks that Thrissur needs not a Central minister, but development. His chariot is a large platform on wheels loaded with chairs Muraleedharans own revolving chair, a podium, mikes, loudspeakers and a genset. The microphones loudly announce the arrival of the Leaders Son, invoking his phantom blessing. Muraleedharan says the backwards, who are strong in Thrissur, are anti-BJP and so are the Muslims and Christians who backed the Congress. I hear Christians saying Modi has the time to visit Kerala, not Manipur. Agrees his adversary, CPI candidate Sunil Kumar, who likes to mingle with the crowds and drink chai from common tea shops and be a peoples comrade. This election is a life and death issue for India. If Modi wins, he will make India a religion-based country. It may be a mistake to wish religion away. The historic annual Thrissur pooram, a two-day extravaganza involving caparisoned elephants and crackers, was stopped by the police, which lathi-charged pilgrims. BJP is blaming the LDF for desecrating Keralas ancient temple festival, which draws people from across the state. As his rath makes its colourful way through the inner roads festooned with BJP flags, lotus posters and candidates visage, Gopi is in his element. Women line the roads and wait for him at the gate. A tall man in a blue tee had been waiting for nearly an hour. I came all the way from Bahrain just to vote for Gopi, he smiles. Local BJP thinks the Modi factor is a plus for Gopi; the PM attending his daughters wedding has boosted his standing. An MP close to the PM can get things done for Thrissur. Its time to get things done for Gopi too. The henna, which has darkened in its bowl, is ready for application. Its organic. No chemicals, assures Gopi. For a man thinking of making an autobiographical political movie one day, it is dye another day. its not clear if Thrissur will be Suresh Gopis. His main opponents are the street smart Sunil Kumar, a CPI comrade and former LDF minister, and UDFs K Muraleedharan, son of Leader K Karunakaran, a political giant who straddled Kerala politics

Thrissurs triangular tussle heading for a close finish

Pooram controversy: govt. transfers Thrissur District Police Chief

Chief Minister orders State Police Chief to conduct a probe into the multiple complaints regarding the conduct of the police machinery during the event

Kerala: Police restrictions on Thrissur Pooram continue, entry of parasols prevented by commissioner, political blame game starts while CM assures serious probe

Politics has intensified in Keralas cultural capital, Thrissur after Police excesses marred the popular temple festival, Thrissur Pooram

'Can you imagine a Thrissur Pooram without fireworks?'

Devaswoms are meant to manage temples, not the faithful. Why didn't they simply stick to their set of responsibilities and execute it well and efficiently?, asks Shyam G Menon.

'The spiraling cost of democracy': India's election expenses hit new heights

KOCHI: Indian elections are akin to a grand festival, with elaborate rituals stretching over the days leading up to the D-Day. The list of activities and tangibles in this extravaganza is a long one: posters, hoardings, banners, leaflets, tableaux, processions, street plays, family gatherings, conventions, and, of course, the candidates open-jeep tours of their constituencies. The expenditure on these varies, depending on the partys and candidates budgets. However, its certain that campaign expenses as well as illegal incentives offered to voters in the form of cash and goods have been surging. According to Delhi-based think tank CMS, the 2019 general election in India was the most expensive one ever recorded globally, with a total spend of about Rs 55,000-60,000 crore. The election process lasted nearly 75 days, with polling conducted in seven phases. Analysts have no doubt that the current one will surpass the record. A senior Congress leader told TNIE that expenditures shoot up in the final days leading to the polls, based on the intensity of the competition. He noted that there were 1,200 to 1,300 booths in each Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala. The district units of parties provide campaign materials, and cover expenses on logistics, manpower, refreshments, etc. We have to provide each candidate with 70,000 to 1,35,000 posters for a single round in one Lok Sabha seat, and there can be up to six or seven rounds, he said. Additionally, there are family meetings. Squads of three-four party members visit houses. These members have to be given a daily allowance. The leader highlighted that, nowadays, a heavy chunk is spent on digital campaigns. This is mostly managed by the central leadership, or the candidates who can afford it, he added. The amount spent by a party candidate in a constituency, on an average, can be 7-12 times more than the Rs 95 lakh prescribed by the Election Commission. Some candidates spend up to Rs 50 crore. A study by the Association for Democratic Reforms and the National Election Watch found that the main categories under which political parties declared their expenses were publicity, travel, other/miscellaneous, and the spend on candidates. In the 2004, 2009, and 2014 Lok Sabha elections (combined), national parties spent 50.58% of their total expenditure on publicity, 19.68% on travel expenses, 15.43% on candidates, and 14.31% on other expenses. Over the 10-year period, expenditure on publicity increased by 641%, travel by 802%, and the spend on candidates by 416%. Political observer N M Pearson said candidates of mainstream parties spend at least Rs 20 crore each during general elections, and this amount seemed to be on the rise. A politically aware society would detest the influence of money power. They would vote based on the political views of the candidates, he said. When society moves away from political awareness, money power starts to dominate. Voters start accepting money and gifts for votes. Although Kerala is currently safe from such practices, going by the current trends, I foresee a downfall. Notably, a survey conducted by the department of political science of Sree Kerala Varma College, Thrissur, found that the use of money power in elections was indeed increasing. However, the study noted that citizens were concerned about its impact. People recognise that candidates spend far more money in elections than the legal limits prescribed by the Election Commission, said Prof. Pramod C R, who was part of the study. Participants in the survey welcomed the Supreme Court order on electoral bonds. They are aware that money power is corrupting the system. Economic impact Barna Ganguli of the Bihar Institute of Public Finance and Policy noted that elections generate income for people in the informal sector. She added the sudden flurry of political activity and increased cash flow during elections, though not immediately apparent, contributed incrementally to the countrys overall economy. A significant amount of money is spent on ads during elections. This injects cash into the economy, Barna said. Additionally, political parties hire analysts, consultants, content creators, etc., during election season. This, again, means an increase in money flow. Moreover, the government spends substantial sums on security, logistics, and administration during elections.

'No compromise on rituals': Paramekkavu conducts fireworks as scheduled for Thrissur Pooram

THRISSUR: While Thiruvambady Devaswom took an abrupt decision to stop all festivities and completed the Madathil Varavu procession at night with just one elephant, and held back fireworks display, Paramekkavu Devaswom went ahead with proceedings and decided to conduct the fireworks at the scheduled time. Though Paramekkavu Devaswom had taken a strong stand against the authorities when stringent restrictions were imposed on the conduct of pooram, this time, they were adamant about going ahead with the rituals as it reached the final stage. It is not right to negotiate with the officials after keeping 2,000 kg of explosives in the centre of the town. Who will be responsible if something goes wrong. We cannot drive Thrissur Pooram to such dangerous situations and hence took a stand to conduct the fireworks display, said Rajesh G, secretary of Paramekkavu Devaswom.

Kerala cops take sheen off Thrissur Pooram, draw flak from fans

THRISSUR: Disappointing a large crowd of people who thronged the Swaraj Round to witness the fireworks display of Thrissur Pooram, one of the largest pyrotechnic shows, Thiruvambady devaswom stopped the pooram festivities abruptly for a couple of hours in protest against the unwanted restrictions imposed by the police for the first time in the history of the festival. The fireworks display which was scheduled to be held at 3 am on Saturday could begin only at 6.45 am. The discontent over the police restrictions was already there from the beginning but it escalated as police used lathi against spectators and even Thiruvambady devaswoms volunteers. The devaswom members also alleged that the police personnel deployed to ensure security misbehaved with the committee members during Madathil Varavu ceremony. While hundreds of volunteers worked day and night to organise the pooram, they were denied permission to enter the Thekkinkad Maidan and Swaraj Round. How can we justify such restrictions? Moreover, the police put up barricades wherever possible and restricted smooth movement of the people, dampening the spirit of Thrissur Pooram, said Sundar Menon, Thiruvambady devaswom president. He alleged that the police were supposed to help devaswom in organising the pooram. But they took everything into their hands, putting the public in trouble. When the lathicharge took place, Thiruvambady devaswom authorities tried to contact Revenue Minister K Rajan. As he was not available, the devaswom authorities decided not to go ahead with the festivities. Madathil Varavu at night was stopped abruptly. Only one elephant was used for the procession and that too without the customary panchavadyam. The devaswom authorities also switched off the illumination lights on the pandal put up at the venue in protest. The Pakal Pooram of Paramekkavu. Meanwhile, BJP candidate Suresh Gopi and LDF candidate V S Sunilkumar rushed to Thiruvambady devaswoms office and held discussions with the committee members. Later, Revenue Minister K Rajan and District Collector V R Krishna Teja intervened and urged the devaswom to complete the ceremonies, especially the fireworks display. After a delay of about 3.5 hours, fireworks display was held around 6.45 am after sunrise. What is the purpose of conducting fireworks display in daylight. It was disappointing to wait for such long hours. We reached Thrissur last night to witness the pyrotechnic show. But what turned out was really disappointing, said a group of four men who came all the way from Kannur to watch the famed fireworks. LDF seeks probe into police commissioners intervention LDF district committee on Saturday urged the state government and Election Commission to initiate a probe into the interventions of the Thrissur city police commissioner which led to the disruption of pooram rituals. In an official statement issued on Saturday, the LDF alleged that RSS-BJP leaders Valsan Thillankery, B Gopalakrishnan and K K Aneeshkumar tried to take political advantage during the crisis. There was a conspiracy behind the entire incident, the LDF statement said.

Dont know English but: Priyanka face-times with 93-year-old fan from Thrissur

The News Mill

PM Modi's men treat Constitution as worthless pages: Priyanka Gandhi

PM Modi's men treat Constitution as worthless pages: Priyanka Gandhi In a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday said leaders in the ruling party at the Centre were going around claiming that they would 'change' the Constitution which was founded and adopted through the blood and toil of the country's freedom fighters. She claimed that the BJP regards the country's holy statute book, which was written in letters of blood of the countless heroes who laid down their lives for the country, as mere pages that hold no meaning. Addressing an election rally in Thrissur, Kerala, Priyanka said 'PM Modi's men' treat the Constitution as a means or an instrument to satisfy their greed and poliical ambition. In this so-called New India, the Prime Minister's men are going around and speaking haughtily about bringing changes to our Constitution, which was written in letters of blood of our freedom fighters. They treat the Constitution, which upholds our right to liberty, equality, and brotherhood, as an instrument to fulfil their own greed and ambition. To then, it is nothing but pages that mean nothing, Priyanka claimed. Priyanka was addressing a public gathering at Cheraman ground near Eriyad, Thrissur in support of Benny Behanan, the UDF candidate from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency of Kerala. The Congress leader alleged further that the foundations of the country were on the verge of being destroyed under the NDA rule. The very foundation of our country stands on the threshold of destruction today. I know that some would say that this is not so. In fact, they say this is a new India, one that has given the country a new global identity. To them, I would say that if this true, we should all accept the will of the people (in the elections) and the new India, even if it rises from the ashes of the old, the Congress leader said. Let's not be in any illusion about this so-called new India, which is being sold to the people, and what it stands for, the Congress leader added. Alleging the policies in 'new India' were being framed for the benefit of the PM Modi's industry 'cronies', Priyanka said this was happening at a time when thousands across the country were grappling with 'unemployment' and 'poverty'. National assets that belong to us all, assets that were built with the blood, sweat and toil of our people are being handed over to the PM's billionaire friends with impunity. Airports, ports, highways, vast tracts of public land, industrial establishments in key sectors such as cement, power and coal are virtually controlled by just a handful of businessmen close to the PM, she said. Accusing the BJP-led NDA of stifling voices of dissent, she said the government harasses, accuses, and imprisons those who dare speak against them and crushes those who stands up to protest their ways. In this new India, laws are pushed through, bypassing the time-honoured democratic conventions, and forced on people against their will. The farmers' voices remain unheard, an entire state (Manipur) is locked down without internet for months, and Ladakhis go on strike to demanding their rights, but the government says nothing. They only speak about changing the Constitution. This is the new India that we are being forced to accept today, she added. On the Centre's electoral bond scheme, which was struck down by the Supreme Court recently, Priyanka said that the government passed an ordinance enabling the scheme so that political donations could be accepted anonymously from companies. In the BJP's 'New India,' corruption is institutionalised through electoral bonds. The government harasses and raids companies to extort donations out of them. When the court forced the government to disclose the list of donors and the quantum of donations, the PM and media lied to us that the whole scheme was devised to ensure transparency. However, it now turns out that many were forced into making big-money donations in exchange for business deals and contracts. The list is endless, she said. Asserting that the ensuing Lok Sabha elections weren't a mere democratic exercise but a fight to protect the country's soul, the Congress leader added, This is fight between those who are trying to divide the people of India to fulfill their own greed and those who are urging them to unite and take the power back into their hands. The time has come for each one of you to awaken, she added. She claimed further that the country is being overrun by the untamed ego, greed, and ruthless arrogance of the BJP. (ANI)

Delay in Thrissur Pooram fireworks sparks a political row

UDF candidate K. Muraleedharan seeks judicial probe into the effort to sabotage pooram; V.S. Sunil Kumar, the LDF candidate, blames unnecessary interference by the police; NDA nominee sees an attack on Hindu rituals

Dealy in Thrissur Pooram fireworks sparks a political row

UDF candidate K. Muraleedharan seeks judicial probe into the effort to sabotage pooram; V.S. Sunil Kumar, the LDF candidate, blames unnecessary interference by the police; NDA nominee sees an attack on Hindu rituals

Kerala: Police excesses mar Thrissur Pooram festivities, devotees manhandled and movements restricted, temples forced to cancel rituals

Several videos of the Thrissur Pooram (festival) are doing rounds on the internet with netizens highlighting the presentation in honour of Shri Ram (Ram Lalla at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh).

Kerala: Thrissur Pooram's Iconic Fireworks Display Fizzles In Daylight After Delay Amid Protest Over Police Curbs

Changing Constitution as if it is a piece of paper: Priyanka takes dig at BJP in Thrissur poll rally

THRISSUR: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday attacked the BJP-ruled Centre, accusing them of enacting laws by by-passing democratic processes and enforcing them on the people against their will. Gandhi also said that he Prime Minister's men haughtily speak of changing the Constitution of India that was written with the blood of our freedom fighters and martyrs. They treat the Constitution of India as an instrument of their own greed and ambition, as if it is a piece of paper, she alleged while speaking at a poll rally In Chalakudy Lok Sabha seat seeking votes for Congress candidate Benny Behanan. She said that when she speaks of the founding principles of India being on the brink of destruction, she is told by some that a new India is being created. This new India that is being told to us is one where force asserts itself over righteousness and laws are enacted by by-passing the democratic process and enforced upon the people against their will, she said. Gandhi also accused the Centre of being silent on the protests in Ladakh over the alleged Chinese encroachment there and that voices of the farmers were heard only when the elections were approaching. In this new nation, voices of dissent are silenced. The government harasses, accuses and imprisons those who dare to speak against it, she alleged.

Iconic Thrissur Pooram fireworks in Kerala held in daylight after delay due to protests over police curbs

Colourful fireworks, one of the most sought-after pyrotechnics shows in Kerala, commenced around 7 a.m., reducing it to a mere show of smoke and sound

Fireworks at Thrissur pooram delayed for hours due to protest from organizers

THRISSUR: Fireworks display at the famous Thrissur Pooram (festival) was delayed for several hours due to protest and stalling of certain ceremonies by one of the temple administration-Thiruvambady Devaswom-citing lack of cooperation from the police department. The renowned fireworks started finally around 7.00 am in the morning after several rounds of discussions. At around 1.30 am on Saturday, Thiruvambady devaswom suddenly stopped the illumination of Panthal at Naikkanal and ended the Panchavadyam of Madathil Varavu at night. The stand taken by the police department has been troubling us and it reached a stage where organizing pooram became difficult. Though we had explained our concerns multiple times during meetings, it seems no one cared and hence we had to take such a decision, shared Thiruvambady Devaswom president Sundar Menon. It is the first time in the history of Thrissur pooram, devaswom stop the traditional ceremonies. Police restrictions have been receiving severe criticism from the part of pooram organizers and festival fans. It is alleged that police allowed only 175 people in the Swaraj Round during the fireworks display, which was impractical for devaswoms as hundreds of people has volunteered to organize pooram and they should be allowed to watch the same. As the protests continued, Revenue Minister K. Rajan and District Collector V. R. Krishna Teja intervened and held discussions with the devaswom authorities.

Modi just a tool of RSS, says former minister K P Unnikrishnan

Do you think Rahul Gandhi can pose a serious challenge to Narendra Modi? I cant say that since I dont belong to the Congress now. Rahul needs to prove his leadership quality in this election. Bharat Jodo Yatra was a good idea to reach out to the people. It did attract crowds in many places. Beyond that, I cant predict his chances in this election. What are the chances of the INDIA bloc? Do you think it is a viable alternative to the NDA? Its not good to predict now. First of all, I dont know anything called the NDA. Its only BJP, and the BJP itself is a projection of the RSS. BJP does what RSS wants (it to do). Even Modi is a tool of RSS. The Sangh parivar fountainhead chose a political backbencher, Modi, over Advani to become the prime minister to manipulate the public. Is there any possibility of someone outside the Nehru family emerging as the leader of Congress? Does Shashi Tharoor stand any chance? Even the usage, Nehru family, is overdone. How many current members of the family have seen Nehru? Congress is a very difficult party. Im surprised that Shashi Tharoor managed to become part of the working committee, but its a positive development for him. His approach to politics is unique. It is very difficult to predict his chances. The role of left parties has been shrinking in India over the years. What can they do in the changed scenario? Except in Kerala their role is very limited. They were very powerful in Bengal during the time of Jyoti Basu. As a leftist, I would like to see my political ideals gain ground. However, I dont believe they stand much of a chance in the current political climate. I doubt the Left will perform well in this election in Kerala either. Congress is likely to win most seats, possibly one or two fewer than the last term. Is there any anti-incumbency factor against Pinarayi government in Kerala? How do you evaluate the performance of the LDF government? This election is not to discuss the Pinarayi government. Im surprised to see Congress and CPM fighting here. Issues are different in parliament election. They have to focus on fighting the BJP and defending the Constitution of India. It is not relevant in this election, but still, I think the second Pinarayi Vijayan government is a failure. Vadakara is said to be the most political of all constituencies...is that so? Vadakara is a highly enlightened area right from the freedom movement. Both the Congress and the CPM have roots there. I have great regards for Shailaja teacher, but unfortunately, I doubt she can pull it off. I think Shafi has attracted the public. There are unprecedented crowds in all his campaigns. Im surprised how he got all this support from Vadakara so quickly. K Muraleedharan has been shifted to Thrissur. Will it help Congress? The current political scenario in both Vadakara and Thrissur proves it to be a right move from the Congress. I think Muraleedharan has a good chance in Thrissur. He has many personal connections there. The Christian votes from Kunnamkulam and Thrissur town will obviously go to the Congress. I only know the BJP candidate Suresh Gopi as an actor.

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Festival transcending faith and ideology

Candidates turn up at Thrissur Pooram festival, one of the biggest festivals in Asia, featuring ornate tuskers, hundreds of percussionists

Lok Sabha elections 2024: A feast for the gods

Meet those in charge of feeding literally thousands during Asias biggest festival, Thrissur Pooram and who do so tirelessly, with a smile on their faces

Thrissur Pooram lights up with the blaze of fervour and fanfare

THRISSUR: Marking a break from the heat of the election campaign, Thrissur city opened up to welcome festival enthusiasts for its 36-hour-long pooram of poorams. A perfect blend of religious ardour and carnival spirit, the festivities were marked with fervour and fanfare. Thousands thronged Swaraj Round to immerse themselves in the annual visual and cultural extravaganza on a day that the mercury touched 37 degrees Celsius. After the 68% humidity kept pooram enthusiasts away for the best part of morning, the cheru pooram ezhunnellippu that filled the air with the rhythms of the panchavadyam turned Thekkinkadu Maidan into a sea of people of all ages and genders. The general euphoria seemed to have rubbed off on next weeks general election, as the major candidates for Thrissur constituency LDFs V S Sunil Kumar, UDFs K Muraleedharan and NDAs Suresh Gopi were seen interacting with festivalgoers in and around Sree Vadakkunnathan, Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu temples from early morning. But it was Thechikottukavu Ramachandran who caught the eye. The tusker made a grand entry, that too carrying the idol of Kuttoor Neithala Kavilamma. None could match him in terms of grandeur, said Praveen Kareth, from Thalakkottukara, near Kunnamkulam. Elanjithara Melam led by Kizhakkoot Aniyan Marar . As has become customary, the Thrissur Pooram attracted controversy this year, too. It all started with the Cochin Devaswom Board increasing the ground fee for staging the pooram exhibition at Thekkinkad Maidan from `39 lakh to `2.20 crore. The BJP and Congress held protest rallies against the move. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while launching Suresh Gopi as the BJP candidate termed the controversy unfortunate. This was followed by questions over distance between elephants and spectators and issuance of fitness licences for captive tuskers. On Friday, however, nothing could spoil the show as Kongad Madhu, as pramani, led the reverberating beats of the panchavadyam, that first saw pooram lovers soaring to heights of ecstacy before the percussionists moved on to the ilanjithara melam. After the kudamattam concluded with a grand trumpet blast, the crowd dispersed to partake in the rathri pooram (night festival) rituals and festivities. This years pooram, like in previous years, offered something for everyone. Some delighted in the panchavadyam, while others took to the pandimelam and ilanjithara melam. For others, it was all about the kudamattam, the display of caparisoned elephants and gopuras. While some festivalgoers were seen visiting the temples as part of their rituals, others used the event as an opportunity to reconnect with friends and relatives. It was truly a pooram for all! Star attraction It was Thechikottukavu Ramachandran who caught the eye at the pooram. After the kudamattam concluded with a grand trumpet blast, the crowd dispersed to partake in the rathri pooram rituals. Some were seen visiting the temples as part of their rituals others used the event as an opportunity to reconnect with friends.

Kerala LS candidates take a break from election campaign, join the crowd at Thrissur pooram

THRISSUR : As the residents of cultural capital joined the crowds that flowed to the Thekkinkadu Maidan from various parts of the state, the candidates of all three fronts forgot the election and campaign for a day and joined them to celebrate the festival. LDF candidate V S Sunilkumar is a familiar face for festival fans in Thrissur as he never misses a chance to be among the crowd. Thrissur Pooram and its associated ceremonies cannot be missed. It is the time of the year to meet friends and families and recollect memories, he said. Right from flag-hoisting ceremony, Sunilkumar has been with the organisers, visiting temples and encouraging volunteers. LDF candidate V S Sunilkumar having poorakanji of Paramekkavu. Though UDFs K Muraleedharan stayed away from ceremonies like flag-hoisting, he ensured his presence on the main pooram day. He began the day with a visit to Neythalakkavu temple, Kanimangalam temple and then to Brahmaswom Madom for Madathil Varavu and Elanjithara Melam of Paramekkavu Bhagavathy. We dont talk about votes or election for pooram. It is the time to celebrate and be among people. Thrissur Pooram is a festival that people here celebrate beyond all differences, he said. NDA candidate Suresh Gopi began his day by visiting Kanimangalam Sastha, and witnessed the procession. He then went to Neythalakkavu. He also made offerings at Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu temples as a devotee. Pooram is a proud heritage of Thrissur and election campaigns can take a break on this beautiful day, he said. NDA candidate Suresh Gopi at Ayyanthole Karthyayani temple before the procession to Thekkinkad Maidan. Meanwhile, festival fans used the opportunity to shake hands with the candidates and click selfies.

Heat or polls, Thrissur Pooram did not fail to enthral sea of humanity

Pooram festivities began with the arrival of Kanimangalam Sastha early in the morning, followed by processions from Bhagavathy temples. More than 3,500 police personnel were deployed in the city for security purposes

ECI lists out steps for ensuring free and fair polls

App to check impersonation of absentee, shifted, and dead voters during the upcoming polls. Arrangements made for 100% webcasting in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, and Thiruvananthapuram districts, ECI informs HC

Candidates make the most of Thrissur Pooram

The three main candidates take a break from campaigning and make their presence felt at the pooram venue, fully realising that even expatriates from Thrissur make it a point to come home for the festivities

Kerala Police, Vi join hands to use QR code bands for tracking children at Thrissur Pooram

Vi Suraksha QR code technology wristband for handling instances of missing children

Quantity of smuggled gold seized from Kerala airports declines by 142.43 kg in 2023-24

KOCHI: It may be difficult to believe, but true. The quantity of smuggled gold seized at various airports in Kerala has shrunk by 142.43 kg in the 12-months ended on March 31, 2024, as per the latest official data. The methods of smuggling, according to the Customs Preventive Commissionerate (CCP), are concealment inside the body, creating the false space of clothes and shoes to hide the gold paste or gold powder in past or compound form. Gold is also concealed in various electronic items such as watches, grinders, trimmers, etc. The Customs Preventive Commissionerate (CCP) saida total of 487.57 kg of gold was recovered during the 2023-24 fiscal in Kerala, down from 630 kgs in the previous year. Despite the increase in the prices of the yellow metal in 2023-24 financial year, the value of gold seized stood at Rs 287.76 crore compared to Rs 311 crore in 2022-23. CCP Commissioner K Padmavathy said the smugglers were using various ingenious methods of concealment to bring in the yellow metal. Concealment inside the body, creating the false space of clothes and shoes to hide the gold paste or gold powder in past or compound form are some ways. Gold was also concealed in various electronic items like watches, grinders, trimmers, etc., she said in a release. Rummaging of flights have also led to the seizure of gold concealed inside seat pockets, toilets and from underneath the seats, the Customs Commissioner said. Apart from gold, customs seized foreign currencies worth Rs 2.56 crore during the 2023-24 fiscal in the state. The seizures were mostly made from both the arrival and departure sides of airports. The currencies seized in airports are US dollars, Saudi Riyals, Bahrain Dinars, Kuwait Dinars, Omani Riyals and UAE Dirhams. CCP units also seized cigarettes and e-cigarettes worth Rs 3.63 crores. According to the Customs, smuggled tobacco products not only fled the market with low-cost cigarettes but they were coming without mandatory statutory warnings prescribed by the government for Indian-manufactured cigarettes. Further, the Customs officers recovered as many as 56 smuggled iPhones and their accessories worth Rs 1.26 crores in the last fiscal. As many as 40 kg of saffron worth Rs 52.6 lakhs were seized in a joint operation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Customs in the state. Customs also combined with the Kerala Excise Department and seized 4.7 kg of ganja from Thrissur in the last fiscal. Customs is also giving rewards to informers regularly. In the last fiscal year alone Rs 1.07 crore were disbursed to informers who helped the agency in detecting 138 cases. Along with our efforts and in coordination with various enforcement agencies we are making sincere efforts to prevent smuggling of goods to protect our country, Padmavathy said. In the calendar year 2023, Kerala stood in third place behind Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in gold seizures across the country. While there were 1357 gold smuggling cases registered in Maharashtra last year, the number of cases in Kerala declined to 728 cases in 2023 from 1,035 in 2022.

How does getting inked for the first time feel like?

S Devasankar, 21, student, Kochi Our social science teacher taught us that voting is not only our right, it is our responsibility. Though I didnt understand the gravity of this then, now I am more aware. I like to look at elections with an optimistic eye and believe that they can bring about changes to our society. I know that this is a highly romanticised point of view. I am thrilled to vote for the first time because I get to play my part in the functioning of Indian democracy. So, it is a dream coming true. I believe that this election is a crucial point in history and we are going through a transitional period. I have decided to vote for the party, which is better in comparison. My policy is to choose what is lesser evil among the limited options we have. Jeeba Surgi, 22, student, Thiruvananthapuram This year will be my first vote. I couldnt cast my vote during the assembly polls. I dont want to waste my franchise. It is my right. I have been keeping up with the current political climate and the elections main talking points. What I want is to live in a secular country, and I want to contribute to building a nation like that. Since Im not satisfied with the candidates, I will most probably vote for NOTA. Its my way of expressing my disagreement with the political parties. Bahira K, 20, student, Kannur I think our country is witnessing a decline in democratic and secular sentiments. Politics have turned more ruthless with some in power using everything in their arsenal, including government institutions, to mute the opposition. I neither see any eligible leaders in the major opposing parties nor in the ruling one. Im guided by what the MPs have done previously. I dont want to contribute to the politics of hate. Im thinking deeply about whom to cast my vote on the D-day. Kesav Siju, 18, student, TPuram Many youngsters are clued in to whats happening in the country. Some keep away from the political issues because politicians and their policies are not catering to their needs. That said, all of us are very political. While it is true that Thiruvananthapuram is a Tharoor bastion, I think change is on the horizon. Ive learnt about the work that BJP candidate Rajeev Chandrasekhar has done. Also, the Narendra Modi factor cannot be discounted. We are in for a big election and Im excited to cast my vote. Sreya R Nair, 19, student, Palakkad I feel indifferent about the upcoming elections as Im not into politics. Since Im living in Ernakulam and casting my vote in Palakkad, I only have a rough idea about the candidates. I think it is better to vote based on the ideology of parties rather than individual candidates. I find the Left more appealing. Abhinand S S, 20, student, Thiruvananthapuram Ram Mandir is a big topic this election season. But I dont think the temple should be used as a political tool. For the past 15 years, the same candidate has been winning in my constituency. I wouldnt mind a new MP. I will vote for the candidate that I agree the most with. I wont waste my vote on NOTA. Sharat Nair, 24, IT professional, Thiruvananthapuram I never wanted to vote because I was under the impression that one vote cannot make any significant change. This time, I will vote because Im satisfied with the ruling government and I want the same to continue. In Kerala, it is tough for the party to win. So if my vote could buoy them, then why not? Ill be travelling from my workplace in Bengaluru to Kerala for the purpose. Saarika T S, 23, student, Perumbavoor The main issue I am facing is unemployment. Most of the youngsters, including my friends, are going abroad. I hope this election will bring about a positive change. Though I have a personal political leaning, this time I will be casting my vote for NOTA. Merin Rose Bijoy, 20, student, Kochi I find it hard to be interested in the voting process when all I hear about is corruption and self-serving parties. None of them seem to work for the peoples benefit. The lack of genuine options concerns me. I consider voting for NOTA. Nima B M, 18, student, Thiruvananthapuram I have already decided whom to vote for. I dont like discrimination based on religion or any attacks based on it. My vote will reflect that. I dont think any religion is superior. Having thoroughly reviewed all the manifestos, I have made my decision. My vote is not for NOTA. Doing so would be a big loss. Ananthakrishnan C A, 19, student, TPuram Im thrilled about the upcoming election because I will be participating in the worlds largest democratic exercise. Since childhood, I have watched family members going to the polls. This time, I will have the chance to experience it myself. I have not yet decided on whom to cast my first vote, or if it should be for NOTA. Im learning the current political scenario through various media. I have also closely observed the candidates. I will make a decision soon. Dona Maria Sebastian, 21, student, Peermade I dont even know the names of the candidates contesting from my constituency. So my vote will go for the party that closely aligns with my needs. I feel like the issues that should be at the forefront are unemployment, corruption, and price hikes. I dont know whether the election result will solve any of these. However, I do believe that my vote is important, and I wont give it away. Im also very certain of which party will not win in my constituency. Aravind R Nair, 21, student, Ernakulam I dont follow politics. It is not a big conversation among my friends. But parties have started campaigning on social media too these days. Thanks to this, Im aware about the candidates. I want to see politicians who keep their promises. Ensuring womens safety and tackling the drug menace are two issues I want the soon-to-be MP to prioritise. While Narendra Modis influence cant be discounted, punching in equal weight are also Shashi Tharoor, Rahul Gandhi and K K Shailaja. Annarose Jaison, 18, student, Thrissur Participating in democracy for the first time feels empowering. Im eager to take part in deciding which party will form the government. However, recent news about EVM malpractices has me questioning the integrity of my vote. While I may not know much about the candidates yet, Im looking forward to learning more. Sam Jones, 26, IT professional, Pathanamthitta I was not in Kerala for a while and couldnt vote till now. This time, I can exercise my franchise. Im concerned about the lack of separation between state and religion. The latter should never have any place in the matters of government. As far as the constituency I belong to is concerned, it has the potential for development. I was not content with the activities of the previous MP. Now, I have done a detailed analysis of the candidates to help my decision. Neha Valsaraj, 20, student, Kannur As a first-time voter, Im curious about the whole process. I checked the Election Commission website to understand everything. More than a right, I think voting is a citizens responsibility. Im interested in politics and I did a detailed study on the candidates contesting in my constituency and others. What Ive understood is that most of them have vested interests. Only some are genuinely interested in being the peoples representative. My major issue with our country is gender discrimination. Though the Constitution grants equal rights, it feels like the country has a long way to go. Vaidyanathan S, 20, student, Kozhikode I think I have figured out the candidate who can best help our people. I have heard many stories of how helpful that candidate has been to all. My personal view is that whoever wins should strive to ensure that they do everything possible for the welfare of the people. Political and other biases should not impair their work. Ongoing issues regarding inefficient governance are certain to dictate the polls. More than the candidates mass appeal, I think it is their political goodwill that counts. I believe in this democratic exercise and Im certain my vote will help usher in a positive change. Compiled by: Mahima Anna Jacob, Ronnie Kuriakose, Parvana K B, Niranjana K P, Swathy Lekshmi Vikram, Aparna Mary Bilna