The New Indian Express News

KOLLAM: With the UDF securing 27 seats in the 56-member Kollam corporation, the decades-long LDF hold over the civic body has come to an end. The LDF was reduced to 16 seats, while the NDA registered a sharp rise, winning 12 seats. Congress sources attributed the victory to an early start to door-to-door campaigning and sustained grassroots mobilisation. Though the UDF fell short of the absolute majority mark of 29 seats, the mayor will be elected through a vote of the councillors, as per the Ke

MALAPPURAM: Nilambur municipality, once showcased as a rare Left breakthrough in Malappuram, delivered a resounding verdict on Saturday, throwing the LDF out of power and restoring the UDF with an overwhelming majority. The LDF, which had ruled the council since its historic 2020 win, was reduced to just six seats, while the UDF swept 26 of the 36 wards. According to the final results, the IUML, which had drawn a blank in the previous council, made a strong comeback by winning seven seats. The o

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Local body polls often signal the changing course of Kerala politics. On Saturday, political Kerala witnessed one of the biggest comebacks of recent times, with the Congress-led UDF scripting an authoritative victory in the two-phase local body elections held on December 9 and 11, and the ruling LDF nearly washed out. Riding on an anti-incumbency wave, the UDF garnered a stupendous victory, winning four out of six municipal corporations, seven district panchayats, 54 municipa

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Saturday said the NDAs strong performance in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation elections reflected public acceptance of the partys development agenda and a clear rejection of the LDFs governance in the state capital. This result clearly shows that people have accepted the BJPs development vision. The BJP will fulfil every promise made in its manifesto and develop the state capital into one of the countrys leading cities, Chandrasek

KOCHI: Overwhelmed by the resounding victory in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP has ignored the bruises it suffered across the state in the local body elections. The massive preparations at the grassroots level paid off as the NDA has increased its representation in local bodies, but the party failed to secure a clear majority in Palakkad , a fortress it held for more than a decade. The saffron party finished a distant third in the Pandalam municipality which it ruled in 2020. Another se

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the CPM-led LDF suffered a rout in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation, it fared well in all the four municipalities in the district. Interestingly, it retained them with a performance bettering even the 2020 tally. The LDF cruised to simple majority in Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara municipalities, while in Attingal and Varkala, it became the biggest coalition but ended tantalisingly close to breaching the threshold. Requiring 22 seats for a majority, LDF coasted to 29

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The minimal headway made by opposition parties in Attingal municipality has helped save LDFs face here in securing the most number of votes in the local body polls. However, the front cannot hail this their complete victory, as it falls one seat short of a clear majority, with only 16 seats in the 32-member council. While UDF and BJP managed to win seven seats each here, the victory of two independent candidates remains critical in the municipality. Though Attingal has been a

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Varkala municipality has delivered a clear mandate this time, with the LDF retaining power. Out of the 34 wards, the front secured 16 seats, pushing the NDA to a distant second with 10. The UDF slipped in to the third place with only six seats. The support of two independent councillors will now be crucial, as the LDF requires 18 seats to secure a ruling majority. In the 2020 elections, the LDF had won 12 seats, the NDA 11, the UDF 7, and independents 3. The LDF had formed th

KOCHI: The prosecution failed to prove to the trial court the purpose of Pulsar Sunis visit to Laksyah, a clothing business run by Kavya Madhavan. At one stage, the prosecution asserted that Suni intended to collect quotation money for the abduction and sexual abuse of the actor on February 17, 2017. It also claimed that first accused Suni and fourth accused Vijeesh V P visited Laksyah to hand over a letter. Simultaneously, the prosecution took the stand that the visit was to deliver a memory ca

KOTTAYAM: In the fiercely-contested Pala municipality election, two young women in their 20s have stolen the show, scripting stunning victories Riya Bino Cheeramkuzhy and Diya Binu Pulikkakandam. Riya, an offroader with a penchant for adventure, won Kaveekunnu ward (320 votes) on a Congress ticket, while Diya, an economics graduate, triumphed in Palampurayidom as an independent candidate (279 votes). On her victory, Riya, 24, said, I am delighted to have won in my first election. I will serve t

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) decision to field R Sreelekha, a former State Police Chief-rank officer, for a ward councillors post for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation election was one that raised eyebrows. However, the bold yet peculiar move has paid rich dividends. With the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sweeping half of the 100 seats in the corporation, Sreelekha, who won with a sweeping majority at Sasthamangalam ward, is among the frontrunners for the M

KOCHI: Though the prosecution in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual abuse case cited the motive as Dileeps enmity and desire for revenge against the survivor for tattling on him to his first wife about his alleged illicit relationship with Kavya Madhavan, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court found the claim unsubstantiated. The matter first came to light when Manju Warrier read messages sent by Kavya to Dileeps mobile phone. However, the court noted that these messages were not produced befor

KOCHI: It has been a virtual balancing act for many! This local self-government election has seen several young candidates who gained social media popularity surge to victory. The streak began with UDF candidate Vyshna Suresh, who won the Muttada ward of Thiruvananthapuram corporation considered a Left stronghold by a margin of 397 votes. Vyshna secured 1,607 votes, dealing a major setback to Kesavadasapuram sitting councillor Amsu Vamadevan. The victory assumed as it followed a dramatic contr

MALAPPURAM: Ponmundam panchayat, long regarded an anomaly in Keralas coalition politics, has delivered a verdict that rewrites its political history. The Congress-CPM-backed Janakeeya Munnani on Saturday swept the local body polls, winning 13 of the 18 wards and ending decades of uninterrupted Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) dominance. The result marks the most emphatic comeback of the much-maligned Sambar Munnani the Congress-CPM combine nearly three decades after its first, abortive experi

KOCHI: Registering an improved performance with each passing election, the BJP finally emerged as the single largest party in Tripunithura municipality. With 21 seats in the 53-member council, the BJP however failed to secure a simple majority. The ruling LDF was reduced to 20 seats, while the UDF only managed to win 12. Though the LDF and the UDF together hold 32 seats, chances of the two fronts coming together to keep the BJP out of power are grim especially considering the implications of su

IDUKKI: Kanniyamma Alakarswami may have only won the Kanthalloor panchayat election by the narrowest of margins (13 votes), but the victory could not be any more profound. Having secured the peoples mandate here is also indicative of the fact that they have now embraced Kanniyamma, who was expelled years ago from the Muthuvan community for defying tribal customs. Contesting on a Congress ticket, the 60-year-old won 191 votes and pipped BJP candidate Anitha C, who managed only 178 votes. CPIs Mee

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Six former MLAs who stepped back into electoral politics through the local body polls this time delivered a mixed verdict for their parties, combining clear wins, narrow margins and close defeats. Drawing on long legislative and grassroots experience, four candidates won, while two fell short by slim margins. Former legislators R Lathadevi, K C Rajagopal, K S Sabarinadhan and Anil Akkara secured wins in their respective wards and divisions, while A V Gopinathan and E M August

KOTTAYAM: In the high-profile electoral contest in Pala municipality, the Pulikkakandam family has emerged as a decisive force in determining who will rule the council this time. As the results of the local body elections were announced on Saturday, three members of the family, who contested as independents, achieved a surprising victory over established political parties. Binu Pulikkakandam, former councillor of CPM, his brother Biju Pulikkakandam and Binus daughter Diya Binu have won from ward

KOCHI: That local issues often triumph over party affiliations in the electoral battlefield is evident from the results of the latest round of polls in Munambam Kadappuram ward of Pallippuram panchayat, where LDF gained power with 13 seats, while UDF got only 9. Traditionally a UDF citadel, which had been a sure-shot seat for Congress for many years, the ward shifted its allegiance to BJP this election after the voters became disillusioned with their peoples representatives who failed to stand w

KOZHIKODE: The Kozhikode corporation election results delivered major political jolts on multiple fronts, with both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF suffering unexpected defeats in key wards, even as BJP emerged as a decisive gainer by capturing several strategically and politically significant divisions. LDF won 34 of the 76 seats, while the UDF bagged 26 and NDA, 13. In one of the most striking outcomes, LDF mayoral candidate and incumbent deputy mayor C P Musafar Ahmed was defeated in Wa

KOCHI: Amid the UDF wave across the state, the local body elections have seen an unusual surge in tied contests, necessitating a draw of lots to decide the front that would take the reins in dozens of local self-government institutions. According to the State Election Commission data, a total of 64 grama panchayats and 10 block panchayats ended in a deadlock, where more than one front secured an equal number of wards. This unprecedented number of ties means a significant chunk of local bodies wi

KANNUR: After a period marked by intense political drama and open threat from rebel factions, the UDF has retained control of Kannur corporation by securing victories in 36 of 56 divisions. The days following the declaration of the election date were fraught with uncertainty, as internal divisions surfaced within the front. Adding to the tension was the challenge from a group led by a former development standing committee chairman and Congress rebel, raising serious concerns about possible defec

KOTTAYAM: In the local body elections that drew attention due to the rivalry between the Kerala Congress factions in Central Travancore, the P J Joseph faction has made notable progress under the wings of the UDF, while the Kerala Congress (M) suffered an unexpected setback in its strongholds. With the LDF being pushed to the side in the region in the UDF wave that swept through the state, the KC (M) -- currently an LDF constituent -- suffered a huge setback in its fortress, losing power in seve

KOCHI: Twenty20, the CSR-backed party, suffered a setback in the local body elections, losing Kunnathunad panchayat and several sitting seats. Launched in 2013, the Kizhakkambalam Twenty20 party -- riding high on expectations after promising change -- disrupted mainstream politics in the state after winning four panchayats in the 2020 local body elections. This time, while retaining Aikaranad, Mazhuvannoor and Kizhakkambalam, Twenty20 won 9 of the 18 seats in Thiruvaniyoor panchayat. Despite con

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the LDF, the defeat in the local body election represents a fall from the political height the CPM had reached over a decade. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, long considered unassailable, now faces questions over his political invincibility. CPM state secretary M V Govindan would also face some tough questions over his capabilities in organising the party machinery. The UDF secured a sweeping mandate across both rural and urban areas, reflecting widespread voter dissatis

KOCHI: When V D Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition, stepped off the Vande Bharat at Ernakulam South railway station on Saturday evening, the reception was telling. Jubilant Congress workers and leaders, led by MP Hibi Eden, MLA T J Vinod and DCC president Mohammed Shiyas, welcomed him with sweets. It marked the arrival of a leader who had just overseen one of the most decisive local body performances in Keralas political history by the Congress-led UDF. Satheesan arrived in Kochi around 7pm fro

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At the KPCC office in Thiruvananthapuram, Saturdays local body poll results felt like a reward long in coming. The Congress headquarters exuded joy as screens lit up with numbers that turned favourable after 15 years. As the results settled, supporters thronged the corridors with sweets, handshakes and unguarded laughter. Since the 2010 local body elections, the UDF had repeatedly fallen short in both assembly and local polls. Victories were largely limited to the Lok Sabha.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The silence at the headquarters of the largest cadre party in the state was palpable around Saturday afternoon, as disappointing election results poured in. The loss of four district panchayats, four corporations and nearly 200 grama panchayats had dented the spirits of party activists at AKG Centre. Speaking to mediapersons, LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the BJP coming to power in the Thiruvananthapuram corporation should not be trivialised. We will examine the result i

KOZHIKODE: The local body election results have proved that CPMs alienation among the Muslim community in Kerala is complete even as the IUML retained the reins of the community. IUMLs thumping victory in Malappuram and UDFs impressive performance in Muslim-dominated areas in Malabar show that the CPM has lost its confidence among the minority community. The continual communally-coloured statements from CPM leaders and the partys endorsement of the irresponsible comments by SNDP Yogam general se

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Festival favourites may be a separate package at the IFFK, but delegates rush at the 15 venues for Day 2 hinted that the segregation could be a misnomer, as most of the films shown went full house. Portraits in a Sea of Lies, the 2010 Suvarna Chakoram winner; and A Sad and a Beautiful World, a love story set in Lebanon amidst all the upheavals it faces were the clear favourites of many. A clutch of Indian films also caught eyes: Joe Babys Ebb, Moham by Fazil Razak, and Neeraj

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the LDFs humiliating defeat in the city corporation, in-fighting began within the district CPM. Taking a cue from the rough exchanges between senior leaders within the partys district committee, a young leader too came out against the outgoing council led by Mayor Arya Rajendran. City councils outgoing standing committee chairperson Gayathri Babu took a dig at Arya through a Facebook post. Stating that the corporation used to hold the Left front close du

As the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) emerged as the single largest party in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, thereby marking the end of 45-year reign of CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor called the result as eauty of democracy. The NDA won 50 seats in the 101-member municipal corporation in Kerala's capital city, securing such a big mandate for the first time. Tharoor also lauded the performance of Co

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) emerged victorious as the counting of votes for the 2025 Kerala local body elections concluded on Saturday. UDF made a comeback in Alappuzha district, showcasing a thumping victory over the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), signalling a significant turnaround from the 2020 results. The IUML-led United Democratic Front (UDF) tightened its political dominance in Malappuram and won an overwhelming majority of local bodies. Despite deep internal confl

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan attributed the United Democratic Fronts (UDF) victory in the local body elections to strong anti-incumbency sentiments and the CPMs shift toward majority appeasement. He argued that the CPM had adopted the communal agenda of the BJP, which ultimately benefited the latter, particularly in Thiruvananthapuram. Before the parliamentary elections, the CPM pursued minority appeasement, only to later switch to majority appeasement. UDF had consistent

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has captured the Pandalam municipality, ending the National Democratic Alliances (NDA) control, in a significant political shift in central Pathanamthitta. Of the 34 wards, the LDF won 14 seats, the United Democratic Front (UDF) secured 11, while the NDA was reduced to nine. In another setback for the BJP, the party also lost power in neighbouring Kulanada panchayat, where it had been in control for the past 15 years. Here, the LDF won eight wards,

PALAKKAD: With no political front securing a clear majority in the Palakkad municipality, post-poll negotiations have swiftly moved from informal exchanges to structured political engagement. Senior party leaders and local functionaries across fronts confirm that exploratory talks are underway between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to forge a tactical understandingon the lines of an INDIA-bloc-style coordination at the civic levelto prevent the BJP-led Nati

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress-led United Democratic Front showcased a thumping victory in both rural and urban civic bodies, as the counting of votes for the 2025 Kerala local body elections came to a close. The UDF has won in four out of six corporations: Kollam, Kochi, Thrissur, and Kannur. The LDF retained Kozhikode, whereas the NDA has wrested Thiruvananthapuram from LDF. The UDF also won 59 district panchayats, 1063 block panchayats, and 7451 grama panchayats; the LDF won 30 district pan

Vyshna SL, the Congress candidate from Muttada division of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, won with a margin of over 300 votes in the local body polls. She had to move the Kerala High Court to reinstate her name in the electoral roll. Vyshna had approached the Kerala HC after getting a notice from the State Election Commission (SEC) informing that her name had been removed from the voters' list. Subsequently, the High Court ordered the SEC to reexamine her claim. Thereafter, the SEC conducte

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Startup festival Huddle Global 2025, organised by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), began at Kovalam here on Friday. The three-day event offers vast opportunities for startups, including funding and mentor support. An expo of innovative products and an all-India hackathon are among the highlights. Addressing the opening session, Finance Minister K N Balagopal said the global landscape is transforming with rapid digitalisation through domains like AI, automation and shipping supp

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With stray dog management remaining a persistent challenge in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram corporation is planning to adopt the Greater Chennai Corporations model of an exclusive animal birth control (ABC) centre-cum-multispeciality veterinary hospital. The proposal comes amid rising concerns over public safety and growing rabies cases, with 21 confirmed infections being reported within the corporation limits between January and December this year. The civic body is

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A total of 16 counting centres have been set up across Thiruvananthapuram district for the upcoming local body elections, covering the corporation, municipalities and block panchayats. The counting for the Thiruvananthapuram corporation will take place at Mar Ivanios College. Votes from wards 1 to 26 and 27 to 51 will be counted in two sections on the ground floor hall located between the St. George Building and the Little Flower Block of Sarvodaya Vidyalaya. Counting for war

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UK policies during the British Mandate directly paved the way for the displacement of Palestinians and the entrenchment of Zionist settler presence, Palestine Ambassador to India Abdulla M Abu Shawesh said at the opening of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) on Friday. Speaking ahead of the screening of Palestine 36, he described the film as a window into a history that Palestinians were long denied the platform to narrate. Shawesh said the Balfour Declaration o

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has directed the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and Digital University Kerala (DUK) to foot the bill equally for expenses incurred to the tune of Rs 31.20 lakh for shortlisting of vice chancellor probables in both universities by a Supreme Court-appointed search committee. Of this, Rs 18 lakh is the honorarium to Justice (Retd) Sudhanshu Dhulia who headed the panel. The panel had conducted interviews of VC candidates in the two universitie

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Honouring the resilience of the survivor in the actor abduction case, the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) opened in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday with a message of solidarity. Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian declared that the festival stands with the survivor in the 2017 actor assault case, reiterating that Kerala and the state government will remain with her throughout her fight for justice. Addressing a packed audience at the Nishagandhi Auditorium,

KOCHI: At a time when art is used to incite hatred, riots and genocide, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale should be able to prepare the ground to combat it, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan while inaugurating the sixth edition of the Kochi Biennale at the Fort Kochi Parade Ground on Friday. The chief minister inaugurated the event by lighting a lamp made specially out of tender coconut fronds. The chief minsiter said that the current trend is to give national recognition to organised efforts to sho

KOCHI: Declaring that the trial courts verdict in the actor abduction and assault case represents not just a setback but a failure to treat a grave crime with the seriousness it warranted, the prosecution and the survivors counsel said the judgment amounted to a stark denial of justice. Minutes after the court sentenced all six accused, including the prime accused, to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, special public prosecutor V Ajakumar described the ruling as deeply disappointing and one that

KOCHI: Though relieved that the trial court imposed the minimum sentence prescribed for the gang-rape charge 20 years of rigorous imprisonment in the actor abduction case, the counsels for the accused indicated plans to appeal before higher courts. Their pointed to the possibility of the punishment getting reduced further, as the period the accused spent in custody during the trial will be set off against total sentence. According to Pratheesh Kurup, counsel for prime accused Sunil N S, aka Pu

KOCHI: While acquitting actor Dileep in the 2017 actor abduction and sexual assault case, the trial court observed that the first accused Pulsar Suni had initially claimed that the quotation for the crime came from a madam, and the prosecution was duty-bound to investigate that angle. The order, accessed by TNIE , stated that Suni had first claimed the quotation originated from a woman but later changed his version and alleged that it was at the instance of actor Dileep. If this be the situation

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Kerala High Courts finding that over 400 acres of land in Munambam in Ernakulam district is not waqf property and ordered status quo on the dispute over the holdings of over 600 families. A two-judge bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, however, clarified that it has not stayed the inquiry by the C N Ramachandran Nair commission. The bench issued notice to the Kerala government while hearing a plea fil

KOCHI: Over eight years after the chilling actor abduction and rape shook Kerala, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court witnessed another emotionally charged day on Friday though without the overwhelming frenzy that had gripped it on Monday. Earlier in the week, the entire state waited with bated breath to see whether actor Dileep would be convicted. But on Friday, with the spotlight turning to the sentencing of the six found guilty, a smaller but steady crowd gathered still tense, still angr