Report Wire

Tag: kerala election 2021

  • BJP tried laborious to consolidate Hindu votes and nearly succeeded in Manjeshwar

    Express News Service
    KASARAGOD: Somashekhara J S, the Congress panchayat president of Enmakaje, is heaving a sigh of reduction.

    The Manjeshwar meeting election — by which IUML’s A Okay M Ashraf defeated BJP state president Okay Surendran by 745 votes — was about proving his mettle as a Congress satrap within the border panchayat surrounded by Hindutva politics.

    For the BJP, Enmakaje was essential to Surendran successful in Manjeshwar. It has the most important inhabitants of Hindu voters and provides it the largest lead — round 2,288 votes — over the UDF among the many eight panchayats.

    The occasion’s ministers and MLAs from Karnataka camped within the panchayat for 3 months particularly persuading the Hindu voters of the Congress and CPM to vote for the BJP. The panchayat-wise break-up of votes proves that the BJP swayed loads of Congress and the LDF voters in Enmakaje however was simply not sufficient.

    The panchayat has round 13,000 Hindu voters, 4,000 Muslim voters, and 300 Christian voters. “We worked hard to get the votes of 10,000 Hindus. It was tough but we tried,” stated Udaya Chettiyar, the BJP’s mandalam president of Enmakaje panchayat.

    The BJP bought 8,772 votes and widened its lead over the UDF to 4,322 votes from 2,288 votes within the 2019 byelection. “It is a big achievement but it was not enough,” stated Chettiyar.

    Enmakaje is the one panchayat in Kasaragod and Manjeshwar constituencies with a Congress president. Somashekhara stated BJP ministers and leaders had been targetting the Congress voters in Enmakaje for years now. “Before the election, I was approached by RSS and BJP leaders in Karnataka to the party,” he stated.

    Another panchayat that disrupted the BJP’s plan was Puthige, a small panchayat managed by the CPM. It anticipated the Hindu voters of the LDF would soar ship to the BJP. “But we did not get enough votes in Puthige either,” stated Chettiyar.

    In the 2019 byelection, the BJP had a lead of 434 votes over the UDF in Puthige. In 2021, its lead elevated to 742 votes.

    BJP’s former district president V Raveendran stated the occasion targetted to get 10,000 votes in 4 panchayats — Mangalpady, Paivalike, Kumbla, and Enmakaje.

    The occasion bought 9,583 votes in Mangalpady, 9,227 votes in Paivalike, 9,556 votes in Kumbla, and eight,772 votes in Enmakaje panchayat — falling wanting the goal by 417 votes to 1,228 votes. 

    The occasion didn’t fall quick for need of effort. “No other party could claim to have worked hard as we did. Except for Paivalike, there just was not enough voters to woo,” he stated.

    Muslims take the left laneYet, Ashraf’s victory margin was right down to 745 votes from 7,923 votes M C Kamaruddin bought within the 2019 byelection. There are two causes for that, stated CPM chief V P P Mustafa, who was the ballot supervisor for LDF candidate V V Rameshan. 

    One, the rising recognition of the LDF amongst Muslims, and two, the BJP ran buses and introduced within the most variety of non-resident voters from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru, Shivamogga, and Mumbai. “IUML does the same every election but this time it did not do but BJP did,” he stated.

    In Mangalpady panchayat — the citadel of the IUML — the UDF was anticipating a lead of seven,000-9,000 votes over BJP, relying on the worst and best-case eventualities. But the UDF bought a lead of solely 5,801 votes. 

    At the identical time, the LDF polled 6,309 votes. “We usually get around 4,000 to 4,500 votes,” stated Mustafa. 

    Asked for the explanation, he stated Muslims, notably ladies and Urdu-speaking Muslims, regarded chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan as a hero. “We campaigned in both BJP-dominated areas and in Muslim-dominated areas. The acceptance we got in Muslim areas was encouraging,” he stated.

    A UDF chief stated a number of native Congress leaders tried to swing round 5,000 occasion votes to the BJP in Meenja, Vorkady, Kumbla, and Manjeshwar panchayat. “That is why Mullappally (Ramachandran) took anticipatory bail and tried to blame the LDF after polling. But the reality was they could not transfer even 500 votes,” he stated.

    With the BJP respiratory down the neck of the UDF with each passing election, will Manjeshwar ever fall in its kitty? “For the BJP, it is a long process,” stated Raveendran of the BJP. In this election, he stated, round 83,000 Hindu votes and 83,000 Muslim votes had been polled and the BJP bought round 65,000 votes. “We will come back again with a stronger campaign,” he stated.

    Mustafa of the CPM stated two slender victory margins for the IUML would result in the consolidation of Muslim votes in favour of the UDF in future elections. “As of now, 30% of the CPM’s members in Manjeshwar are Muslims. In other panchayats such as Trikaripur and Padna where the IUML is strong, our Muslim membership is only 5%,” he stated. 

    ALSO WATCH:

    But the house for secular politics is shrinking in Manjeshwar as a result of each the IUML and the BJP harp solely on spiritual identities. “This time we held on to our 2019 vote share. But it will become difficult if the BJP and the IUML continue with the communal campaigns during elections,” he stated.

  • Congress’ Veena S Nair assaults CM Pinarayi Vijayan for violating COVID norms

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition on Thursday alleged that the Kerala Chief Minister violated Covid -19 protocol and continued to mingle with individuals even after he examined constructive on April 4.

    In a veiled assault towards Pinarayi Vijayan, Vattiyoorkavu Congress candidate Veena S Nair took to her Facebook account. She claimed that the Kozhikode medical faculty authorities had said that Pinarayi was having signs of Covid -19 since April 4, when the State had gone to the polls on April 6.

    ALSO READ: Book Vijayan for flouting Covid protocol, calls for Union Minister V Muraleedharan

    Veena wrote the Facebook put up below the backdrop of this. She requested the ”comrades” whether or not or not they might have destroyed her home if she had violated the Covid protocol.

    “Imagine if I developed Covid symptoms on April 4 and I attend the election campaigning. Then I stand in the queue along with the people to cast my votes. After turning Covid positive, I violated the Covid protocol and did not undertake any tests. Comrades, would you all have resorted to destroying my house,” requested Veena in her Facebook put up.

    However, the highest honchos of the Congress occasion are but to react on this problem.

  • 40% voter turnout at midday in Kerala polls dominated by Sabarimala situation

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly 40% of the citizens within the state had solid their votes within the first 5 hours of polling within the Assembly election and the by-election to Malappuram Lok Sabha seat, on Tuesday.

    Minor clashes between BJP and CPM staff had been reported from the Kazhakkoottam constituency. Several individuals, together with ladies, sustained accidents within the conflict at Kattayikonam. The BJP staff alleged that the CPM males unleashed violence on them after they had been distributing slips to voters.

    A 65-year-old voter, Gopinatha Kurup collapsed and died within the polling sales space at Vallakmkulam in Alappuzha. Two instances of bogus voting had been reported within the state. 

    The Sabarimala situation dominated the political discourse on voting day as effectively. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opined that Lord Ayyappa and different deities had been with the LDF, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala mentioned the LDF authorities would face the wrath of Lord Ayyappa and likewise of the individuals.

  • Kerala polls: UDF sales space agent in Trikaripur assaulted, candidate requires re-election

    By Express News Service
    KASARAGOD: The Congress-led UDF on Wednesday demanded the election be stopped in Pilicode panchayat in Trikaripur constituency after a UDF sales space agent was allegedly assaulted by CPM staff.

    The CPM has denied the cost.

    UDF candidate M P Joseph, a former UN diplomat, stated his sales space agent James Maroor, who can also be the district secretary of Kerala Congress, was assaulted at sales space no. 127 at Government Model School at Vellachal in Pilicode panchayat — a bastion of the CPM.

    In a video launched on social media, Joseph stated Maroor was assaulted by 4 individuals and his telephone snatched away. “The presiding officer did not intervene and the micro observer defended the assaulters,” he stated. Speaking from a wheelchair in a personal hospital, Maroor stated the CPM staff requested him to depart the sales space as they “do not allow anyone else to be in the booth”.

    “When I told them to maintain the democratic decorum, they said there was only their decorum and no democracy,” Maroor stated, additional including that somebody hit his head from the again.

    “I told the presiding officer to protect me. He did not move his finger. There were two police officers — one with a gun — outside the booth. They did not even get up from their seats. Then the assaulters took me outside and assaulted me,” he stated.

    Joseph stated the polling must be stopped and held on one other day with full police safety and with Maroor because the UDF agent. “I have informed the observer,” he stated.

    The LDF candidate and CPM chief M Rajagopalan stated that he was not conscious of the alleged incident as he was obtainable at different location.

    When contacted, panchayat member of Vellachal and CPM chief C V Radhakrishnan stated no such incident occurred. “I am at the model school and no such incident happened here. The polling is going on smoothly,” he stated. The UDF candidate got here to the sales space and left, he added.

    When requested if there was a UDF agent within the sales space, he stated: “There is nobody here.” 

    In Pilicode and neighbouring Kayyur-Cheemeni, all of the panchayat wards are gained by the CPM-led LDF. In 2020, the Congress gained one ward in Pilicode panchayat due to “some local issues in the CPM”, stated a CPM employee.

    During the campaigning, Joseph had flagged 73 cubicles within the constituency, calling for video surveillance and additional safety.

  • INTERVIEW | NDA shall be constructive opposition if it will possibly’t get desired outcomes: Pralhad Joshi

    Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: BJP state president Okay Surendran’s declare that BJP-led NDA would type the following authorities within the state, even when it wins 35-40 seats, had triggered a heated debate in political circles. Some even speculated the potential of the saffron social gathering engineering splits and defections in different events after the election, on the strains of ‘Operation Kamala’ in Karnataka.

    Union Minister & ⁦@BJP4India⁩ in control of elections in #Kerala ⁦@JoshiPralhad⁩ explains the⁩ social gathering’s plan of action in case BJP fails to get the outcomes claimed by the state leadershipRead full interview right here: https://t.co/gyhZAHzaUR⁦@NewIndianXpress⁩ pic.twitter.com/WiCzFuVVfA
    — Sovi Vidyadharan (@sovividyadharan) April 5, 2021

    In an interview to The New Indian Express, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and BJP’s election in-charge for Kerala Pralhad Joshi scotched such studies and mentioned the NDA shall be a ‘constructive opposition’ if it can’t get the specified outcomes by itself. Excerpts:

    How do you assess BJP’s ballot prospects in Kerala? Our vote share elevated to 17% within the earlier polls. We are concentrating on some seats the place we had a great response over the past two to 3 elections. I’m hopeful our vote share and variety of seats will improve this time. 

    The BJP state president has mentioned NDA will be capable to type a authorities even when it will get 35-40 seats. Does this imply BJP will engineer splits and defections?I don’t know in what context he (Okay Surendran) made the assertion. But I can say that if we are able to’t cross that mark on our personal, we shall be a constructive Opposition. 

    The state management believes that in a post-poll situation, many constituents of LDF and UDF will cross over to NDA. Is this a chance? The main goal of our group is to win extra seats. Let’s see what occurs after the election. Our intention at current is to challenge ourselves as a reputable different.

    Manjeshwar is among the seats the place BJP has excessive hopes. There are studies that SDPI has determined to assist Muslim League within the seat to make sure BJP’s defeat?Islamic fundamentalists are being supported by each LDF and UDF and vice-versa. Parties like SDPI paint BJP because the villain and attempt to polarise votes. But one ought to keep in mind that reverse polarisation is going on within the meantime. 

    Will the social gathering fielding Surendran in two constituencies adversely have an effect on his probabilities in each seats?Going by the responses we’re getting from Konni and Manjeshwar, I feel he’ll win each seats and there shall be a bypoll in one in every of them. 

    How essential is Metroman E Sreedharan coming into the fray and being projected as a CM candidate? BJP believes in bringing to its fold individuals who have made their mark of their respective domains, not essentially in politics. We are assured of his win. His presence will appeal to extra professionals to BJP.

    Most of the pre-poll surveys have predicted that LDF will return to energy. Your ideas?Pre-poll surveys have gone fallacious in current instances together with within the UP, Bihar and Tripura meeting polls. So, I don’t assume such predictions could also be completely appropriate.

    How damaging has been the allegation of RSS ideologue R Balashankar a few secret CPM-BJP deal? I’d name such allegations infantile and don’t wish to remark any additional on it.

    Whether or not it’s CPM’s allegation of a Congress-Muslim League-BJP (Co-Le-B) alliance or UDF’s cost of a CPM-BJP secret pact, BJP is on the centre of all of it?(Laughs) This is a ploy to scuttle the BJP’s growing vote share and affect. Had BJP been a non-entity, no entrance would have taken our identify. This exhibits BJP is now on the centre stage of Kerala politics.

    There is a criticism that the LDF authorities is rebranding numerous central schemes as its personal? Our employees have been making folks conscious of it. People have slowly begun to grasp the reality and can train the LDF a lesson.

    How do you reply to LDF’s cost that BJP is utilizing Central businesses to focus on state leaders?It’s fully false. Central businesses come into the image solely when there may be any illegality. LDF, which is into all kinds of scams, is now complaining of witch-hunt. Amit Shah ji has posed 9 inquiries to the CM and he has answered none. 

    Do you assume BJP’s stance on Sabarimala shall be endorsed by voters?BJP doesn’t intend to create polarisation on the problem. Our stance is to guard the feelings of all sections of society.  While LDF’s intention was to disrespect the folks’s religion, UDF adopted double requirements on the ladies’s entry problem. 

    UDF too raised the Sabarimala problem forward of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and reaped enormous electoral acquire. I agree that UDF took benefit of the problem. But after that, they betrayed the folks. Rahul Gandhi has by no means spoken on the Sabarimala problem in Parliament. Neither has he tried to symbolize the feelings of devotees. BJP has repeatedly stood for safeguarding folks’s religion and beliefs.

    UDF has questioned BJP-led Union authorities’s sincerity on Sabarimala. It says the Centre may have enacted a laws since spiritual establishments fall within the Concurrent record?Devaswom Board comes below the state authorities. If the Centre enacts a legislation, it will likely be accused of interfering in state’s rights and going towards the nation’s federal construction. Let me make it clear. It is for the state authorities to take a name on the matter. 

    How profitable have BJP’s efforts been in taking the Christian neighborhood into confidence?Christians have began to significantly observe points like ‘love jihad’ and the disproportionate distribution of central assist meant for minorities by the state authorities. As far as BJP is worried, we comply with the follow of justice to all, appeasement of none. 

    ALSO WATCH:

  • ‘Rahul will go to solely women faculty’: LDF on the defensive as ex-MP Joyce’s vulgar remarks set off row

    By Express News Service
    IDUKKI: Former MP Joyce George was on the centre of an issue after he mocked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s go to to St Teresa’s College in Ernakulam, an all-girls faculty. 

    Congress leaders in Opposition have demanded his arrest for making derogatory remarks in a speech crammed with sexual innuendos and double entendre, triggering a volley of protests.

    While addressing an LDF election marketing campaign at Udumbanchola on Monday night for sitting MLA and minister M M Mani, Joyce stated that since Rahul Gandhi is a bachelor, college students must be cautious whereas doing bodily train in entrance of him. “Rahul Gandhi will go to only all-girls colleges. Once he reaches there, he will teach them to bend and curve,” he stated, amid splits of laughter from CPM candidate Mani, who too has courted controversy up to now for making sexually express remarks.

    During his go to to St Teresa’s College on March 22, Rahul confirmed some fundamental rules of Aikido, a contemporary Japanese martial artwork, on a scholar’s request.

    Condemning Joyce’s remarks, Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala requested the police to arrest the previous Idukki MP for such “distasteful comments”.

    Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, talking in Kottayam, stated such a remark shouldn’t have emanated from a state like Kerala which is thought for the excessive social place for its girls.

    Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan distanced himself from Joyce’s feedback saying it isn’t CPM or LDF’s tradition to assault somebody personally. “We oppose his (Rahul) politics and we will fight it politically. But it’s not our culture to attack someone personally,” he stated in Kasargod.

    “CPM does not agree with the comments made by former Idukki MP Joyce George against Rahul Gandhi. We are against Rahul Gandhi’s politics,” CPM stated in an official assertion.

  • Kerala election: Thiruvananthapuram MLA urges EC to stop bogus voters from polling 

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Coming up with one more revelation associated to the proliferation of bogus voters within the electoral rolls, Thiruvananthapuram sitting MLA V S Sivakumar stated that with {a photograph} there are a number of bogus voters in three names and addresses. Talking to reporters at Indira Bhavan, Sivakumar together with Vattiyoorkavu Assembly constituency Congress candidate Veena S Nair demanded that the Election Commission ought to take away all bogus voters from the electoral rolls and in addition urged them to take steps to stop them from casting their franchise.

    Sivakumar knowledgeable that 7600 bogus voters in Thiruvananthapuram, 8400 in Vattiyoorkavu and 6360 in Nemom have been recognized which reveals the gravity of the scenario. He alleged that this could not occur with out the connivance of the federal government officers who’ve leanings in direction of the LDF. Sivakumar claimed that this could be the primary time within the historical past of the nation that the rampant proliferation of bogus voters has been recognized.

    “We will be approaching the Election Commission on Thursday itself where they should come out with further clarity on this issue. This is impersonation which is seeing bogus voters in multiple constituencies with one photograph which is a serious offense. We strongly suspect that Government officials who have leanings towards the Left have deliberately included multiple bogus voters to help the LDF,” stated Sivakumar.

  • Kerala Election 2021 Opinion Poll: LDF predicted to interrupt 40-year jinx by returning to energy

    The CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will return to energy in Kerala with a easy majority if elections had been held now, a survey has predicted.
    Since 1980, no incumbent occasion or coalition has been voted again to energy within the state.
    According to the Asianet News-CFore survey, the LDF is prone to get 72-78 seats within the 140-member Assembly. The half-way mark is 71. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) is anticipated to finish up with 59-65 seats, an enchancment from its 2016 tally of 47 seats. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will end in third place with 3-7 seats.
    The survey predicted that the LDF will make good points over the UDF in northern and southern Kerala whereas the UDF will probably be dominant within the central components of the state.

    Around 39% of the respondents stated they needed to see Pinarayi Vijayan return because the chief minister of the state. While 18% opted for former CM and Congress chief Oommen Chandy, his colleague and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor bought 9% votes. Health Minister KK Shailaja bought 7% votes, adopted by Congress chief of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state president Okay Surendran with 6% votes.
    As per the survey, 34% of the respondents stated the LDF authorities’s largest achievement was distributing the free meals kits in the course of the Covid-19 lockdown. 27% of the respondents voted for welfare pension and 18% stated they appreciated the federal government’s Covid-19 administration. At the identical time, 34% of the surveyors stated the federal government’s largest failure was dealing with the Sabarimala agitation in 2018.

    In June final yr, an identical survey by Asianet News-CFore had additionally predicted that the LDF would come again to energy if elections had been held then. In the native physique polls in December, the LDF exceeded expectations by successful a majority of the panchayats, block panchayats, district panchayats and firms.