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Tag: Kerala elections

  • Brand Pinarayi: Call him the person, the cult, or just, Comrade Vijayan!

    Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left obtained it proper, as soon as once more. And it’s official now. Kerala will stay the one Left bastion within the nation for no less than one other 5 years. The largest takeaway from the ballot is undoubtedly Brand Pinarayi. 

    The ‘dhoti-clad Modi’ – as he was as soon as criticised by a Left ally – has proved himself to be essentially the most sought-after political character for the Left in current instances. The politician with an anti-media profile, the Communist strongman went on to reinvent himself to be the tallest Communist chief of the current instances.

    If one was to view the Left from the shores of Kerala, it may properly be the launch of a real Leftist different on the nationwide degree too. Given the present political state of affairs, it will not be stunning if Pinarayi Vijayan emerges because the face of a United Opposition to tackle Narendra Modi in 2024.

    ALSO READ: Brand Pinarayi victorious, Kerala trusts CM to steer state via troubled instances

    In reality, Pinarayi has come a great distance from what he was again in 2016, when he took over the reigns of the state authorities. The plenty who as soon as used to acknowledge the harsh-faced, no-nonsense Communist, grudgingly appear to have lastly discovered their saviour in Pinarayi. 

    The back-to-back calamities that rocked the state within the final 5 years contributed majorly in shaping Pinarayi not simply because the ‘Captain’ of the ship, but additionally received over the plenty who, until then, had been averse to his virtually dictatorial administrative type of functioning. This sweeping electoral verdict can also be his reply to his critics inside the social gathering and the Left entrance who had been baying for his blood after the 2019 Lok Sabha ballot debacle.

    The resounding victory with 99 seats has not solely come as a significant morale booster for the 2 Left events – CPM and CPI – which have been decreased to a mere patch within the nationwide political state of affairs, however has additionally given hopes of a re-emergence for the 2 Communist events.

    With hardly any presence in Parliament, such a victorious margin was important for the 2 Left events to stay related, given the present ever-changing political permutations and mixtures. Given the present nationwide state of affairs the place the Sangh Parivar politics has been going through stiff opposition from a number of pockets, this victory has multi-dimensional proportions, opines CPM politburo member MA Baby.  

    “At a time when challenges posed by the BJP are manifold, it shows that the country has no future without a Left alternative. During these trying Covid times, the state government was able to showcase itself as the real alternative. The formation of a  Left government will strengthen the ongoing struggles and activities to take it forward for another five years,” he affirmed.It is now time for the Left to work out a long-term plan on learn how to completely remodel Kerala within the subsequent ten years. If the federal government follows a manifesto-driven path, it could possibly be really inspirational each on the nationwide and  worldwide degree too. 

    Political commentator J Prabhash nevertheless feels that Pinarayi has by no means evinced curiosity in ever stepping politically past the borders of Kerala. “He wants to confine himself to Kerala. He never had national aspirations. He could have been the catalyst to bring together regional parties opposing the BJP, but age is against him. An apt leadership role should ideally originate from the party central leadership,” he feels. 

    Having stated that, the broader scope of the folks’s verdict now stays to be seen. At the beginning of this second innings, the Kannur strongman has clearly overshadowed the Left patriarchs in claiming his place within the Leftist political firmament in Kerala.

    Pinarayi has after all not solely scripted historical past, however has extra importantly drawn a transparent divide within the state’s political historical past  – the Before and After Pinarayi eras.

  • KK Shailaja: Not only a instructor, however a rockstar

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health Minister KK Shailaja, who grew to become the face of Kerala within the battle towards the Covid-19 pandemic, has come up victorious in yet one more battle — this time political.

    While her victory from Mattannur meeting constituency in Kannur got here as no shock, the report victory margin of over 61,000 votes confirmed that the additional votes got here as a recognition of her efficiency as a minister. 

    The political journey of the 64-year-old former physics instructor from Kannur, who made her meeting debut 25 years in the past, has been phenomenal within the final 5 years when the world took a better have a look at the unassuming well being minister of Kerala.

    WATCH:

    The public well being disaster introduced the most effective out of her — first in tackling the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018 and Covid-19 two years later. Both novel crises have examined the general public well being system and Shailaja has been credited rightly for her management. 

    If there was one minister within the Pinarayi Vijayan authorities who was seen tackling the challenges head on, it was Shailaja. She is credited for her foresight in making ready the state and her potential to speak the selections to the general public.

    It was she who began the each day briefing when the primary case of Covid-19 was reported within the nation, in Thrissur, final 12 months. Her matter-of-fact motion plans had been keenly noticed and readily adopted by the general public. 

    She was the star campaigner within the ‘Break the Chain’ marketing campaign initiated by the federal government to include the pandemic.

    In the preliminary months of the primary wave of the pandemic, the success within the state positioned within the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent in flattening the curve in lower than 100 days after the primary case was reported broadly.  Restricting the variety of deaths because of the pandemic gained her world-wide consideration.

    Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took over the mantle in disaster administration later, the well being minister continued to symbolize the state in worldwide meets on Covid-19 and acquired accolades for her management.

    The worldwide media gave her fancy titles resembling “Coronavirus Slayer” and “Rock star health minister”, a lot to the discomfort of the Opposition events. 

    She was good to snide remarks made by them in her attribute type. Congress state president Mullappally Ramachandran was one of many beneficiaries of her cool strategy when he made private assaults. 

    But such niceties weren’t reserved for IUML chief Ok M Shaji who confronted an indignant retort from her within the legislative meeting. He was lower to a sorry determine for questioning the management talents of a lady chief minister (Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal) throughout a debate on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. 

    Her new-found stature raised expectations of her changing Pinarayi because the chief minister. But she all the time had a readymade reply to quell such potentialities. Nevertheless, her victory has introduced cheer among the many medical neighborhood.

    “It gives a lot of comfort to know that the plans against the pandemic will continue (under her leadership) in the way we are familiar with,” stated a senior physician.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Kerala Election Results: Region-wise efficiency

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  • Kerala Election Results: Widest and narrowest victory margins

    Disclaimer : We respect your ideas and views! But we must be considered whereas moderating your feedback. All the feedback will probably be moderated by the newindianexpress.com editorial. Abstain from posting feedback which might be obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and don’t take pleasure in private assaults. Try to keep away from outdoors hyperlinks contained in the remark. Help us delete feedback that don’t observe these pointers.

    The views expressed in feedback printed on newindianexpress.com are these of the remark writers alone. They don’t characterize the views or opinions of newindianexpress.com or its employees, nor do they characterize the views or opinions of The New Indian Express Group, or any entity of, or affiliated with, The New Indian Express Group. newindianexpress.com reserves the proper to take all or any feedback down at any time.

  • Kerala Election Results: How the large names fared

    By Express News Service
    From the 20-member Pinarayi cabinet, 11 ministers and one ex-minister (KT Jaleel who resigned after the election concluded) contested. Of them, just one misplaced. The Congress-led UDF did not upset the LDF applecart, whereas the NDA too carried out a lot worse than it anticipated.

    12 Ministers

    From the 20-member Pinarayi cabinet, 11 ministers and one ex-minister (KT Jaleel who resignedafter the election concluded) contested. Of them, just one misplaced.

    11 UDF leaders

    Despite good particular person performances by its leaders, the entrance did not upset LDF

    10 NDA leaders

    None of the BJP candidates was in a position to make a mark within the election

  • Wayanad to coastal areas, Cong can’t cease Pinarayi wave

    BUCKING its custom of voting out the ruling get together each 5 years, Kerala selected to stick with the Left Democratic Front, rendering the Congress-led UDF an embarrassing defeat within the state.
    The coalition, which bagged 19 out of 20 seats within the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, ended with 41 seats within the 140-strong Assembly. The UDF present was primarily confined to central Kerala districts of Ernakulam and Kottayam, and ally IUML’s stronghold of Malappuram.
    In truth, the Congress, the UDF’s main get together, fared the worst. Of the 93 seats it contested, fielding new and younger faces in half of them, it might win solely 21. In Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad Lok Sabha seat too, the place he extensively campaigned, the UDF misplaced in three of the seven Assembly segments.
    Congress state president Mullappally Ramachandran known as the defeat surprising. “There is nothing in the political situation in Kerala that justifies this verdict.”
    In the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, the Congress gained solely three out of 25 seats. Among the largest shocks for the get together was the defeat of V S Sivakumar from Thiruvananthapuram to minor LDF ally Janathipathya Kerala Congress’s Antony Raju. Congress younger face and two-term legislator Okay S Sabarinathan misplaced to CPM native chief G Stephen, who had confronted protests from inside the get together.
    In Opposition chief Ramesh Chennithala’s Alappuzha district, the Congress win was restricted to his seat.
    The Congress had anticipated a wave in its favour in coastal areas in southern districts because the fishermen group was offended with the LDF authorities over a cope with US companies for deep-sea fishing. The Catholic diocese of Alappuzha and Kollam had overtly come out in opposition to the deal through the elections, main the Congress to hope for good points within the 40-odd coastal constituencies in Kerala. However, that didn’t occur.
    In North Kerala districts additionally, the Congress couldn’t enhance its tally. In Kozhikode district, the get together couldn’t win in a single seat.
    The IUML however gained 17 of the 27 seats it contested, retaining its maintain on its bastion of Malappuram district. Last time, it had contested 23 seats and gained 18.
    The breakaway Kerala Congress led by P J Joseph gained solely two of the ten seats it had contested.
    Among the UDF leaders who misplaced had been Okay M Shaji (IUML), V T Balram (Congress), Anil Akkara (Congress) and Okay S Sabarinathan (Congress).
    The defeat is a second blow for the Congress after the native physique elections in December, that the LDF had swept, and lots of get together leaders admitted it was a do-or-die battle. After the December loss, the Congress had introduced in former chief minister Oommen Chandy to the centrestage, making him the chairman of the election committee.
    It had additionally this time chosen names primarily based on “winnability”, avoiding its typical pitfall of factional leaders pushing personal leaders.
    The get together additionally hoped to have made an influence with the anomalies in electoral rolls alleged by Chennithala within the run-up to voting. The ruling CPM had maintained silence on the matter.

  • Kerala Elections: What’s at stake for these politicos?

    By Express News Service
    PINARAYI VIJAYAN, CHIEF MINISTER:Could script historical past if the Left entrance continues in energy. Pinarayi will proceed together with his present model of administration. A win with a thumping majority would go a good distance in establishing past doubt the CPM strongman from Kannur because the Left face of Kerala politics. He may even be hailed because the tallest Communist chief within the state’s political historical past, which can even be known as pre or put up Pinarayi. A defeat may show equally damaging for Pinarayi. Not solely will his authority inside get together circles be undermined, however he might find yourself bearing the entire burden of the start of the tip of CPM in Kerala.

    RAMESH CHENNITHALA, OPPOSITION LEADER:

    A win for UDF, nonetheless slender, would guarantee Chennithala continues to helm get together in Kerala. Despite varied group equations inside Congress, he’s sure to clinch a time period as Chief Minister. He may very effectively lay a reputable declare over UDF victory, thereby propelling himself even into the get together’s nationwide state of affairs. On the opposite hand, he may find yourself as probably the most tragicf aces of Kerala politics, if UDF bites the mud. As probably the most environment friendly Opposition leaders within the state’s historical past, he harbours excessive hopes of a victory. A loss will erode his place inside the get together and the UDF.

    Okay SURENDRAN, BJP STATE PRESIDENT:

    The BJP needs to extend its vote share and win a minimum of 20% of votes this time. Winning even a few seats and ending up as runners-up in additional than 10 seats can be sufficient to make sure Okay Surendran’s development within the get together. That would additionally show to be an apt reply to his critics inside the get together, like Sobha Surendran. A win at Manjeswar would positively be the icing on the cake. But a dismal ballot end result would show expensive for Surendran. In that case, even a win at Manjeswar won’t assist retain his place within the get together, as he must shoulder your entire burden of the poor efficiency.

  • NDA camp guarded about electoral end result on counting eve

    Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: On the eve of the declaration of meeting election outcomes, the BJP-led NDA camp remained guarded about predicting its electoral fortunes. BJP state president Okay Surendran had shocked many by claiming in the course of the run-up to the election that the BJP would win 35-40 seats. But as counting day neared, no such tall claims have been heard in get together circles.  

    A senior BJP chief to whom TNIE spoke to refused to foretell a precise variety of seats for the NDA however mentioned the alliance’s tally this time round could be a ‘double digit’ determine. Many different BJP leaders too toed an identical line, in all probability as a consequence of a diktat from the state management to not put out any numbers. 

    “Though we cannot predict the exact number of seats, our vote share would definitely increase and come close to the 20% mark,” mentioned a member of the get together’s core group. Besides profitable one seat, BJP had completed second in seven constituencies final time and the get together has pinned its hopes on clinching these seats this time. The BJP additionally hopes to complete second in a minimum of a dozen seats as effectively. 

    However, not one of the exit polls has predicted greater than six seats for the NDA, with a ballot of polls (an mixture of varied exit polls) predicting two seats for the saffron alliance. While a bit throughout the get together foresees the lotus blooming even in surprising waters, a sceptical group is cautious of shock reversals in its perceived strongholds.

  • Left camp assured of securing back-to-back victory

    Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Banking closely on the Pinarayi issue, the Left Democratic Front in Kerala has excessive hopes of breaking the incumbency jinx that the state has witnessed for lengthy. On the eve of counting, the Left camp is sort of assured of rewriting Kerala’s electoral historical past.

    The exit polls, most of which forecast a snug back-to-back victory for the Left, is an added morale booster. The CPM-led entrance will, nonetheless, favor to financial institution by itself ballot evaluation which predicts a snug majority of 80 plus seats. In case of a silent Left wave, this might go as much as 100 seats. 

    A Left supply although mentioned the exit polls might not precisely replicate the bottom actuality. “The exit polls certainly indicate a general trend in favour of the Left Democratic Front. But when it comes to constituency-specific assessments, the micro level sampling need not indicate the real picture,” they are saying. 

    CPM PolitBuro member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan instructed TNIE that the entrance will get a minimal 80 seats. “It’s going to be a new chapter in Kerala history. As per our assessment, we will not go below 80 seats,” he mentioned. On the eve of counting too, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is confidence personified. The CPM chief who buried himself with Covid management measures as if there aren’t any surprises in retailer on Sunday, might effectively show to be the largest fortune teller for the Left Democratic Front in these polls.

  • Kerala Elections: Nothing wanting win will do for LDF, UDF in do-or-die battle

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The outcomes of a keenly-fought and maybe essentially the most essential meeting polls held ever within the state shall be out on Sunday. Counting of votes in all constituencies will start at 8am and all outcomes are anticipated by night. Trends shall be made out there from 10am by the election fee, which has made elaborate preparations for a Covid-compliant counting course of.

    Drawing confidence from a number of pre-poll and post-poll surveys, the ruling LDF authorities led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is optimistic of a convincing win. Pinarayi, who met reporters on Saturday to transient about Covid state of affairs, reiterated that he had little question concerning the final result of the polls. The LDF calculates that even within the worst-case state of affairs, the variety of seats is not going to fall under the 80-mark.

    The temper within the UDF camp is just not that upbeat in any case exit polls predicted its failure. Yet, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala spoke of victory with certainty on Saturday. Chennithala urged the UDF staff to maintain their morale excessive and directed counting brokers to make sure a fool-proof scrutiny as there’s a lot of postal ballots to be counted this time. He and fellow UDF leaders have seen exit ballot outcomes as a continuation of the pro-CPM stand taken by the mainstream media.

    In truth, nothing wanting a win shall be acceptable to Pinarayi and Chennithala. The CM, who has turn into the poster boy of the Left motion within the nation within the final 5 years, badly needs to retain his fortress in order that Left politics will keep related.  

    A battle for survival for CPM, CPI

    With exit polls presenting a hopeless state of affairs in Bengal, successful Kerala has turn into a battle for survival for the CPM and CPI. Within the CPM too, a failure will show disastrous for Pinarayi as he had upset a bunch of senior leaders by denying them tickets within the meeting polls.

    Chennithala needs to see the outcomes because the fruit of his 5 years of onerous work. As opposition chief, Chennithala had labored onerous and dropped at public sphere a number of controversial selections of the LDF authorities. In most such circumstances, the federal government needed to withdraw because the opposition introduced fool-proof proof. Though former chief minister Oommen Chandy too was dropped at the management of the UDF within the final section, Chennithala was the one who had led the assault in opposition to the federal government in the course of the marketing campaign section.

    The BJP, which opened its account within the meeting in 2016 by successful Nemom, needs so as to add not less than two-three seats to its tally. However, many of the exit polls predicted a grim image for the celebration. The central management of the celebration needs to extend its vote share not less than to 17%, 2% greater than what it managed within the earlier polls. There are gamers like Ernakulam-based Twenty20 and Kerala Janapaksham led by P C George.