Exit polls show 2nd consecutive win for Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF in Kerala

News Network
April 29, 2021

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 29: Exit poll results from Kerala on Thursday appeared to give the edge to the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) coalition while the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) seemed to come in second. The BJP was seen winning a couple of seats as well.

An aggregate of five exit polls showed the LDF front is likely to win 85 of 140 seats - ahead of the half-way mark - and the Congress-led UDF at 53 seats, the polls say. The BJP is set to make its presence felt with two seats.

Exit polls often get the results wrong. Votes for the elections are set to be counted on Sunday, alongside other state and territory elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

In a state with a four-decades-old tradition of alternating between the two main coalitions every five years, the exit polls seem to show these elections bucking the trend.

After weeks of a stormy campaign with marathon rallies and mammoth roadshows, the state admired for its high governance and progress metrics, voted for a new administration on April 6 and picked from more than 900 candidates including high-profile leaders for its 140 assembly constituencies.

The two traditional coalitions - the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led LDF and the UDF sought another term in these polls while the BJP, long an outlier in the southern state, made attempts to wedge its way in.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister KK Shailaja, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, Power Minister MM Mani and Higher Education Minister KK Jaleel were among the prominent faces trying their electoral luck from the ruling side.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, senior leaders K Muraleedharan, PT Thomas and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, MK Muneer, VS Sivakumar were among those contesting from the UDF fold.

The elections were crucial for an array of BJP leaders including former Mizoram Governor Kummam Rajasekharan, "Metroman" E Sreedharan, who joined the party recently, state president K Surendran, senior leader Shobha Surendran, Rajya Sabha members Suresh Gopi and KJ Alphons among others.

As much as they are a test for one of the last remaining communist strongholds in the country, it is also a litmus test for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, an MP from the state who spent several days and took part in dozens of corner meetings and rallies across Kerala to campaign for the UDF.

Usually host to just one or two prominent national figures, this time Kerala saw multiple visits by leaders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a dozen of their cabinet colleagues including Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajnath Singh and Prahlad Joshi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachin Pilot, AK Antony, Salman Khurshid and others.

In election manifestos influenced by the pandemic, all three fronts came out with populist promises including pension for housewives, raising of welfare pensions, free gas cylinders for the poor, free laptops for economically disadvantaged students.

In a state with a large Christian and Muslim population, the BJP pulled out all stops to draw Hindu votes, even promising a law to tackle "Love Jihad" - the rights wing conspiracy theory that Muslim men seduce Hindu women to make them convert.

Both UDF and the BJP also tried their best to highlight the contentious subject of women's entry to the Sabarimala temple and the controversial gold and dollar smuggling cases, in which the Chief Minister's office, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and some other ministers were facing allegations.

The ruling LDF, meanwhile, strived to focus on the government's achievements in the development and welfare fronts in the last five years and its internationally acclaimed measures in tackling COVID-19 and flood management.

They also accused the Congress of adopting a soft stand towards the Hindutva agenda to pick a hole in their vote-bank. These allegations have been denied by the Chief Minister, as the centre and state governments have hit out each other over central probe agencies.

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News Network
May 10,2025

indianarmy.jpg

In a significant escalation of hostilities, the Indian Army has reported that Pakistan targeted critical civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and school premises, in Srinagar, Awantipur, and Udhampur. This incident marks a severe breach of international norms, with Pakistan's actions drawing widespread condemnation.

Details of the Attacks

Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during a press briefing, said that Pakistan's military launched attacks on Indian Army hospitals and educational institutions in these regions. The targeted facilities are located within or near military airbases, raising concerns about the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure. The attacks have resulted in significant damage to these establishments, though specific casualty figures are yet to be confirmed.

Indian Army's Response

The Indian Army has termed these actions as "unacceptable" and a direct violation of international humanitarian law. In retaliation, India has initiated "Operation Sindoor," a series of strikes targeting Pakistani military bases and terrorist infrastructure. The operation aims to dismantle terror networks operating from across the border and to send a strong message against such provocations.

The international community has expressed grave concern over the escalation. The United Nations has called for maximum restraint from both nations to prevent further deterioration of the situation. Countries like the United States, Russia, and China have urged India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue and de-escalate tensions.

As of now, the situation remains tense. Both nations have mobilized additional troops along the Line of Control (LoC), and airspace in the affected regions has been restricted. Civilians in the targeted areas have been advised to stay indoors, and emergency services are on high alert to respond to any further incidents.

This development marks a significant turning point in the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions, with the targeting of civilian infrastructure raising the stakes of the conflict. The coming days will be crucial in determining the trajectory of relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

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News Network
May 8,2025

New Delhi: The government is briefing an all-party meeting on Thursday on the success of "Operation Sindoor" and its aftermath, as top government functionaries and opposition leaders met for a second time in a fortnight amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, J P Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman represented the government, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress and DMK's T R Baalu were among the leading opposition figures in the meeting.

Other opposition leaders included Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJD's Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)'s John Brittas.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also part of the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government wanted to brief all parties on "Operation Sindoor".

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes early Wednesday on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base Muridke.

The military strikes were carried out under 'Operation Sindoor' two weeks after the massacre of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The government had earlier called an all-party meeting on April 24 to brief leaders on the attack.

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News Network
April 30,2025

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday stated that speaking in favour of Pakistan is wrong and constitutes treason. However, he emphasized that an inquiry is ongoing in the case of an alleged mob lynching of a man accused of shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" in Mangaluru.

“If the slogan ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ was shouted, it is wrong, regardless of who said it. The inquiry is still underway, a case has been registered, and we will determine the appropriate action based on the report,” Siddaramaiah said in response to questions from reporters about the killing.

He reiterated, “If anyone speaks in favour of Pakistan, it is wrong. It amounts to treason.”

Home Minister G. Parameshwara confirmed that a person was “lynched” in Mangaluru and said that those arrested claimed the victim shouted "Pakistan Zindabad."

“This is under investigation. Only the arrested individuals have made this claim. Nearly 20 people have been arrested so far. The police are also verifying the identity and background of the deceased. We are taking the case very seriously,” he said, noting that several people present at the cricket match where the incident occurred are being questioned.

Responding to allegations that the police initially attempted to portray the incident as a suicide, the Home Minister said, “We have no such information. If any such discrepancies are found during the investigation, appropriate action will be taken.”

According to police, the deceased has been identified as Ashraf from Pulpalli village in Sultan Bathery Taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala.

The incident occurred during a local cricket match near the Bhatra Kallurti temple in Kudupu village, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, on April 27. Ashraf was allegedly beaten with sticks, resulting in multiple injuries that led to internal bleeding and shock. He was declared dead at the hospital.

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