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India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Will quit politics if Congress loses 2026 polls: Kerala Leader of Opposition
Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, VD Satheesan has declared that he will quit politics if the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) fails to secure a landslide majority in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. His remarks came in response to a challenge posed by prominent Ezhava leader and SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally speaking to a regional news channel, had said he would resign from his position if the UDF won 100 seats in the next assembly elections. He also asked whether Satheesan would go into 'political exile' if the UDF failed to achieve such a majority. Natesan had earlier accused Satheesan of harbouring anti-Ezhava to these comments, Satheesan told the media after visiting the family of a Kerala nun arrested in Chhattisgarh that he was not interested in competing or arguing with Natesan. However, he said Natesan had inadvertently acknowledged the UDF's potential to win big. 'He has openly told a truth: if the UDF gets 98 seats, he will resign. So he has no doubt about us getting at least 97 seats. A mature and intelligent community leader like him, who follows Kerala politics closely, has acknowledged that,' Satheesan added, 'If we get the remaining four or five seats, it will exceed a hundred. We will work hard and make it more than a hundred seats. But there is no challenge with him. He is asking if I will go into political exile if I cannot bring the UDF back to power with a good majority. If I cannot bring the UDF back to power with a good majority, I will go into political exile. You will not see me after that.''Even if UDF wins more than 100 seats, Vellappally need not resign. Let him remain in that position for life,' he said. 'There is no competition between him and me.'- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Kerala
Mint
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Pinarayi Vijayan, other leaders pay last tributes to ex- Kerala CM VS Achuthanandan
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with senior leaders, paid their final respects to veteran CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan at the Durbar Hall in the State Secretariat on Tuesday, 22 July. Top political figures, party workers, and members of the public gathered to offer their tributes to the iconic communist leader, who played a pivotal role in shaping Kerala's political landscape. VS Achuthanandan, one of India's most respected Communist figures and a key presence in Kerala's political history, died on Monday at the age of 101. The veteran leader died at 3:20 pm while undergoing treatment in the critical care unit of the Pattom SUT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, according to an official bulletin issued by the hospital. Achuthanandan was receiving treatment since June 23, following a cardiac arrest. VS Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2006 to 2011. He was also the longest-serving opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly, holding the position for 15 years. Achuthanandan was a founding member of the CPM. He served as the Secretary of the CPM Kerala State Committee from 1980 to 1992. He was the LDF convener between 1996 and 2000, and Leader of the Opposition in three separate terms--1992 to 1996, 2001 to 2006, and 2011 to 2016. Earlier on Monday, CM Vijayan mourned the demise of the party veteran and wrote on X, "A glorious era of revolutionary will and persistence comes to an end with the passing of our beloved Comrade VS Achuthanandan." Vijayan remembered VS Achuthanandan's contributions to the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising and his work for the agricultural workers. "His life - an illustrious saga of struggles like Punnapra-Vayalar, leadership of toiling agricultural workers, unwavering commitment as an organiser, and as an efficient administrator - remains a limitless repository of inspiration and lessons. As a comrade and a resolute fighter of the people, Comrade VS, as he was fondly known, stands tall as a doyen of Marxist ideology, unyielding in his fight against the exploitative capitalist order," the X post read. Paying condolences to his family, Vijayan added, "Expressing deepest sorrow at his passing and heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and comrades. Adieu, and Lal Salaam, Comrade VS." The Kerala government has declared a three-day mourning period beginning from July 22 as a mark of respect for former CM V S Achuthanandan. During this time, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings across Kerala. In a statement, the government said, "It received the news of his demise with profound grief." As a mark of respect, the Kerala government announced that all state government offices, educational institutions, professional colleges, state PSUs, statutory bodies, autonomous institutions, and all other establishments under the Negotiable Instruments Act would remain closed on Tuesday, July 22, 2025."
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Business Standard
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Kerala's veteran communist leader V S Achuthanandan dies at 101
Former Kerala Chief Minister and veteran CPI(M) leader Velikkakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan (101), popularly known by his initials VS, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (July 21, 2025). Achuthanandan was one of the last founding members of the party and served as Chief Minister from 2006 to 2011. He had been admitted to SUT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram for over a month due to prolonged illness. He was a member of the CPM Politburo from 1985 until 2009, after which he was part of the party's Central Committee. Achuthanandan is also credited with being the longest-serving opposition leader in the history of the Kerala Assembly, holding the position for around 15 years. He was elected to the Kerala Assembly for seven terms. His body will be taken to Alappuzha in a procession on Tuesday, with the funeral to be held at the Valiya Chudukadu burial ground on Wednesday. Achuthanandan was born into a family of agricultural workers in Punnapra, Alappuzha, in 1923. He led various struggles in Kerala over the last eight decades, starting by organising coir factory workers, toddy tappers, and agricultural labourers in his early years. His first involvement with the trade union movement was when he organised coir workers at the Aspinwall Company, where he had started working. He joined the Communist Party in 1940, when he was just 17 years old, after beginning his political journey through trade union activities and the State Congress in 1939. He played a pivotal role in founding the Travancore Karshaka Thozhilali Union, the predecessor of the Kerala State Karshaka Thozhilali Union. Achuthanandan also played a crucial role in uplifting agricultural workers in Kuttanad, who were subjected to severe exploitation by landlords. During the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Diwan of Travancore, he was arrested and subjected to severe custodial torture. 'As a public speaker, VS had mastered the art of communicating directly with the audience. Known for his austere lifestyle and unwavering commitment to social justice, Achuthanandan has left an indelible mark on Kerala politics. With his death, the Party and the communist movement have suffered a grievous loss,' CPM said in a statement. He was promoted to the state committee of the united Communist Party in 1956 and to its national council in 1958. He was the last surviving member of the 32 members of the national council of the united Communist Party who went on to form the CPM. He also served as the state secretary of the CPM between 1980 and 1991. He is survived by his wife, K. Vasumathy, and their two children, daughter V. V. Asha and son V. A. Arun Kumar. He was admired across party lines for the role he played as the Opposition Leader of Kerala between 2001 and 2006, taking a tough stance against corruption, championing public interest issues, and voicing opposition to government atrocities, including the Muthanga police firing on the Adivasis. Building on this popularity, he led the Left Democratic Front to victory in 2006, and although he came close to securing a second term, he lost by a marginal one seat in 2011.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Ezhuthachan Law College to host national moot court contest
V.R. Krishnan Ezhuthachan Law College at Elavanchery in the district will conduct an all-India moot court competition from July 5. College officials said here on Thursday that nearly 100 law institutions from across the country, including national law universities, had registered for the week-long event to be held in both online and offline modes. The winners will get cash prizes totalling ₹1 lakh. When the best moot team will get a cash prize of ₹50,000, runner up will get ₹30,000, best speaker ₹10,000, and best researcher and best memorial ₹5,000 each. Ernakulam District and Sessions Judge Honey M. Varghese will inaugurate the competition on July 5. Kerala Assembly secretary N. Krishnakumar will deliver the keynote address. He will speak on the significance of advocacy training and its role in democracy. The event's finale will take place on July 12 in which High Court judges will be the adjudicators. 'Moot courts not only enrich the academic journey of law students, but also instil in them a deep respect for justice and ethical practice,' said college principal Annie Jose T.
India Today
24-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Congress's win in high-stakes Kerala bypoll warning for Pinarayi Vijayan?
In what many viewed as a semi-final match ahead of next year's Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a decisive victory in the Nilambur by-election on Monday. Congress candidate Aryadan Shoukath defeated the ruling CPI(M)'s M Swaraj by a margin of 11,077 votes — marking the UDF's first win in a CPI(M)-held seat in over four by-election was necessitated by the resignation of PV Anvar, an independent MLA backed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF), following a fallout with the front. Shoukath's win also symbolically reclaims the seat once held by his father, the late Aryadan Muhammed, for a record eight THE BY-ELECTION HAPPENEDJust a few years ago, few would have imagined PV Anvar challenging the CPI(M). Once celebrated by Left cadres as their own, despite being an independent, Anvar had turned Nilambur red in both 2016 and 2021, a constituency that traditionally leaned towards the Congress-led UDF. However, the alliance soured dramatically when Anvar launched scathing allegations against the Chief Minister's Office and senior police officers, including CM's political secretary P Sasi and former Assistant Director General of Police MR Ajith Kumar, accusing them of corruption and criminal eventually resigned, joined the Trinamool Congress as its state convenor, and made overtures to both the UDF and Tamil Nadu's DMK before contesting as a rebel faced off with Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly, VD Satheesan when Congress chose to field Shoukath over Anvar's choice VS Joy, the Malappuram district Congress president. His decision to fight the by-election, aimed at challenging both 'Pinarayism' (Pinarayi Vijayan's dominance) and 'Satheesanism' (VD Satheesan's leadership), turned the race into a three-way fight. Anvar finished third with 19,760 votes, proving he still commands significant THE RESULT TELLS USFor the first time since 2006, CPI(M) contested Nilambur under its own symbol, fielding senior party leader M Swaraj. Despite the anticipation surrounding his candidature, the party managed to lead in just one local segment — a sobering result for a government that has been in power for nine result signals an anti-incumbency undercurrent and gives the Congress a strong narrative heading into the 2026 Assembly elections. This victory also comes shortly after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's election from Wayanad — of which Nilambur is an assembly segment — and may reflect a rising momentum for the Congress in North the issues between Shashi Tharoor and the party leadership in the state that surfaced on polling day, did not affect the Congress's strategy of attacking Congress over alleged ties with the Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Welfare Party of India failed to dent UDF's prospects. More troubling for the Left, the party lagged even in its traditional strongholds, fuelling criticism of a top-down, Pinarayi-centric leadership the LDF aiming for a third consecutive term, Nilambur serves as a second warning after its underwhelming performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The CPI(M) now faces growing internal and external pressure to rethink its political messaging and organisational approach.- Ends
