UDF allies Muslim League, Kerala Congress (M) eyes extra Lok Sabha seats

Agencies
January 29, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29: With the Lok Sabha elections only weeks away, two allies of the Congress-led UDF -- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala Congress (Mani) -- are seeking an extra seat each to contest. Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress traditionally contests in 16 seats, the IUML- in two and the Kerala Congress (M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in one each. In 2014, the Congress won eight seats and its allies their share.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, KM Mani, Chairman of the Kerala Congress (Mani), replied in the affirmative when asked if his party was going to seek an extra seat to contest. "Kottayam is already our seat and we will ask for one more seat. It could be Idukki, Chalakudy or Thrissur," said Mani.

The Kottayam seat was held by Mani's son Jose K Mani. But last year, as part of a patch-up formula to bring back Mani into the UDF, the Congress leadership, much to the chagrin of many UDF allies, handed out a vacant Rajya Sabha seat to Mani.

Mani, who has been a legislator for the past 50 years, immediately took the seat and asked his son to resign from the Lok Sabha and file the Rajya Sabha nomination.

Mani's party consists of the erstwhile Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction, led by PJ Joseph, who was an ally of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and a State Minister in the VS Achuthanandan Cabinet till he merged his party with the Kerala Congress (Mani).

With Mani raising the demand for an extra seat, the IUML has also expressed a desire for one more seat: Wayanad or Badagara.

IUML General Secretary KPA Majeed told the media on Tuesday that they will raise this issue at the appropriate meeting of the UDF.

The IUML contests the Malappuram and Ponani Lok Sabha seats, both in Malappuram district. "IUML certainly deserves more seats to contest in the Lok Sabha," said PK Firoz, who heads the party's Youth Wing.

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News Network
February 14,2020

Feb 14: India will never forget the martyrdom of the security personnel killed in last year's Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

He termed the slain security personnel were "exceptional individuals" who devoted their lives to serving and protecting the nation.

On February 14 last year, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the attack.

"Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama Attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," tweets PM Modi one year since the Pulwama attack.

"I pay homage to the martyrs of Pulwama Attack. India will forever be grateful of our bravehearts and their families who made supreme sacrifice for the sovereignty and integrity of our motherland," tweets Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: A total of 12 special evacuation flights from across the globe will bring home stranded Indians on the sixth day of 'Vande Bharat Mission' on Tuesday.

The special flights include Air India flight from Manila to Ahmedabad, London to Hyderabad, Newark-Mumbai-Ahmedabad, AI flight from Singapore to Delhi, AI flight from Dhaka to Srinagar, Dammam to Kochi, Kuala Lumpur to Mumbai, Manila to Delhi, Muscat to Chennai, Dubai to Kannur, Dubai to Mangalore and Singapore-Bengaluru-Kochi.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, India is conducting 'Vande Bharat' Mission -- its biggest ever repatriation exercise since independence -- to bring back stranded Indians from abroad, including from the US, the UAE and the UK.

On the fifth day of Vande Bharat Mission, as many as 1,667 Indian nationals were repatriated from different countries in eight special flights.

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News Network
May 25,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, May 25: About 100 people, including a Magistrate and some police personnel, have been asked to go into quarantine after an accused, who was produced before a lower court here following his arrest, later testedpositive, officials said on Monday. The accused, who was arrested along with two others in connection with a case relating to illicit liquor transportation two days ago, had been shifted to thePoojapura central jail after he was remanded to judicial custody.

With his sample testing positive on Sunday, theman has been sent to a designated COVID-19 hospital. The Nedumangad court magistrate, before whom he was produced, 34 police personnel, including a circle inspector, who were on duty at the Venjaramoodu police station when the accused was broughtafter his arrest, some employees of a government hospital where his swab sample was taken and 12 officials of thePoojapura central jail have gone into quarantine, police sources said.

. Meanwhile, Malayalam film actor Suraj Venjaramoodu and Vamanapuram MLA D K Murali (CPI) are under self-imposed quarantineas they had attended a function in which the circle inspector had taken part.

Two days ago, a car in which illicit liqour was being transported had hit a policeman and sped away, but people managed to stop the vehicle and the three accused, who were in an inebriated state, were arrested, sources said.

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