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The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nilambur bypoll in Kerala: CPI(M) nominates M. Swaraj as LDF candidate
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat in Kerala has nominated M. Swaraj as the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) candidate in the Nilambur Assembly byelection. CPI(M) State secretary M. V. Govindan told a press conference here on Friday that Mr. Swaraj, a party State secretariat member, was a native of Nilambur with profound grassroots-level connections. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate Mr Swaraj's election convention in Nilambur on June 1. Other LDF leaders will attend. Mr Govindan termed P.V. Anvar, former LDF Independent legislator from Nilambur, a spent force. 'Mr Anvar betrayed the trust of Nilambur voters and switched sides to align himself with the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). His presence or absence in the electoral fray has no bearing on the LDF's prospects', Mr Govindan said. Mr Govindan termed Mr Anvar's 'flailing attempts' to find a safe harbour in the UDF 'pathetic'. He said the UDF was bitterly divided over whether the alliance should provide Mr Anvar with honourable accommodation or tag him as a hanger-on and fellow traveller. Mr Govindan said Mr Anvar had accused the UDF leadership of scorning his advances despite 'falling to his knees in supplication'. He said Mr Anvar's 'desperate' attempt to enter the UDF had widened the existing schisms in the Congress. 'Congress leaders were split over whether to billet Mr Anvar and his party in the UDF. For one, Mr Anvar had driven a wedge between Congress leaders by singling out Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan as the person opposed to the former's UDF entry.' 'The Congress is a divided house. Rivalry over prospective chief ministership, one-upmanship, factional feuding and petty power plays animate the Congress rather than politics or policy. Now, Mr Anvar's entry has further roiled Congress' internal politics', he said. Mr Govindan said 'undercurrents and resentfulness within the Congress rank-and-file' would work against the UDF's candidate, Aryadan Shoukath. He said the CPI(M) would harness its organisational heft and exploit the profound divisions in the Opposition to catalyse the LDF's election campaign. He said Nilambur had a legacy of iconic class struggles, epitomised by the 'martyrdom of comrade Kunjali'. The LDF had successfully fielded independents and party members in Nilambur several times. Mr Swaraj told reporters that Nilambur would vote for the LDF government's welfare, development and public service delivery. 'The byelection is a precursor to the LDF sweeping back to power for a third consecutive term in the 2026 Assembly elections,' he said. The bypoll will be held on June 19.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stringent legal measures required to check drug menace, says M.V. Govindan
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan said here on Wednesday that stringent legal measures should be taken against those involved in the sale and distribution of narcotic substances. 'As per existing laws, those caught with a small quantity of such illegal substances get bail immediately. An introspection is required on whether the laws needed to be strengthened to ensure strong action against those involved in the sale and distribution of drugs,' he said in his inaugural address at the 'Janakeeya sabha' organised by the party here in connection with the human wall protest being planned in 15 centres in Ernakulam against the drug menace on June 10. He said that the seizure of drugs by enforcement agencies alone would not help in cracking down on the illegal rackets involved in the sale of narcotic substances. They have to be prosecuted and corrective measures initiated to avoid such incidents in the future, he said. Mr. Govindan said that the fight against the drug menace should be above political differences as a joint effort was required to save the youth of the State from the health crisis triggered by the use of drugs. Public involvement remained crucial in anti-drug campaigns as they could help in alerting excise and police personnel about such illegal activities, he said. He said that schools and colleges should be brought under the campaign as spots close to the educational institutions were used for the sale of drugs. 'We should also focus on a serious campaign to spread awareness about the ill-effect of drug use,' he said. M.K. Sanoo, critic, and Siby Malayil, filmmaker, attended the programme.
Scroll.in
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
ED names Kerala CPI(M) in chargesheet about alleged cooperative bank fraud
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday named the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a chargesheet pertaining to a case about money having been allegedly siphoned off from a bank controlled by the party, The Indian Express reported. The agency also named eight leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala in the chargesheet. They included Lok Sabha MP K Radhakrishnan, former state minister AC Moitheen and the party's former Thrissur district secretary MM Varghese. This was the second case in which the Enforcement Directorate named a political party as an accused entity under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. In May last year, the agency had named the Aam Aadmi Party as an accused in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. In Kerala, the Enforcement Directorate began investigating the case against Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders after the Crime Branch alleged that about Rs 300 crore had been siphoned off by party functionaries from the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank, The Indian Express reported. The Enforcement Directorate alleged that Radhakrishnan, Moitheen and Varghese – during their tenures as the district secretaries of the party in Thrissur – helped other accused persons procure illegal loans from the bank. A portion of these loans was allegedly funnelled to the party fund, according to The Indian Express. The chargesheet included the statement of a bank employee named Biju MK, who became an approver in the case. Biju reportedly told a magistrate court that members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s district committee pressured bank authorities to clear illegal loans, and obtained a portion of the loans from borrowers as contributions to the party fund. Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary MV Govindan alleged that the Enforcement Directorate's actions were part of a politically motivated conspiracy, The New Indian Express reported. 'The people of Kerala can see through these plots,' Govindan said. 'The CPM will confront the issue both politically and legally.' The Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader referred to a statement by the Union Ministry of Finance before Parliament in March that there had only been two convictions out of the 193 cases registered by the Enforcement Directorate against MPs, MLAs and local body members in the last 10 years. 'This clearly exposes a politically biased approach intended to harass opposition leaders without evidence,' Govindan was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. He claimed that the party had taken strict action against those allegedly involved in the bank fraud case.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nilambur by-elections: A significant ballot box test for LDF and UDF on June 19
The ruling front and opposition will face their arguably most significant ballot box test ahead of the 2025 local body polls and the Assembly elections in 2026, with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday announcing June 19 as the date for the Nilambur Assembly by-poll. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition reckon the by-poll will likely be a bellwether of Kerala's voting behaviour in the crucial run-up to the consequential elections. Also read | Kerala bypoll: Nilambur bypoll results on June 23; UDF, LDF set to declare candidates The resignation of LDF independent legislator P.V. Anvar triggered the by-election at the fag end of the second Pinarayi Vijayan government. The outcome of the by-poll holds significant political consequences for both fronts. Mr Anvar, who joined the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) after his acrimonious break-up with the LDF, has declared unconditional support for the UDF. However, Mr Anvar's demand for pre-by-poll accommodation in the UDF has been a sore point between him and the opposition alliance. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan hinted in Ernakulam that billetting Mr Anvar in the UDF was in the offing. 'The UDF would work out the modalities of the arrangement: he said. Mr Satheesan said the UDF would announce its candidate for Nilambur within 24 hours. He said the UDF would put the LDF's 'misrule' on public trial in Nilambur. He predicted a no-holds-barred political fight and hinted that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Wayanad MP, would campaign for the UDF. Mr Anvar told reporters in Kochi that he would support any 'devil' the UDF throws into the fray in Nilambur. Earlier, Mr Anvar had stirred controversy by suggesting that V.S. Joy, the District Congress Committee (DCC) president, who hails from the Christian settler farmer community, a significant electoral bloc in the forested district, stood a better chance of winning in Nilambur than another reportedly prospective candidate, Aryadan Shaukath. Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary M. V. Govindan stated in Kannur that the LDF was not locked in a 'candidate declaration' race with the UDF. He did not rule out the possibility of fielding independent candidates. Mr Govindan shrugged off whether LDF would exploit the 'divisions in the UDF' in Malappuram and field a Congress dissident. 'LDF will take a tactical decision within a week. Our candidate will be a person with public stature and acceptance', he added. Mr Govindan described the Nilambur elections as the LDF's springboard for gaining power for a third consecutive term in the Assembly elections 2026. 'With barely a few months left for the government's term to expire, the LDF did not reckon the Nilambur by-poll as a verdict on the administration,' he said. Instead, Mr Govindan sought to frame the electoral battle as one between a UDF-backed rainbow coalition of majority and minority communal forces and the pro-welfare and development-oriented secular left.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- The Hindu
Madras High Court holds former Coimbatore Collector, DRO and RDO guilty of contempt
The Madras High Court has found former Coimbatore Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati (now serving as Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation Managing Director), District Revenue Officer M. Sharmila and Revenue Divisional Officer P.K. Govindan guilty of contempt of court and directed them to pay ₹10,000 each from their salaries to the contempt petitioner. Justice P. Velmurugan also held Coimbatore North Tahsildar Manivel guilty of contempt and sentenced him to undergo one month simple imprisonment besides paying an amount equivalent to his monthly salary as compensation to the petitioner. The sentence was, however, suspended for the limitation period of 30 days when an appeal could be filed. The judge purged Village Administrative Officer Yamuna alone from the contempt proceedings initiated by 74-year-old senior citizen John Chandy in 2024 for having not complied with the orders passed by the court on November 8, 2023 to consider the petitioner's plea to remove illegal entries from the 'patta' related to his immovable property located at Chinnavedampatti village. In his counter affidavit to the contempt plea, Mr. Pati told the court that he got transferred from the post of Coimbatore Collector in February 2025 and that he tenders unconditional apology to the court for not having complied with the order passed by the court in 2023 to conduct an inquiry with respect to the petitioner's plea and dispose it of within two months. However, observing that the counter affidavit was not satisfactory, the judge held that Mr. Pati, Ms. Sharmila and Mr. Govindan, being superior officers, had failed to ensure that tahsildar Manivel complied with the court orders within the stipulated time. 'It is clear that the respondents one to four have deliberately disobeyed the order under contempt. They cannot be absolved,' the judge concluded. Three more Tahsildars sentenced Allowing yet another contempt of court petition filed by P. Shankar in 2024, Justice Velmurugan found Chengalpattu Tahsildar Venkataraman guilty of having wilfully not obeyed an order passed by the court on February 28, 2024 to consider the petitioner's request for grant of patta. The judge sentenced the Tahsildar for one month of simple imprisonment. Further, the Tahsildar was directed to pay a compensation of ₹25,000 from his salary to the petitioner failing which he would have undergo 10 more days of simple imprisonment. The judge, however, suspended the sentence for the limitation period of 30 days provided under the Contempt of Courts Act for filing an appeal against the conviction before a Division Bench of the High Court. Further, dealing with a third contempt plea filed by G. Murugathal, the judge sentenced Coimbatore Special Tahsildar (Land Acquisition) Shri Malathi, Madukkarai Tahsildar A. Sathyan and Vellalur Village Administrative Officer to one month of simple imprisonment and directed them too to pay a compensation of ₹25,000 each to the petitioner, or in default, undergo 10 more days of imprisonment.
