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Pinarayi Vijayan to make a historic come back to power in Kerala, BJP won’t have an MLA this time

"Intial" trends in <keyword id="28504" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> show that of the 87 <keyword id="6378088" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="constituencies">constituencies</keyword>, the ruling Left leads in 50 seats, when counting of <keyword id="625878" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="postal-votes">postal votes</keyword> were taken up first at 8 a.m. on Sunday. The Congress-led UDF leads in 36 and the <keyword id="14666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> on one seat. Looking back at previous elections, it's always the Left which has the edge when it comes to postal ballots. Voting took place in the state on April 6 to elect 140 legislators to the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly. The ruling <keyword id="6356705" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</keyword> government has been touted to win the <keyword id="6359957" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Polls">polls</keyword> by all the exit polls, which have been dismissed by the Congress-led Opposition. While hitherto the average number of postal ballots in a constituency stood around 500, this time in some constituencies, it has gone up to as high as 4,000 votes because voters aged above 80 were allowed this facility and this time there were more number of election officials. Moreover this time one will have to wait for almost 30 minutes to know the latest updates as the practice of providing live updates on the website of the Chief Electoral officer is not there this time and hence the results will only be available manually when the concerned official at the respective counting centre comes out with their half hourly report. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/ldf-vs-udf-final-result-kerala-assembly-election-2021/articleshow/82347653.cms">Pinarayi Vijayan looks at a historic comeback while Kerala’s BJP cadre can only hope for a higher vote share</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-vaccines-may-take-up-to-5-months-to-reach-private-centres-governments-say-slots-for-all-adults-may-open-only-after-2-3-weeks/articleshow/82326681.cms">COVID vaccines may take up to 5 months to reach private centres — governments say slots for all adults may open only after 2-3 weeks</a>

Counting of postal votes begins in Kerala, "Congress-led UDF" leads

Top leading candidates in Kerala Assembly election result 2021 as per EC data from key constituencies

The controversy over the breaking of the <keyword id="6384180" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="sabarimala">Sabarimala</keyword> <keyword id="6355287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Temple">temple</keyword>'s culture and tradition continues to rage and is even now the most discussed election issue in Kerala as seen from the statements of various top political leaders, who came to cast their votes on Tuesday. The <keyword id="6930180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sabarimala-temple-issue">Sabarimala temple issue</keyword> was raised by Sukumaran Nair, general secretary of the powerful Hindu Nair community's social and cultural organisation -- <keyword id="378621" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nair-Service-Society">Nair Service Society</keyword>. Soon after casting his vote at Changnacherry in Kottayam district, Nair said what he could sense is that the people in the state want a change in governance and want an outfit which will uphold social justice and secular credentials. "The Sabarimala temple issue continues to rage as believers are angry," said Nair. It was in 2018 that the apex court ruled that the temple should be open to all women irrespective of the age group as until then the temple tradition was that no women in the age group 10 to 50 be allowed entry. Following the verdict, the Vijayan-led government floated a renaissance movement, much to the anguish of the believers of Lord Ayyappa, the deity at the Sabarimala temple, and even went to the extent of providing security to two activist women to pray at the temple by providing <keyword id="6369752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Police-Security">police security</keyword>. The temple town then became a battle ground after believers in large members resisted attempts by the police to take women in the hitherto banned age group. This temple issue came as a setback for Vijayan in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when he won only one of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. On Tuesday, after casting his vote at Kannur, Vijayan when asked about Nair's Sabarimala temple issue said, "it's not just Ayyappan alone, all God's are supporting the Left," said Vijayan, who was accompanied by his wife Kamala Vijayan. And then came statements from the Congress leaders who condemned this sudden U-turn by Vijayan. Reacting to Vijayan's sudden love for Lord Ayyappan, Chennithala laughed and said it was strange to hear an atheist's sudden love for Ayyappan. "Vijayan will get the wrath of Ayyappan as he destroyed the sanctity of the famed Sabarimala temple," said Chennithala. Two time former Congress Chief Minister <keyword id="137100" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oommen-Chandy">Oommen Chandy</keyword> said Vijayan's statement will be taken with a pinch of salt by the people as it has no sum or substance. "The first thing he did was to file a fresh affidavit and it was done after withdrawing our affidavit, and it was clear that he was against the existing traditions of the temple. When the apex court verdict came, he said he will abide by the verdict. Soon he led a renaissance movement and when no women came to visit the temple, police forcefully took two women to the temple and the culture and traditions were broken. And on election day Vijayan has made a huge U-turn and this would be dismissed by every devotee as nothing but a bluff," said Chandy and added the Congress-led <keyword id="6361745" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="udf">UDF</keyword> will win a resounding victory. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan laughed at the statement of Vijayan and said it's high time that the CPI-M be wound up as their ideology has been thrown out of the window. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/restaurants-in-maharashtra-are-staring-at-a-slow-death-as-another-lockdown-threatens-to-kill-their-business/articleshow/81924727.cms">Maharashtra restaurant owners fear the current lockdown could be the final nail in the coffin for their business</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/earth-isnt-the-only-planet-with-rain-and-it-could-be-the-key-to-finding-a-habitable-planet-outside-the-solar-system/articleshow/81926108.cms">Raindrops on other planets could be key in search for life beyond the solar system</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-hcl-tech-infosys-q4-earnings-preview-and-guidance/articleshow/81908765.cms">Record breaking quarter for Indian IT services is a given ⁠— all eyes are now on guidance</a>

Sabarimala temple continues to be an election issue in Kerala

With the state Assembly polls round the corner, the ruling LDF in Kerala on Wednesday got a shot in the arm as Kerala Congress(M) faction led by Jose K Mani decided to severe its decades old ties with the Congress-led UDF and work with the CPI(M)-led front in the state. Party leader Jose K Mani also said he would quit his Rajya Sabha membership, won with the support of the UDF. Announcing his faction's political position at a press conference here, Jose expressed hope that the LDF leadership will take a decision on his party's entry into the ruling front. Jose, son of veteran Kerala Congress (M) leader <keyword id="10105448" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="late-k-m-mani">late K M Mani</keyword>, hailed the CPI(M)-led front's efforts to safeguard the secularism in the country. He also said the LDF government in the state was keen to work towards the welfare of the farming community, which is the core base of his party. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and leadership of the LDF were quick to welcome Jose faction's decision to cooperate with the front. In a statement, Vijayan said the KC(M) has taken a stand that LDF is the politically correct formation, ending its 38- year-old association with the UDF. The matters related to the party's LDF entry will be decided at the front's meeting, he said. Meanwhile, the UDF leadership flayed the move, saying Jose faction "backstabbed" the Congress-led front, which made him Rajya Sabha member. UDF convenor M M Hassan also said the Jose faction should quit all the parliamentary positions including <keyword id="10105447" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="kottayam-lok-sabha">Kottayam Lok Sabha</keyword> seat won with the support of the Congress-led front. Justifying his decision to work with the LDF, he said the front has been relentlessly fighting against the growing communal forces in the country. Attacking the UDF leadership and a rival Kerala Congress (M) faction led by P J Joseph, Jose said a section in the Congress-led front "expelled" his faction from the UDF after a dispute arose over a post in a local body. The UDF humiliated the MLAs and leaders who stood by his late father K Mani, who built the UDF 38 years ago, he said. He also alleged that P J Joseph faction engaged in character assassination of the leaders of his faction. "The UDF leadership supported Joseph's bid to hijack the Kerala Congress (M). They (UDF leadership) did injustice to us," Jose alleged. Jose faction's issues with the UDF leadership aggravated in June this year after it was "ousted" from the Congress-led <keyword id="204591" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Democratic-Front">United Democratic Front</keyword> (UDF) in connection with the tussle over the Kottayam district panchayat chief post. The UDF leadership had later rectified it saying the Jose group was not ousted from the front and it was only temporarily barred from the UDF meeting for refusing to honour an agreement made in public with the coalition front over sharing the Kottayam district panchayat president's post. "Technically Jose K Mani group is part of the UDF," UDF chairman and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Ramesh Chennithala had said in <keyword id="6357416" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="thiruvananthapuram">Thiruvananthapuram</keyword> recently. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-wipro-infosys-future-retail-airtel-irctc-srf-and-others/articleshow/78651966.cms">Top stocks to watch — Wipro, Infosys, Future Retail, Airtel, IRCTC, SRF, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/apple-new-iphone-12-series-with-5g-launched-starting-at-rs-69999-along-with-side-homepod-mini-debut/articleshow/78647779.cms">Apple's new iPhone 12 series with 5G launched starting at ₹ 69,999 along with HomePod Mini debut</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/a-spacecraft-flying-by-venus-on-wednesday-night-could-confirm-recently-found-signs-of-alien-life/articleshow/78646790.cms">A spacecraft flying by Venus on Wednesday night could confirm recently found signs of alien life</a>

Jose K Mani-led Kerala Congress (M) faction parts ways with UDF ahead of State Assembly polls

If you had booked your air ticket from Delhi to somewhere before 7th July, you may now get some refund. Thanks to a new rule, the steep user development fee (<keyword id="6361745" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UDF">UDF</keyword>) has been drastically slashed. This fee was something you were paying while buying a ticket to fly from Delhi to both international and domestic destinations. "We will talk to the aviation ministry, Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) and other stakeholders next week. A decision will be taken after the meetings,” B S <keyword id="9268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhullar">Bhullar</keyword>, chief of <keyword id="6354705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Directorate-General-of-Civil-Aviation">Directorate General of Civil Aviation</keyword> (<keyword id="6354787" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DGCA">DGCA</keyword>), told The Times of India. In a passenger-friendly move, the government has abolished UDF for incoming flyers at <keyword id="6356365" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IGI">IGI</keyword> that, before July 7, was between Rs 462 and Rs 933 for a flyer coming from abroad and between Rs 207 and Rs 415 for a domestic passenger, according to a TOI news report. Now that the UDF has been brought down, a ticket for a Delhi-Paris/San Francisco-Delhi flight would have an UDF of Rs 54 instead of Rs 2,436 earlier. Similarly in domestic sector, <keyword id="280703" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Chennai-Delhi">Delhi-Chennai-Delhi</keyword> tickets had an UDF rate of Rs 1,068, which would now be only Rs 12.

Airfares from Delhi are getting cheaper drastically. Here’s why

<keyword id="112831" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hyderabad-airport">Hyderabad airport</keyword> will now charge User Development Fee (<keyword id="6361745" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="UDF">UDF</keyword>) for international and domestic passengers. 
 
While domestic passengers will have to pay UDF of Rs 430 per flight ticket, international passengers will pay about Rs 1,700 per flight ticket from November 3, 2015. These charges will also attract about 14 per cent service tax. The Directorate General of <keyword id="6368649" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Civil-aviation">Civil Aviation</keyword> (DGCA) issued an Airline Information circular after the High Court in Hyderabad allowed Hyderabad Airport to charge UDF, which was stopped post an Airport Economic Regulatory Authority (<keyword id="6612775" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AERA">AERA</keyword>) order. 
 
The AERA had withdrawn UDF from Hyderabad airport after its decision to calculate charges based on the Single Till model and not the Dual Till model that was followed before the aviation regulator came into the picture. 
In the Single Till model, both aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenues are considered to decide on charges whereas in the Dual Till aero revenues are taken into consideration to calculate aeronautical charges and non-aeronautical revenues to calculate non-aeronautical charges. 
 
In the Dual Till model, passengers end up paying more and AERA had, hence, adopted the Single Till model. 
 
(Image credits: southheadlines)

Plan to fly in or out of Hyderabad anytime soon? You need to read this

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The final results of Tesla's shareholder vote aren't out yet, but Elon Musk is celebrating already.</li><li>Musk said the proposals on his pay deal and to reincorporate in Texas were "passing by wide margins."</li></ul>It's been a pretty rough week for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>.Besides watching his rival <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-chatgpt-openai-ceo-career-net-worth-ycombinator-prepper-2023-1">Sam Altman</a> get a leg-up in the AI race with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-cannot-hype-chatgpt-collab-without-conceding-defeat-ai-race-2024-6">Apple</a>-<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-openai-company-chatgpt-elon-musk-founded-2022-12">OpenAI</a> team-up, Musk was also hit by a sprawling piece from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-female-employees-tesla-shareholder-vote-2024-6">The Wall Street Journal</a> — and a bombshell <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-spacex-employees-lawsuit-elon-musk-execs-spanking-video-2024-6">lawsuit</a> — both of which contained new allegations about his behavior with staffers at SpaceX.But it looks like something is finally going his way.The billionaire said on Wednesday night that the shareholder votes to pass his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-pay-package-tesla-stock-price-shareholder-vote-gerber-2024-6">huge pay package</a> and to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-start-shifting-tesla-state-incorporation-to-texas-2024-2">reincorporate Tesla in Texas</a> were "<a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1801084780035154058">passing by wide margins</a>.""Thanks for your support!!" Musk said in an X post.The package was once valued at $55.8 billion, but is now worth about $45 billion following a sharp decline in Tesla stock this year.It's unclear where Musk obtained the screenshots he included in his X post. But the final results of the vote are set to be announced at a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tesla.com/2024shareholdermeeting">shareholder meeting</a> at Tesla's headquarters in Austin on Thursday.Winning both votes would be a huge boost for Musk, who's pulled out all the stops to woo Tesla shareholders. Aside from <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1799577948262957370">campaigning</a> on his social-media platform, X, Musk has also offered shareholders the opportunity to go on a <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/Tesla/status/1795410566099374251">personally guided tour</a> of Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas.Musk even sought to turn what's been widely <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-shareholders-criticize-elon-musk-nvidia-chips-pay-package-2024-6">viewed as a disadvantage</a> — running half a dozen companies simultaneously —into an advantage.The billionaire spent his weekend pitching shareholders on the benefits of having Tesla as a part of his sprawling business empire, also known as the "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-enticing-tesla-shareholders-with-access-to-the-muskonomy-2024-6">Muskonomy</a>."He's also argued that a Musk-led Tesla would not only allow the electric-vehicle giant to use <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/boringcompany/status/1799937765028835341">technology from his other companies</a> but also grant shareholders access to his future IPOs."I've mentioned something like this before, but if any of my companies goes public, we will prioritize other longtime shareholders of my other companies, including Tesla," <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1799621606744162548">Musk said</a> on Saturday."Loyalty deserves loyalty," he added.But Musk's overtures to shareholders ran into a speed bump on Tuesday when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/elon-musk-spacex-employee-relationships-8bca2806">The Wall Street Journal</a> published an extensive story about his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-intern-woman-sex-wsj-2024-6">sexual advances to female employees</a> at his rocket company, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a>.And a day later, Musk was hit with a lawsuit from eight former SpaceX employees.The <a target="_blank" href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24742575/spacex-musk-harassment-lawsuit.pdf">lawsuit</a>, filed in California, accuses Musk and SpaceX of wrongfully terminating employees after they raised concerns about sexual harassment and gender discrimination.Representatives for Musk and Tesla didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Undaunted by fresh scandals, Elon Musk is celebrating what he says is an early triumph in the Tesla shareholder vote

<ul><li>BJP's <keyword id="9586042" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ad-insertions">ad insertions</keyword> on all mediums saw a significant dip this year during the <keyword id="425420" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala-elections">Kerala elections</keyword>, according to data from <keyword id="134892" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TAM">TAM</keyword>.</li><li>While in 2016, its ad insertion accounted for 21%, this year it only accounted for 1% of the total ad insertions.</li><li><keyword id="204591" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Democratic-Front">United Democratic Front</keyword>, <keyword id="71036" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Left-Democratic-Front">Left Democratic Front</keyword> and National Democratic Alliance were the top 3 advertisers this year. </li></ul>The <keyword id="58687" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP) significantly reduced its ad insertions in TV, Print and Radio during this year’s elections. According to TAM’s data, the political party’s campaigns accounted for 1% of the ad insertions this year. Across all three mediums, the United Democratic Front (UDF) led with over 38% ad insertions, followed by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) that accounted for 34% of all ad insertions. On TV, UDF was on top with 39% share of Ad Insertions in Kerala assembly elections during Y2021, whereas in Y 2016, it was in 3rd position with 15% shares. On Radio, UDF and LDF were the top 2 parties during Kerala assembly elections whereas in Print, UDF and NDA were the top 2 advertisers. Week 13 of 2021 saw maximum political ads on TV and Radio whereas for Print, Week 14 recorded the highest ads. Week 15, 16 and 17 witnessed less political ads.

BJP spent significantly less on advertising during Kerala elections this year, its ad insertions on TV, Radio and Print decreased from 21% in 2016 to 1% in 2021

The opposition Congress-led <keyword id="204591" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Democratic-Front">United Democratic Front</keyword> (UDF) Monday moved a no-confidence motion against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government in Kerala, raising a slew of allegations including the <keyword id="1888344" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold-smuggling-case">gold smuggling case</keyword>. Congress legislator V D Satheeshan moved the motion, saying the Chief Minister's office was "hijacked" by the gold smuggling gang. "While the Chief Minister was attending the press conference and saying that everything was fine with the government and was ready to face any probe, his former principal secretary was being questioned by investigating agenciesfor hours," Satheeshan said. He said the ministers and the chief minister were trying to "put all the blame in the gold smuggling matter on the shoulders of suspended senior IAS officer and former IT Secretary M Sivashankar". The state government has been facing severe criticism from the opposition Congress and the BJP, who alleged links of the gold smuggling case accused with the Chief Minister's Office. The state government had earlier suspended Sivashankar, for his alleged links with Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold smuggling case involving diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate here. The Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan has allotted five hours for the discussion on the no-confidence motion, the first against the four-year-old <keyword id="6356705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pinarayi-vijayan">Pinarayi Vijayan</keyword> government. Adhering to strict COVID-19 protocols, the Kerala Assembly convened for a day on Monday and passed the Finance Bill 2020-21, which could not be passed after the state budget in February as the House was adjourned sine die on March 13 due to the coronavirus scare. The opposition has been attacking the government on various issues, including the gold smuggling case and Life Mission housing project for the poor since the past few days. In the 140-member house, LDF has 91 members and UDF 45. A no-confidence motion against the government is being brought after 15 years. In 2005, then CPI(M) MLA Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had moved a motion alleging corruption against the Oommen Chandy government. However, the UDF, is in aquagmire as the Jose K Mani faction of its ally Kerala Congress has decided to stay away from the motion owing to a factional feud. The Kerala Congress party has five members, three belonging to party chairman P J Joseph and two of Jose Mani faction. P C George, an independent member, has said he will vote for the motion. BJP has one member-- O Rajagopal. The by-election to the Rajya Sabha seat which fell vacant after the death of sitting member 83-year-old M P Veerendra Kumar, a media baron and veteran socialist, on May 28, is progressing in the Assembly today. The session was to have been held on July 27, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 situation. A medical team conducted rapid antigen tests on the members early in the morning and social distancing in seating arrangements have also been ensured. However, visitors were not allowed for the session. Each member will have a separate seat for the session, and provided with a sanitiser, mask and a pair of gloves and those entering the assembly complex were subjected to thermal scanning. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/from-priyanka-gandhi-vadra-to-manmohan-singh-these-are-the-stated-views-of-congress-working-committee-members-on-sonia-gandhis-resignation/slidelist/77713740.cms">From Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Manmohan Singh, these are the stated views of Congress Working Committee members on Sonia Gandhi's resignation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/congress-working-committee-cwc-meeting-updates-decision-on-congress-new-president-sonia-gandhi-or-rahul-gandhi/articleshow/77717675.cms">Sonia Gandhi offers to quit, Manmohan Singh holds her back and Rahul Gandhi questions party leaders — the CWC meeting reveals the cracks in Congress</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/cognizant-says-it-will-spend-2-7-crore-to-restore-sebakkam-lake-and-help-natural-marshland-pallikaranai-wetland/articleshow/77716094.cms">Cognizant says it will spend ₹2.7 crore to restore one of India's last natural marshlands in Chennai</a>

Gold smuggling, housing projects and other allegations against Pinarayi Vijayan government leads to no-confidence motion by Congress-led opposition

Kerala Bank, billed as the biggest in state, launched by CM
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6 () The Kerala Bank, an
amalgamation of district co-operative banks in the state, was
fomally launched by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday,
fulfilling a long pending dream of the Left front government.
It will provide "unlimited opportunities" for the state
and also facilitate transactions in other countries with
considerable population of Keralites, Vijayan said at a
function here which was boycotted by the Congress-led UDF
opposition.
According to government sources, 13 district co-operative
banks (DCBs) are being merged with the Kerala State Co-
operative Bank for forming the Kerala Bank.
The UDF had been opposing the idea saying had alleged it
would destroy the traditional cooperative sector.
"All district cooperative banks have strong base. And
when all these merge together and form one bank, it will soon
become the biggest bank in the state," Vijayan said.
He also said that the bank will facilitate transactions
in other countries with considerable population of Keralites.
"We Keralites are spread all over the world. They can
invest in the Kerala Bank. We need to get permission from the
Reserve Bank of India to receive deposits from the NRIs. We
have applied for that," he said.
The chief minister also added that the bank will have all
the latest facilities, including Core Banking.
He offered to discuss with the opposition parties and
clear their apprehensions.
"I would like to publicly appeal to those who have stayed
away from this function that if they have any misunderstanding
I would like to request them to hold talks with the concerned
minister or if that is not enough, I am always ready to
discuss the matter," Vijayan said.
The bank became a reality with the Kerala High Court on
November 29 dismissing a batch of petitions against it.
Minister for Cooperation Kadakampally Surendran had said
the setting up of the bank opens up a huge potential for the
development of the state.
All the DCBs barring the Malappuram District Cooperative
Bank controlled by the UDF have approved the government's
proposal for amalgamation in their respective general body
meetings.
The RBI had earlier granted its nod for the Kerala Bank
the objective of its formation, according to the government,
was to strengthen the cooperative sector. RRT
VS VS

KL-KERALA BANK

Kerala awaits the 2019 general elections for the Lok Sabha eagerly. The state has 20 parliamentary seats in total to send its representatives to the center. The Election Commission has announced that the polling in the state during 2019 Lok Sabha Elections will be held in a single phase on April 23, 2019. This date will see the 3rd phase of polling in the rest of India. Names of Constituencies in Kerala The names of the 20 constituencies in Kerala include Kasaragod, Kannur, Vadakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, and Thiruvananthapuram. The present status of constituencies in Kerala State Neither the Congress party nor the BJP could win from Kerala during the 2014 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections. While these national parties could never get even a single seat from the state, the UDF holds 12 seats leaving LDF with 8 seats as of now. In 2009 elections, UDF had 16 seats and LDF had 4 seats. Though it is a distant dream for the BJP and Congress to gain a strong position in the state, both the parties are nevertheless sparing considerable efforts to see if they can grab at least a few seats from Kerala this time.

Lok Sabha Seats in Kerala in Election 2019

<ul><li>Intense violence has tainted Kerala' politics in recent years.</li><li>Simmering tensions between the UDF, LDF, and the BJP may affect voter turnout.</li><li>If people decide to avoid voting to stay safe, it may skew the results.</li></ul>The southern state of Kerala, famous for its scenic backwaters and high literacy rate, has seen one of the most violent election campaigns in the country. If people decide to sit at home to avoid getting caught in any sort of violence, it may skew the results in favour of one party or the other. <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/violent-end-to-vibrant-poll-campaign/articleshow/68987461.cms">More than 30 people</a>, including a policeman, were injured at Thiruvalla where the activists of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) clashed on the last day of the campaign (April 21). That was only one of the many violent clashes that have caught headlines in the state that boasts of 94% literacy, according to the 2011 census. Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), better known by its acronym CPI(M), said that the party had 13 workers in the last one year. However, police <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/kerala-news/kerala-rss-workers-murder-data-reveals-record-of-political-killings-1733728">records verified by NDTV</a> showed that 14 people from the RSS, BJP, and the left parties have been murdered for political reasons since February 2018. The count of similar deaths between 2000 and 2017 escalates to over 170, according to the same report. The increasingly restive political air in Kerala only shows how tight the fight is going to be. 26 million voters are enlisted for voting on April 23, the <keyword id="2211307" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Third-phase-of-polling">third phase of polling</keyword> in the ongoing elections for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The voter turnout in the state was a record 73.6% in 2014, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/elections-news/election-2014-kerala-records-73-6-per-cent-voter-turnout-highest-since-1991-556911" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the highest since 1991</a>. The United Democratic Front led by the Indian National Congress bagged 12 seats while the remaining eight went to the LDF led by the communist party-led coalition. However, the BJP is expected to be a strong contender this time around, more than it has been ever before. The threat from the BJP is seen as the strongest in some regions that have strong Hindu majority, where people are peeved by a 2018 Supreme Court verdict that allowed <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/supreme-court-allows-women-to-enter-sabarimala-temple/articleshow/65989807.cms">women into the Sabarimala Temple</a>. Tradition did not allow women of menstruating age into the temple until the court verdict. The <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019/kerala/news/will-do-everything-to-protect-sabarimala-shah/articleshow/68971697.cms">BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh</a> (RSS), milked the issue and kept the anger alive to turn it against the incumbent Parliamentarians. Hindus make up for only 54% of the state’s population, according to the 2011 Census, compared to 80% nationally. 26% of Kerala’s population are Muslims and 18% are Christians. However, the RSS has had a strong support base in Kerala for years but the <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/rss-strengthening-base-in-kerala-number-of-shakhas-rising/articleshow/57147070.cms">hindu natioanlist organisation</a> is now stronger in the state than ever before. The odds of BJP getting more votes than before are higher but <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/elections/article/opinion-poll-for-lok-sabha-election-2019-live-times-now-vmr-survey-for-bjp-congress-narendra-modi-rahul-gandhi/384850">most opinion polls</a> have still pegged it as a two-way fight between the UDF and the LDF in the state. A big factor working in favour of the LDF is the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/kerala-will-set-an-example-in-rebuilding-rehabilitation-pinarayi-vijayan/articleshow/65481744.cms">elevated reputation of state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan</a>. He won accolades for effectively managing a devastating flood in the state in 2018. The state also has a long history of leftists dominating state politics. Kerala’s first chief minister in 1957, EMS Namboodiripad, was one of the world’s first communist leaders to head an elected government. On the other hand, UDF led by Congress is trying to squeeze the BJP out by supporting the protests against the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple. “Well, you cannot afford to write off the votes of the majority in times of political interest,” <a href="https://qz.com/india/1601119/election-2019-congresss-tharoor-battles-modis-bjp-in-kerala/">Congress leader Shashi Tharoor</a> fighting to defend the state capital Thriuvananthapuram told Quartz. The margin for error has shrunk significantly for Tharoor who swept the seat with 100,000 more votes than the second candidate in 2009. By 2014, it had shrunk to 14,000 and this time it is expected to be even tighter. Given that tensions are running high, voter turnout may become a deciding factor. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-3rd-phase-polling-live-updates/liveblog/68999100.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">LIVE BLOG: Voting in 117 constituencies underway</a>

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Pinarayi Vijayan to make a historic come back to power in Kerala, BJP won’t have an MLA this time

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Top leading candidates in Kerala Assembly election result 2021 as per EC data from key constituencies

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Sabarimala temple continues to be an election issue in Kerala

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Jose K Mani-led Kerala Congress (M) faction parts ways with UDF ahead of State Assembly polls

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BJP spent significantly less on advertising during Kerala elections this year, its ad insertions on TV, Radio and Print decreased from 21% in 2016 to 1% in 2021

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Lok Sabha Seats in Kerala in Election 2019

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Voter turnout may be tested in India’s most literate state that has seen one of the most violent election campaigns

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