LIVE! VD Satheesan set to meet Governor; Pinarayi is Oppn Leader

Satheesan elected as CLP leader

The CLP on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution electing Kerala chief minister-designate V D Satheesan as its leader in the Assembly.

The resolution was moved in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held in the Assembly in Thiruvananthapuram by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief Sunny Joseph and seconded by senior party leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, the sources said.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was absent from the meeting, but he gave a letter supporting Satheesan, it said.

The CLP meeting was held following the All India Congress Committee (AICC) announcing in the afternoon that Satheesan will be the CM.

Party sources further said that the party leaders will meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to hand over the UDF alliance partners' letters supporting them.

VD Satheesan set to meet Governor later today

Kerala's CM-designate VD Satheesan will meet Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar later today.

Pinarayi Vijayan picked as Leader of Opposition

CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinayari Vijay has been chosen as the Leader of Opposition in Kerala. A decision was taken today at the state committee's meeting.

Watch | Too many cooks? Congress's struggle with multiple power centres

After 10 days of high drama and a long wait over who would be the Kerala CM, the Congress high command decided on VD Satheesan’s name for the post. The big questions from here on are: how will Congress set its house in order and tackle repeated factionalism in states like Karnataka, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana? When the political adversary is so strong, doesn’t the Congress look timid with such acts playing out in public? Watch The Federal's Neelu Vyas in conversation with a panel of experts.

Watch | VD Satheesan makes it as Kerala CM; what does delay say about the process?

The Federal's Political Editor Puneet Nicholas Yadav, in conversation with journalists KJ Jacob and MG Radhakrishnan, examines the choice of VD Satheesan as Kerala Chief Minister.

Gyanesh on SIR Phase III: 'I appeal to all electors to enthusiastically participate'

“I appeal to all electors to enthusiastically participate in the Phase III of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and fill their enumeration forms. SIR is being conducted with the objective to ensure that only eligible voters are included in the Electoral Roll, and no ineligible names are included,” said CEC Gyanesh Kumar on the launch of SIR phase III in 16 states and 3 Union Territories.

EC announces roll out of SIR phase-3 in 16 states, 3 UTs

The Election Commission on Thursday announced the roll out of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in 16 states and three union territories in a phased manner beginning May 30.

The states and UTs where the SIR will be carried out are Delhi, Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Telangana, Punjab, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Tripura, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Schedule for SIR in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be announced later keeping in view weather conditions in snow-bound areas, the EC said in a statement.

During SIR phase 3, over 3.94 lakh Booth Level Officers will go house-to-house to 36.73 crore electors.

The SIR has already been conducted in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

A "special revision" was conducted in Assam.

EC to conduct special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Maharashtra covering 9.86 cr voters

The Election Commission of India will undertake a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra, involving door-to-door verification of details of nearly 9.86 crore registered voters, officials said on Thursday.

The exercise forms part of the third phase of the poll panel's nationwide campaign covering 16 states and three Union Territories.

According to the Election Commission, details of 9,86,44,413 voters in Maharashtra will be verified by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who will visit each voter's residence and collect information.

Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties will assist in the exercise to ensure greater transparency and accuracy, officials said.

The ECI said the schedule has been prepared keeping in mind the ongoing Census operations, which have engaged field-level staff.

Training and preparatory work for BLOs will be held from June 20 to June 29, followed by house-to-house verification from June 30 to July 29, it said.

The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, while claims and objections can be filed between August 5 and September 4.

The final electoral roll will be published on October 7 this year.

The Election Commission has urged all political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents at every polling station to help identify duplicate and deceased voters and facilitate the inclusion of newly eligible electors. 

Accept Congress decision to appoint Satheesan as Kerala CM: Venugopal

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday said he accepts the party's decision to name V D Satheesan as the chief minister of Kerala, and extended all support to him and the UDF government in the state.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Venugopal, who was one of the three persons being considered for the post, said he wholeheartedly congratulated Satheesan.

He further said that he had right from the start made it clear that he would accept the Congress decision whatever it may be as the party is everything for him.

"So, that is my stand now. I humbly accept the party high command decision and will work to implement it. I am a loyal Congressman. For me the party is everything. I don't want an image at the cost of the party. I want to die shrouded in the party flag. Will give all support to the government in Kerala," he said.

On his meeting with Rahul Gandhi earlier in the day, Venugopal said the former Congress president and Priyanka Gandhi discussed the situation and the decision making process.

"They called me and asked me my opinion and we all discussed that. I am thanking the MLAs, party workers, party functionaries for the support they have given to me. Finally, the party took a decision and as a sincere Congressman we are all behind the party decision," he said.

"The Congress high command decided VD Satheesan as the chief minister for Keralam government. I am welcoming that decision wholeheartedly. I am congratulating Satheesan for this position. I think that people of Kerala have given a big verdict for the UDF. The government and the leadership of Satheesan can fulfil the aspirations and promises of the people of Kerala. Certainly, we are totally behind the government of Kerala," he also said.

He refused to answer queries whether the party has made him promises for not naming him as the Kerala CM.

Venugopal also said that the party leadership took a decision based on several factors and after considering all aspects.

He further said that he was not scared by any personal attacks on him by anyone.

He also asserted that there will be no issues in the party following the high command decision.

The Congress general secretary (organisation) also declined to respond to queries whether there was any pressure from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the CM issue.

"Best wishes to my dear colleague Sh. @vdsatheesan on being chosen as the next CM of Keralam! We all welcome the Congress High Command’s decision, the party is supreme. We will work together for the welfare and development of Keralam!" he said on X.

The party's decision comes more than 10 days after the results of the April Assembly polls in Kerala were declared.

The Congress-led UDF secured a more than two-thirds majority in the Kerala Assembly elections, but the party was finding it difficult to decide its chief ministerial face due to lobbying by different camps and protests by workers at the ground level.

Besides, Satheesan and Venugopal, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala was also in the race for the CM's post.

Stalin says he takes full responsibility for DMK’s defeat in TN Assembly elections

DMK President M K Stalin on Thursday said he would take full responsibility for the party’s defeat in the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

He announced that a panel would be constituted to evaluate the reasons for the poll defeat and submit a report within 20 days.

Stalin also took a swipe at the AIADMK, saying his party was mature enough not to lodge its legislators in a resort.

His veiled reference was aimed at the AIADMK, which lodged its newly elected MLAs at a resort in Puducherry following the May 4 Assembly election results, in which no single party secured the required 118 seats to form the government on its own.

Addressing the party’s district secretaries at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters here, Stalin said no party had secured a majority on its own to form the government.

“The C Joseph Vijay-led government is now in power due to the support of coalition partners. They formed the government with the backing of the Left parties, VCK and IUML," the former CM said, referring to the unconditional support extended by the allies to the TVK during government formation.

“Past election results showed that whenever we lost power, we won only a very small number of seats. This time, we won 59 seats. If we add the seats secured by our allies, the tally rises to 73,” he said.

Pointing out that success and failure are part of elections, just as ups and downs are part of life, Stalin said the DMK was more mature than other parties.

“That is why, unlike other parties, we did not lodge our MLAs in resorts and star hotels out of fear, but were brave enough to face defeat,” he said, targeting the AIADMK.

He said he had worked tirelessly over the past five years and ensured that the previous DMK government functioned for the welfare of the people.

“People are aware of this. I do not want to blame anyone for our inability to return to power. As the leader of the party, I take responsibility for this defeat. When I can take pride in victory, there is nothing wrong with taking responsibility for failure rather than blaming others. That is only fair,” Stalin said.

Referring to the TVK winning the floor test in the Assembly with 144 votes, Stalin said the ruling party had proved its majority on the floor of the House despite not having secured a majority on its own in the election.

Referring to the split in the AIADMK, whose 25 MLAs voted in favour of the TVK government during the confidence motion moved by CM Vijay in the Assembly on Wednesday, Stalin said, “There is no need to explain how the AIADMK will behave. In this situation, it is impossible to predict what will happen next. Therefore, we must act properly and efficiently in the Assembly.”