Politics

Political leader Cheriyan Philip has expressed regret over his participation in the move that led to the ouster of K. Karunakaran from the Chief Ministership in 1995 and made a public apology through facebook.

Mr. Philip, who had left Congress later to join the CPI (M), said in his facebook post that he was making the apology on the fifth death anniversary of Karunakaran because he continued to be troubled by the feeling of guilt.

Who will lead the Left Democratic Front in the forthcoming Assembly polls?

The issue has once again been opened by CPI State Secretary Kanam Rajendran. Referring to CPI (M) leader Pinarai Vijayan leading his party’s march from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, the CPI Leader said that leader of political marches need not necessarily be the Front’s candidate for the Chief Ministership.

VHP and Hindu Aikya Vedi leader Kummanam Rajasekharan assumed charge as State president of the BJP here on Saturday.

He will soon convene a meeting of the core committee of the State unit and reconstitute the State Committee of the party. The indications are that he would be inducting many new faces to lead the party in the coming Assembly elections. (updated story)

Kerala Assembly today elected Congress nominee Palode Ravi as its Deputy Speaker. He won 74 votes against 65 for E. Chandrasekharan of CPI.

Born at Palode in 1949 to P. Gangadharan Pillai and M. Saraswathy Amma, Mr. Ravi entered politics as worker of Kerala Students Union. He has held different positions in the KSU, Youth congress and INTUC.

Is Janata Dal (United) oscillating back to the Left Democratic Front (LDF)?

Most of the district unit chiefs who attended the State level meeting of the party in Kozhikode today were of the view that the party should quit the United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the meeting opposed merger with Janata Dal (S) which is with the LDF.