LDF fields senior CPI leader Mokeri for Wayanad LS bypoll
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Senior CPI leader Sathyan Mokeri will be the LDF candidate for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll.
The decision was announced on Thursday by CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam.
Mokeri, a former MLA from the Nadapuram constituency in Kozhikode district, is known for his work addressing issues in the agricultural sector.
He had contested the Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad in 2014, significantly reducing the Congress candidate M I Shanavas's margin to around 20,000 votes.
Announcing the decision, Viswam said that Mokeri's bypoll campaign would be launched on Friday.
Describing Mokeri as a prominent leader, the CPI secretary emphasised that a farmer's leader is being fielded in the constituency at a time when the country is witnessing protests from the farming community seeking justice.
The Congress has fielded Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the Wayanad seat vacated by her brother Rahul Gandhi.
A by-election became necessary after Rahul, who won the Lok Sabha polls from both Wayanad and Rae Bareli constituencies, decided to vacate the Wayanad seat in Kerala.
Following his win, Rahul chose to retain the Rae Bareli constituency and formally notified the Speaker's office of his decision to resign from Wayanad.
He vacated the Wayanad seat within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, announced on June 4.
The Election Commission has decided to hold by-election for Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on November 13.
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Nitish Kumar's son Nishant among 32 to take oath as Bihar ministers
Patna (PTI): In a major expansion of the Cabinet of Bihar's first BJP-led government, JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar's son Nishant Kumar and 31 others took oath as ministers on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Altogether 32 leaders, drawn from all constituents of the five-party NDA in the state, were administered the oath of office by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain at a grand ceremony that was also attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J P Nadda and BJP president Nitin Nabin.
Prominent inductees included Nishant Kumar, the son of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who stepped down as chief minister last month to enter the Rajya Sabha.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the 243-member assembly with 89 MLAs, has 15 ministers, who took oath on Thursday.
Most of the inductees were those who were part of the Nitish Kumar cabinet formed in November last year after the NDA stormed back to power in the assembly polls.
The JD(U) is represented by a total of 15 ministers, 13 of whom took the oath at the Gandhi Maidan on Thursday. Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav had taken oath in April along with Samrat Choudhary and were designated as deputy chief ministers.
Sanjay Kumar Singh and Sanjay Kumar Paswan, both from the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan, are back as ministers, and so are Santosh Kumar Suman and Deepak Prakash, sons of Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi of the Hindustani Awam Morcha and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, respectively.
