Political parties upbeat as Assembly poll battle begins in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Political parties in Kerala expressed confidence about the electoral battle ahead soon after the Election Commission on Sunday announced the schedule for the Assembly polls.
The Assembly election for 140 seats will be held in Kerala on April 9.
Both the CPI(M) and the CPI of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) were the first to announce their candidates, and many of them kicked off their election campaigns soon after the announcements.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said seat sharing in the Front has almost been completed on time, and clarity is required for only a few seats.
"Even though the seat-sharing consensus has been reached in the Front, candidates are being decided by the respective parties. They will announce candidates separately," he said.
He said the CPI(M) has already announced candidates, and campaign activities have begun.
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Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, said the United Democratic Front (UDF) will contest the elections as a united team.
"It is the team UDF that is facing the election. We will return to power with over 100 seats," he said.
Satheesan said the confidence of winning over 100 seats stems from the UDF’s victories in recent bypolls and local body elections.
He said the Congress is also ready to announce its candidates.
"We have said that after the election announcement, we will announce candidates within 24 hours. There is no doubt about it," he said.
Satheesan added that the candidates would be announced in New Delhi after party leaders reach there on Monday.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said only 25 days remain to bring about a change of government.
"It is not a time for rest. Everyone should move forward with vigour. For the UDF, it is the final phase after victories in the bypolls and local body elections," he said.
Thangal also said the Muslim League would soon announce its candidates as the final round of discussions would conclude shortly.
The BJP is also expected to announce its candidates in the coming days.
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Trump pauses Project Freedom, claims great progress for final agreement with Iran
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed," Trump said.
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
Trump’s statement on Truth Social came hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Operation Epic Fury, launched on February 28, had concluded as its objectives have been achieved.
"Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation. We're not cheering for an additional situation to occur. We would prefer the path of peace. What @POTUS would prefer is a deal... that is, so far, not the route that Iran has chosen," Rubio told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday.
On Project Freedom, Rubio said the goal was to rescue almost 23,000 civilians from 87 different countries who were trapped inside the Persian Gulf and left for dead by the Iranian regime.
"This is not an offensive operation. This is a defensive operation, and what that means is very simple: there’s no shooting unless we're shot at first. We’re not attacking them, but if they're attacking us or they’re attacking a ship, you need to respond to that," Rubio said.
