Kerala CM confident of big victory with more seats in 2026 Assembly polls in state
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday expressed confidence of a big LDF win in the upcoming Assembly polls in the state, claiming that the Left Front will get more seats this time round.
Vijayan's confident assertion came during a press conference here in response to reporters' queries regarding the LDF claim that it will win 110 seats this time. It had won 99 seats in the 2021 Assembly elections.
"We have reason to be confident. We expect the people to again vote the LDF to power, with more seats than last time," he contended.
The CM said the circumstances behind the Left Front's loss in the recent civic polls were different and would not affect the outcome of the Assembly elections.
He said that while voting in the Assembly polls, people would not just take into account their experiences during the last one or five years of Left rule, but the last 10 years of LDF administration and will compare it with the situation that was prevalent before that.
"That comparison will significantly influence their decision as the state has achieved a lot in the last 10 years of Left rule," Vijayan claimed.
Giving details of the achievements under the Left rule, he said that it was during the LDF administration that Kerala got the distinction of being the state with the least corruption when the same was rampant across the country.
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This was achieved due to the policies adopted by the LDF government, he contended.
"Similar astonishing changes have been witnessed in various sectors, including education and health, in the state. So, the people will take a decision based on their collective experience during the last 10 years and not as per the propaganda of the opposition," the CM asserted.
When asked whether the LDF's claims of winning 110 seats were based on any survey like that carried out for the Congress-led UDF by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, Vijayan said, "We don't have any Kanugolu. The people are our Kanugolu."
The people will not be swayed by such surveys and will take a decision based on their experiences, he reiterated.
Earlier in the day, state Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas claimed that the LDF would win 110 of the 140 assembly seats according to the deliberations during a special cabinet meeting held a day ago.
The interventions required to be made by each minister in the respective districts assigned to them were examined in the meeting, and a clear picture was arrived at on how to proceed further, Riyas told reporters in Kozhikode.
"As per the deliberations, we are confident of winning all of the 13 Assembly seats in Kozhikode district," he added. The Congress-led UDF opposition had recently claimed that it would win 100 of the 140 assembly seats in the upcoming polls.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
