For the first time, the Election Commission of India will brandish the magic wand to sensitise all the ‘Muggles’ out there who don’t understand the charm of polls.
For this venture, it roped in Kerala’s own ‘Dumbledore,’ Gopinath Muthukad who has trained many a little Harry Potter in his Magic Academy.

Seeking the mandate for the 10th time after nine wins in a row is something rare in the slippery terrain of Kerala politics.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat put the state unit of his party in a fix on Friday by candidly admitting that P. Sasi, who had to quit as Kannur district secretary recently, was facing serious charges of sexual harassment.

Striking an aggressive note, the senior Congress leader and Union defence minister, Mr A.K. Antony, said on Thursday that the Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, was still talking like an opposition leader and not like someone who led a government for five years. “He was opposition leader in the party and opposition leader in the government.”

The Union defence minister and CWC member, Mr A.K. Antony, on Thursday said the United Democratic Front, the Congress and the people of Kerala knew very well who would be the chief minister if the Opposition coalition was voted to power.

With just two weeks left for the Assembly polls, the Left Democratic Front camp is still unable to project anyone unambiguously as the Chief Minister candidate in stark contrast to the Opposition Congress-led combine which has given the thumbs up to the Opposition leader, Mr Oommen Chandy.

CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan termed as “surprising” the Supreme Court decision to reject his petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Governor’s nod to prosecute him in the Lavalin corruption case.

The chief minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, on Wednesday strongly condemned the attack on media by political leaders while his home minister, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, made light of it, once again bringing the sharp differences in the CPI(M) to light.

CPI(M) Kerala unit secretary Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday denied that the party state leadership had sought to dump V. S. Achuthanandan in the assembly polls but made a volte-face under pressure from

Former minister and senior Congress leader K.K. Ramachandran Master on Tuesday wept publicly while alleging that PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala and Opposition leader Oommen Chandy had ostracised him since he refused to be ‘corrupt’.