Janata Dal (S) decides to stay with the Left front in Kerala

May 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - As the Election Commission formally announced results for 542 of the 543 elected seats in the Lok Sabha by Sunday afternoon, the United Progressive Alliance had 262 seats, 10 short of the halfway mark. Counting in Chandauli constituency of Uttar Pradesh had been halted Saturday night due to two malfunctioning electronic voting machines, but was restarted Sunday.

May 17th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Sunday announced results for all the 543 elected seats of the Lok Sabha, giving the United Progressive Alliance 262 seats, 10 short of the halfway mark. The last pending result of Chandauli constituency of Uttar Pradesh was released in the evening.

May 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will make major gains in Left-ruled West Bengal and Kerala as well as in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra to emerge as the leading alliance with around 215 seats - 40 more than the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), states an NDTV exit poll. The NDTV poll survey, on a sample size of 71,500 respondents across India, says the Congress will cross the 160 mark, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will get around 130.

May 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Friday said it continues to remain a strong ally of the Third Front grouping and denied any trouble in its ties with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (Marxist) despite their fractured relations in Kerala. 'We are part of the Third Front.

April 16th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Defence Minister A.K. Antony said here Thursday that the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala will make a clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections.

April 14th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Skirmishes between rival fronts were reported at several places across Kerala Tuesday as the high voltage campaign for the Lok Sabha election ended Tuesday evening. Trouble broke out after supporters of rival fronts came out in large numbers at important junctions on vehicles and two wheelers with party flags and began shouting slogans to impress the voters.

April 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his statement that the Third Front was helping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by dividing the secular votes, the conglomerate Saturday said the prime minister's 'outburst' reflected the Congress' 'desperation'. 'Both the Congress and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are desperate now.

April 2nd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in Kerala is planning to induct parties with a secular outlook after the Lok Sabha polls, a senior leader of the combine said Thursday. P.P. Thankachen, convenor of the UDF, told reporters: 'We are looking forward to induct parties which have a secular outlook.' The UDF comprises eight parties.

April 2nd, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - After the deadline closed Thursday evening for withdrawal of candidature for the Lok Sabha elections from Kerala, a total of 217 candidates remained in the fray for 20 seats in the state, the state election commission's office said here. The Kottayam seat has the maximum number of 20 candidates and Malappuram has the least - only four.

March 13th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - A meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) again ended here Thursday without the front partners agreeing on who among them will contest which Lok Sabha seats in the polls next month. In the 2004 elections, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) contested 14 seats, the Communist Party of India (CPI) four and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Kerala Congress (Joseph) contested one seat each.

March 12th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - A meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF)in Kerala to decide a seat sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections ended here Thursday without an agreement. Assistant secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) K.E.

March 6th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - For the fourth successive day Thursday the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) failed to reach a consensus on a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to party insiders, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is keen on re-allocating seats on the basis of a formula.

March 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The following is the party position in the 543-member 14th Lok Sabha, which ended its last session Feb 26: Congress - 150 Bharatiya Janata Party - 113 Communist Party of India - Marxist - 42 Samajwadi Party - 34 Rashtriya Janata Dal - 24 Bahujan Samaj Party - 16 DMK - 16 Shiv Sena - 12 Nationalist Congress Party - 11 Biju Janata Dal - 10 Communist Party of India - 10 Shiromani Akali Dal - 8 Independent - 6 PMK - 6 Jharkhand Mukti Morcha - 5 Lok Jan Shakti Party - 4 MDMK - 4 Telugu Desam Party - 4 All India Forward Bloc - 3 Janata Dal - Secular - 3 Rashtriya Lok Dal - 3 Revolutionary Socialist Party - 3 Telangana Rashtra Samithi - 3 Asom Gana Parishad - 2 Kerala Congress - 2 All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimmen - 1 All India Trinamool Congress - 1 Bharatiya Navshakti Party - 1 Jammu and Kashmir National Conference - 1 Janata Dal - United - 1 Mizo National Front - 1 Muslim League Kerala State Committee - 1 Nagaland Peoples Front - 1 National Lok Tantrik Party - 1 Republican Party of India - A -1 Sikkim Democratic Front - 1

March 1st, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - A meeting of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) Saturday to finalise the seat-sharing formula in Kerala for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections ended in a deadlock. 'The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will now have discussions with the allies on a one-to-one basis and things will be sorted out,' a LDF leader said declining to be named.

January 14th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition in Kerala could witness differences among their allies when they meet to decide on nominations to fill up three Rajya Sabha seats that fall vacant next month. The terms of Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, senior Congress leader Thennala Balakrishnan and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader K.