Vayalar Ravi renominated as candidate for Rajya Sabha election

September 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manomhan Singh Saturday mourned the death of Mercy Ravi, wife of union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi. Mercy, also a Congress leader from Kerala, died of kidney failure early Saturday at the Madras Medical Mission Hospital in Chennai.

September 4th, 2009 CHENNAI - Mercy Ravi, wife of Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, died here early Saturday morning at the Madras Medical Mission hospital, family sources said. She was 63. Mercy Ravi died of kidney failure around 3 a.m.

August 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a rare show of unity, Members of Parliament of the Janata Dal (United) and those representing the state of Bihar gathered at the 3, Krishna Menon Marg residence of well-known socialist leader and former Defence Minister George Fernandes to congratulate him on his recent election to the Rajya Sabha. Fernandes played host at a reception here this evening at which he received plaudits and praise from politcians, cutting across party lines.

June 27th, 2009 CHENNAI - Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, on Saturday said that a bill for tightening immigration laws for Indians moving overseas would be finalised in the next two to three months. "The bill, whose draft was ready, would contain penal provisions against unscrupulous agents," said Vayalar Ravi.

June 20th, 2009 THRISSUR - Veteran Congress leader and former chief minister K. Karunakaran, who turned 91 Saturday, demonstrated despite his advanced age he was abreast of current political affairs.

June 6th, 2009 RANCHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand has accused the Election Commission of India of trying to help the United Progressive Alliance by holding the election of two Rajya Sabha seats separately in the state. The Election Commission is trying to help the UPA by holding the election of two Rajya Sabha seats separately.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Veteran Congress leader Vayalar Ravi was Thursday named minister of overseas Indian affairs. Vayalar Ravi had held the important portfolio in the previous cabinet too.

May 24th, 2009 KOCHI - It was an emotional moment for Vayalar Ravi as he returned here Sunday after being sworn in as cabinet minister Friday, and went straight to meet his wife Mercy Ravi who is convalescing at a hospital. Driving straight from the airport to the hospital, Vayalar Ravi held his wife's hands and kissed her.

April 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and two journalists from Kerala P. Rajeev and M.P.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress Thursday named senior party leader N. Janardana Reddy as its candidate for a by-election to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh.

February 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The global meltdown has forced about 20,000 Indians to return home after losing jobs abroad, the government said Thursday. According to Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, there are reports which indicate that between 16,000 to 20,000 Indians have come back to India after the economic slowdown forced companies across the world to downsize.

February 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The parliament session commencing Thursday will consider 39 measures - 27 bills, 10 financial measures and two non-legislative items, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said Wednesday. 'These include three bills replacing three ordinances - the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Ordinance, 2009, the Central Industrial Security Force (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009, and the Central Universities Ordinance, 2009, promulgated by the president during inter-session period,' he told reporters here.

February 1st, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Congress party Monday renominated Vayalar Ravi, minister of overseas Indian affairs and parliamentary affairs for the Rajya Sabha elections from Kerala, while the state's ruling Left chose two journalists. While the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) nominated P.

January 29th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Congress' Kerala unit has changed its earlier decision to select their Rajya Sabha nominee from the state in a meeting of the top leaders Friday and instead asked party chief Sonia Gandhi to name the candidate. Addressing reporters here, state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala said that the meeting decided to ask Sonia Gandhi to name the candidate.

January 28th, 2009 KOCHI - The Congress party will announce its candidate from Kerala to the Rajya Sabha Jan 30, a senior party leader said Thursday. Senior Congress leader and United Democratic Front (UDF) convenor P.P.