National

Thomas K. Thomas Appointed as New Kerala President of NCP (Sharad Pawar Faction)

Published

1 year ago

February 28, 2025

Thomas K Thomas, the MLA representing Kuttanad, has been appointed as the president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) unit in Kerala. This announcement was made by the party’s National President, Sharad Pawar, on Friday. Additionally, P M Suresh Babu and P K Rajan Master have been elected as the working presidents of the state unit.

Thomas was selected for the presidential position following the resignation of P C Chacko. Reports indicate that internal conflicts regarding the potential replacement of AK Saseendran with Thomas K Thomas in Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s cabinet were behind Chacko’s resignation.

Tensions arose between two party MLAs, Forest Minister AK Saseendran and Kuttanad MLA Thomas K Thomas, prompting the official leadership, led by Chacko, to suggest the replacement of Saseendran with Thomas. While P C Chacko managed to garner support from Sharad Pawar for his proposal, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opposed the idea, firmly backing Saseendran’s position.

The CPI-M was also reluctant to see Saseendran replaced, especially considering the various allegations against Thomas. In response to the situation, Chacko proposed that the NCP (Sharad Pawar) withdraw its minister from the cabinet, a move that was met with resistance from Saseendran’s supporters, who advocated for Chacko’s removal as state president of the NCP.

Subsequently, reports suggest that Chacko was compelled to resign from his position after Saseendran and Thomas K Thomas resolved their differences, with Thomas aligning himself with Saseendran’s faction.

National

Pickup Vehicle Crashes Into Divider, Two Killed Including Child

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A tragic road accident took place in Uttar Pradesh when a pickup vehicle lost control and crashed into a road divider.

The driver and a three-year-old girl died on the spot due to the impact of the crash. Nine passengers who were travelling in the vehicle sustained injuries. They were rushed to the district hospital for treatment.

Reports said the victims were travelling to their native village to celebrate the Holi festival. A video showing the horrifying scene of the accident has gone viral on social media.

Preliminary reports suggest that overspeeding may have led to the accident. Police have started an investigation into the incident.

National

Five from Karnataka Killed in Car–Container Collision in Andhra Pradesh

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Namma Kudla

Andhra Pradesh: Five people from Karnataka were killed on the spot after the car they were travelling in rammed into a container truck from behind in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district on Tuesday.

The accident occurred near Gangavaram in Palamaneru while the victims were on their way to Tirupati temple from Bengaluru. According to police, the car crashed into the rear of a container vehicle with great force, leaving the vehicle completely mangled.

The deceased have been identified as Mohandas (71), Nagaraj (61), Kusuma (61), Jayanti (59), and Pooja (33). All of them were residents of Rajajinagar in Bengaluru.

Preliminary reports suggest that the impact of the collision was so severe that all five occupants died at the scene. Police have registered a case at the Palamaneru police station and further investigation is underway.

More details are awaited.

National

Woman Kills Ex-Lover Over Blackmail in Ballia

Published

3 days ago

March 2, 2026

Namma Kudla

Uttar Pradesh: A married woman allegedly killed her former lover in Ballia after he blackmailed her with private videos, police said.

According to police, the victim was identified as Pankaj Gupta, a resident of Azamgarh. He was reportedly in a relationship with the woman from a nearby village.

Police said the woman wanted to end the relationship. However, Gupta allegedly began blackmailing her using obscene videos and harassed her repeatedly.

Unable to bear the threats, the woman informed her brother and sister-in-law. The trio allegedly planned the murder during a wedding function on February 5.

On February 7, they allegedly called Gupta to the village on a pretext. He was strangled to death, police said. The accused then poured acid on his face to hide his identity and tried to destroy evidence.

An unidentified body with a disfigured face was found on February 10. The crime was later solved during the investigation.

Police have arrested three accused, including the woman, and sent them to judicial custody. Efforts are on to arrest other suspects involved in the case.