CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ kochi l thursday l may 28, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION DKS may take over as K’taka CM on Friday or Sunday ED raids Pinarayi’s residences, enraged CPM hits back violently Search triggers widespread protests in state; CPM workers vandalise ED officials’ vehicles E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ T’Puram In a coordinated early-morning swoop on Wednesday, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths, accompanied by armed paramilitary personnel, raided two premises linked to CPM stalwart and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and eight other locations across the state in connection with the Exalogic-CMRL pay-off case, sparking violent protests by agitated CPM workers, who smashed the vehicles in which the search party was returning after the raid in Thiruvanathapuram. Besides his rented house at Bakery Junction in the state capital, the ED also raided the Kannur residence of the former chief minister and the Kozhikode house of his son-inlaw and former minister P A Mohamed Riyas as part of its EXPRESS READ Gopakumar chosen BJP legislature party leader T’Puram: In a surprise move, the BJP has chosen Chathannoor MLA B B Gopakumar as its legislature party leader in the Kerala assembly. The decision selecting Gopakumar was conveyed by the party’s central leadership to the Kerala unit on Wednesday. P4 16 pages, including 4 pages of kochi Express Former CM and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan addresses the media in Thiruvananthapuram | express money-laundering probe into the case linked to Pinarayi’s daughter, Veena T, owner of the now-defunct Exalogic Solutions. As news of th e raid s, launched around 7 am, spread, CPM workers poured into the streets across the state and in Delhi, accusing the BJP-led Union government of orchestrating a politically motivated crackdown. The sweep triggered day-long tension and high drama in Thiruvananthapuram. CPM workers and leaders, including state secretary M V Govindan, gathered outside Pinarayi’s residence and staged a sit-in at the gate. Tensions escalated following protest marches by SFI activists and soon erupted into violence as ED officials began leaving the premises after an eight-hour search. Enraged CPM workers surrounded their convoy and pelted the vehicles with bricks and stones, shattering windshields and door windows. Three rented cars were damaged in the attack, leaving both ED officials and drivers injured. The local police, heavily outnumbered, str ug gled to contain the situation. Acting on a complaint from ED officials, police booked around a dozen people in connection with the attack and arrested four. The violence triggered dramatic scenes after the accused allegedly took refuge in the CPM area committee office in Palayam. Police reached the spot but were blocked from entering the office by senior party leaders. Amid mouting anger, the police top brass and CPM leadership struck an understanding, following which some of the accused surrendered. Those arrested have been charged with attempt to murder. Tensions flared in Kannur, too, as CPM workers raised slogans outside Pinarayi’s house when ED officials emerged af● More on P4 ter the raid.  CPM workers attack a vehicle of Enforcement Directorate officials as they return after a raid at Pinarayi Vijayan’s house near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday | B P Deepu Day of raids & protests 7am: ED officials, accompanied by CRPF personnel, begin raid at Pinarayi Vijayan’s rented house in T’Puram. Another team searches CMRL’s office in Kochi and the residence of its MD Sasidharan Kartha 7.10 am: Raid begins at Mohamed Riyas’ residence at Kottooli in Kozhikode. It continues till 1.45pm 8.30am: ED team reaches Pinarayi Vijayan’s house at Pandalayamukku in Pinarayi. Raid ends at 2.50pm Amid the raids, CPM leaders and workers hit the streets across the state. CPM national general secretary M A Baby protests in front of ED headquarters in New Delhi, gets arrested 2.40pm: Raid in T’Puram concludes, and officials leave Pinarayi’s house; protesters attack officials’ cars 2.50pm: Pinarayi addresses media, says ED’s action is just the beginning of possible future action against him 6pm: Police arrest CPM workers for attacking ED officials’ cars 8.20pm: Search at CMRL office in Kochi concludes SC gives stamp of approval to Election Commission’s SIR S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi T h e S u p re m e C o u r t o n Wednesday upheld the power of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, noting that the panel did not violate the Representation of People’s (RP) Act by ordering the SIR in Bihar. “The ECI has the authority to conduct the SIR exercise and did not transgress any statutory or constitutional provision,” the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, adding it breathed life into the constitutional mandate to conduct fair and fair polls. On the sensitive question of citizenship, it said the ECI is empowered to conduct limited scrutiny of citi- zenship status while preparing and revising electoral rolls. But deletion of names do not amount to a determination of citizenship in the strict sense. “It affects the individual’s entitlement to be included in the electoral roll, and thereby their right to participate in the electoral process. It does not, however, operate to divest the individual of claims of citizenship, nor does it foreclose a determination of that question by the Competent Authority under the Citizenship Act,” the SC said. The bench went on to say that the SIR satisfies the requirements of proportionality . The measures adopted bear a rational nexus to the objective sought to be achieved, are not manifestly excessive, and are accompanied by sufficient safe- guards against arbitrary exclusion, the bench said. As for deletions, the court said the ECI shall refer all such cases within four weeks to the competent authority under the Citizenship Act, 1955, for adjudication of citizenship. The competent authority shall take the call preferably before the next election cycle after giving notice and an opportunity of hearing to the deleted individuals. BA L A C H AU H A N & D EVA RA J B H I R E H A L L I @ Bengaluru KARNATAKA Deputy Chief Minister Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar is likely to succeed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was asked by the party high command to step down and move to the Rajya Sabha to play a ‘larger role’ at the national level. The Congress high command decided to hand over the mantle to Shiva k u m a r a f t e r party chief Mallikarjun Kharge turned down the offer to lead Kar nataka citing age and health issues, sources said. While the Congress leadership is keen on completing the power transfer process quickly and smoothly no date has been , fixed for the oath-taking of the new CM. Sources said it could happen on May 29 or May 31. Celebrations have already begun at Shivakumar’s residence and in his assembly constituency Kanakapura. Siddaramaiah has called for a breakfast meeting with his cabinet colleagues on Thursday, and is likely to tender his resignation in the afternoon. The New Indian Express wishes its readers on the occasion of Eid al-Adha. Our offices will remain closed today. There will be no issue of the paper tomorrow.