Fri Dec 26 11:12:42 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

Summary:

On December 26, 2025, The Hindu published an article clarifying a recent media report. The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, did not initiate a congratulatory call to V.V. Rajesh, the newly elected BJP Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram. According to a press release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Rajesh contacted the CM’s personal assistant first. The CM only offered a brief congratulatory remark after being informed by Rajesh of his impending election. The CMO emphasizes that the news reports claiming the CM initiated the call are factually incorrect and misleading. The publication also advertised other features of its e-paper, including sections on Indian perspectives on world affairs, film news, technology, science, data analysis, health, and book reviews.

News Article:

Vijayan Office Clarifies Congratulatory Call Controversy Surrounding Thiruvananthapuram Mayor-Elect

Thiruvananthapuram, December 26, 2025 – The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in Kerala has issued a press release refuting claims that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan initiated a congratulatory phone call to V.V. Rajesh, the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram.

The clarification comes after several media outlets reported that Vijayan had personally contacted Rajesh to offer his congratulations. According to the CMO statement released Friday afternoon, Rajesh himself contacted the Chief Minister’s personal assistant seeking to speak with Vijayan.

“The PA contacted and connected to the Chief Minister. Mr. Rajesh told the Chief Minister that he was going to be elected as the Mayor, and the CM responded by saying ‘Congratulations’,” the statement explained. “However, the news that was spread later claimed that the Chief Minister called Mr. Rajesh and congratulated him. This is contrary to the facts.”

The CMO emphasized that the initial contact was made by Rajesh and that Vijayan’s remark was a brief acknowledgement of the situation. The statement aims to correct what the CMO views as a misleading representation of the events, preventing further misunderstanding. The incident has drawn attention due to the political dynamics between the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and the BJP in Kerala.

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