Vishnu Varma is Assistant Editor and reports from Kerala for the Hindustan Times. He has 10 years of experience writing for print and digital platforms and has worked at The New York Times, NDTV and The Indian Express in the past. He specialises in longform reportage at the intersections of politics, crime, social commentary and environment.
Articles by Vishnu Varma
Malayalam author dies at 91; tributes pour in
The 91-year-old author, popularly known as MT in literary and social circles, was admitted to the pvt hospital two weeks ago as a result of a cardiac arrest and was on ventilator support prior to his death
Updated on Dec 26, 2024 06:08 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
SC order on elephants in fests turns focus on decades-old tussle in Kerala
The HC's push to enforce guidelines sparked tension among temple festival committees and large fan clubs of captive elephants in the state.
Updated on Dec 20, 2024 04:49 AM IST
Church body slams Kerala minister over man-animal conflict
The Catholic Congress, an outfit of the Syro-Malabar church, on Tuesday demanded resignation of forest minister AK Saseendran for not being able to stop such incidents.
Updated on Dec 18, 2024 06:48 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
40-year-old man trampled to death by wild elephant in Kerala; Locals protest
Forest officials have begun efforts to dig trenches and install solar fences around the areas demarcating the panchayat and the reserve fores
Updated on Dec 17, 2024 05:46 PM IST
Kerala high court rebukes TDB for ‘VIP darshan’ to actor Dileep at Sabarimala shrine
A bench of justices Anil K Narendran and Muralee Krishna S, which examined the CCTV footage of the shrine on Dec 5, said the incident was “very, very serious”
Published on Dec 12, 2024 05:35 PM IST
Kerala: 10 FIRs filed for default on loans from Kuwait bank
The FIRs are part of a large-scale fraud amounting to nearly ₹700 crore at the Kuwait City-based bank allegedly committed by at least 1245 health care workers, including nurses, from Kerala.
Updated on Dec 10, 2024 07:32 AM IST
In century-old Malankara Church conflict, SC issues Jacobite faction stern warning
Supreme Court on Tuesday uphed its 2017 judgement in connection with the entrustment of certain churches under it to Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church as per 1934 constitution of parent church
Updated on Dec 04, 2024 07:14 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
BJP Kerala chief accepts responsibility for party’s loss in Palakkad by-elections
The BJP came third in the bypolls to Wayanad Lok Sabha and Chelakkara assembly seats where the UDF and LDF secured comfortable victorious respectively
Updated on Nov 26, 2024 07:48 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Post defeat in Palakkad bypoll, knives out within Kerala BJP
Party spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan admitted that there were deep organisational lapses during the campaign
Updated on Nov 25, 2024 06:18 AM IST
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra registers thumping victory in Wayanad Lok Sabha by-poll
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, 52, contested her first election and surpassed Rahul Gandhi’s victory margin of 364,000 votes in Wayanad this summer
Published on Nov 23, 2024 07:22 PM IST
Kerala by-polls: CPI(M), Congress win 1 seat each
Ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said that the party’s win in the Chelakkara by-poll confirmed that there is no anti-incumbency
Published on Nov 23, 2024 06:34 PM IST
Kerala HC to probe minister’s anti-Constitution remarks
The Kerala HC ordered further investigation by the state crime branch (SCB) into Saji Cheriyan allegedly making anti-Constitution remarks at a party meeting in July 2022
Updated on Nov 22, 2024 08:34 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Body of missing Kerala woman found, partner arrested
The decomposed body of a 48-year-old woman, who went missing from Karunagappally in Kollam district on November 6, was found buried at a vacant plot in Karoor
Updated on Nov 20, 2024 07:22 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Palakkad bypoll ground report: Defections make triangular fight thrilling
A win in the constituency, which has an equal mix of urban and rural voters, is expected to hand out crucial momentum to UDF, NDA and LDF on the path to the all-important assembly elections in 2026
Updated on Nov 19, 2024 05:00 AM IST
Kerala CM, UDF spar as BJP leader defects to Congress
Warier, a former BJP state committee member and its face on television debates, joined the Congress on Saturday, saying that he came out of a ‘factory that sold hate’ to join a ’shop that sold love’
Updated on Nov 18, 2024 07:06 AM IST
Ahead of Palakkad bypoll, BJP’s Sandeep Varier joins Congress
Sandeep G Varier was miffed with the BJP leadership for over a year and recently spoke out publicly against state chief K Surendran and the official party candidate K Krishnakumar
Updated on Nov 17, 2024 05:56 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Palakkad
After over 3 months, Kerala landslide survivors meet at poll booths
The surviving voters of Chooralmala and Mundakkai met each other again in the polling booths for the bypoll in Wayanad parliamentary constituency on Wednesday
Updated on Nov 14, 2024 01:37 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Wayanad logs 62.91% turnout in LS bypoll, Chelakkara 69.39%
A total of 16 candidates were in the fray in Wayanad, where UDF nominee Priyanka Gandhi took on Sathyan Mokeri of the LDF and NDA’s Navya Haridas.
Updated on Nov 14, 2024 08:32 AM IST
IAS officer popular as ‘collector bro’ on social media suspended
Prasanth was suspended for violating service conduct rules by making derogatory statements on social media against addl chief secy in finance department
Updated on Nov 13, 2024 03:35 AM IST
Rahul joins Priyanka on last day of Wayanad campaigning
The bypoll in Wayanad will see Priyanka up against Sathyan Mokeri of the CPI and Navya Haridas of the BJP
Updated on Nov 12, 2024 02:20 AM IST
BJP snatching tribals’ land for businessmen friends: Priyanka
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra promised tribal voters that she would uplift the existing health mechanisms and slammed the BJP for 'usurping' their lands.
Updated on Nov 11, 2024 04:03 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Once bitten, Kerala not shy to eye tunnel via Western Ghats
Despite a deadly landslide in Wayanad, Kerala's government plans to build a controversial tunnel, raising environmental concerns.
Updated on Oct 31, 2024 03:00 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
Priyanka declares assets worth ₹12cr
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra declared assets worth ₹12 crore for the Wayanad bypoll, including ₹4.24 crore in movable assets and ₹7.74 crore in immovable assets.
Updated on Oct 24, 2024 05:15 AM IST
It will be my honour to represent Wayanad, if I get a chance: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Priyanka, 52, was fielded by the Congress in the bypoll in Wayanad after Rahul Gandhi vacated the constituency to retain his second seat of Rae Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh
Updated on Oct 24, 2024 08:16 AM IST
Priyanka reaches Wayanad, to file her nomination today
A public meeting is also scheduled in Kalpetta town following the roadshow at which senior leaders of the Congress are expected to speak and campaign for Priyanka in her debut election.
Updated on Oct 23, 2024 09:18 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi
BJP’s surprise choice to face Priyanka in Wayanad bypolls
BJP's Navya Haridas, a former software professional, rises from local politics to challenge Congress's Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad bypolls.
Updated on Oct 21, 2024 07:32 AM IST
Cong’s digital media head expelled, likely to join LDF in Kerala
P Sarin, who is originally from Thiruvilwamala in the Thrissur district, was among the frontrunners in the candidacy in Palakkad
Updated on Oct 18, 2024 08:38 AM IST
Kerala: P Sarin, head of Congress digital media cell, expelled; may join LDF
P Sarin, who was considered to be a frontrunner for the Palakkad bypoll, criticised the Congress’s decision to field Rahul Mamkootathil
Published on Oct 17, 2024 03:27 PM IST
A day after ADM’s ‘suicide’, kin accuse panchayat head
Protests by the opposition Congress and BJP against the CPI(M) leadership continued on the second day on Wednesday in Kannur
Updated on Oct 17, 2024 07:02 AM IST
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set for electoral debut from Wayanad seat
The Congress on Tuesday evening named senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as its candidate for the November 13 bypolls for Wayanad
Updated on Oct 16, 2024 06:24 AM IST
Vishnu Varma, Kochi