Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com gives the lowdown on the constituencies going to polls in the first phase on April 11.
The West Bengal government has denied before the Supreme Court all allegations regarding the reported excesses committed by the state administration in Nandigram where 14 people were killed in police firing in March last year.
The assault on the daughter of an MLA and her friend at Mangalore has taken a new turn with the Democratic Youth Federation of India claiming responsibility behind the incident.
Three Congress workers were killed ahead of Monday's fourth phase of panchayat polls in four districts of West Bengal and at least 100 houses vandalised and looted in South 24-Parganas district on Sunday.
Defending the decision to expel Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from the party, CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat on Thursday said they did not have any other option but to take disciplinary action against the veteran Marxist as he refused to quit the post after a party directive.
Ahead of the meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on nuclear issues on Tuesday, the CPM on Monday made it clear that it would not allow the government to proceed on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Union minister Smriti Irani will also contest the Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat from where she is already an MP and her term ends on August 18.
The committee will inquire into cases of misconduct of members of Lok Sabha, including misuse of parliamentary privileges and facilities by them and submit its report within the month.
Reacting to the development in the state, the CPI said the door for the BJP to get a foothold in the southern states has been opened which was very unfortunate.
The meetings would follow the CPM's politburo and central committee, which are meeting in Kolkata this month end to take stock of the political situation.
Communist Party of India-Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu turned 95 on Tuesday, with a wish to see the Left Front government in West Bengal on its eight consecutive term.
CPM general-secretary Prakash Karat had said that the government would have to face serious consequences if it went ahead with the nuclear deal.
Taking a dig at BJP leader L K Advani's suggestion that former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee be awarded the Bharat Ratna, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Saturday said the government will not be a party to the ex-premier's retirement from politics.
Karat had on Thursday said the vice-president should be a person who has an exemplary record in some field and should have the widest acceptance.
When asked if it would not be good for farmers as they would be rid of an anti-farmer government, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said that the farmers would continue to die as there would be nobody to save them.
Union minister and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said in Hyderabad that he was not in favour of his party extending support to the third front from outside, rather he wanted the party to be a part of the government.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Saturday said that the time has come for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance leadership to "decide and tell people whether it would abide by the commitment to the US or to the Common Minimum Programme.
After a three-hour meeting of the Central Board of Trustees of the EPF, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said that the meeting decided to continue with 8.5 per cent for 2007-08, ignoring the demands by trade unions to hike the interest rate to 9.5 per cent.
'At this moment, the Trinamool has an edge.'
EC said it has decided to 'withdraw' the press note announcing the elections to RS seats from Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal.
They will also demand a review of strategic aspects of Indo-US relations in Parliament.
Six persons, including a woman, were killed and 18 were injured in violence and CRPF firing in the fourth phase of the West Bengal panchayat elections on Monday. Polling in four districts saw a voter turnout of 25 per cent.
Continuing its probe in the Nandigram massacre of people on March 14, the CBI has registered four fresh cases against local CPI(M) leaders and police officers for allegedly raping women and holding them hostages.
The Sensex opened with a positive gap of 209 points at 14,458
Nepali labourers are not only the backbone of the state's apple economy but also part of the highly grounded manpower in the orchards, setting an example for other states struggling with the migrant labour question, reports Ashwani Sharma.
Karat said, "We feel such an alliance is not in our interest in view of the double standard of the US government." He, however, emphasised for a good economic and political relationship with America.
The CPM, upset with the government's disinvestment programme, has suspended its participation in the United Progressive Alliance's coordination committee.
The TMC likened its MLAs who have joined the BJP to "rats abandoning a ship sensing danger".
The CPI (M), ruling in West Bengal and Kerala, has strongly advocated for trade unions in the BPO- IT sector but will not favour forced closures during strikes and bandhs.
A Congress delegation led by the party's state unit chief Adhir Chowdhury was not allowed to enter trouble-torn Makra village in Birbhum district, which was made out of bounds for politicians by the Trinamool Congress government.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Tuesday said the Left parties would not withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government.
The petroleum ministry has said that fuel prices should go up by Rs 10.43 a litre and cooking gas price by Rs 114.45 per cylinder, with the Left parties opposing the move.
Protests by supporters of ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and several other outfits, including party affiliated trade unions intensified across the state against the conviction of Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case, seeking her early release.
An end to the indefinite strike by truck operators, which entered the seventh day, appeared in sight with Finance Minister P Chidambaram agreeing to meet them on the issue of levy of 10 per cent service tax.
Ahead of the crucial EPF board meeting on Tuesday, the central trade unions have demanded restoration of 12 per cent interest to provident fund subscribers.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist)-affiliated Centre of Indian Trade Unions on Wednesday demanded that the 9.5 per cent interest for the over 3.2 crore provident fund subscribers be retained.
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