The Centre might consider the Left parties' demand for increasing the Employee Provident Fund rate to 9.5 per cent from the present 8.5 per cent and a decision on the issue is expected after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from The Hague.
Left parties on Monday approached the Election Commission demanding that West Bengal's borders with other states be sealed during the coming assembly polls there to ensure that Maoists do not trigger violence.
Communist Party of India-Marxist polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury on Monday hinted at a possible merger of the two Left parties -- CPI and CPI-M -- in the near future.
Accusing the Left parties of destroying the progress of West Bengal and Kerala during their rule, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said they were on the "wrong side" of history and pursuing policies not relevant to the changing times.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Monday demanded that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance II government at the Centre take immediate steps to end the nexus between the Trinamool Congress and Maoists to ensure peaceful elections in West Bengal.
In a bid to allay the apprehensions of the Left parties and the trade unions, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Monday said the Delhi and Mumbai airports were not being privatised
The Left parties on Friday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a rollback in petroleum prices and said the Budget should conform with the Common Minimum Programme.
Voting is being held in 59 of the total 60 seats .
Asking the United Progressive Alliance government not to succumb to "pressure" to accept United States President Barack Obama's economic and strategic alliance proposals, the Left parties on Monday claimed that these will only benefit the US and go against India's interest.
The government rejected Left parties' charge that the Nuclear Liability Bill was designed to benefit American equipment suppliers and dismissed as unnecessary the controversy over a Parliamentary Committee recommendation for an amendment in supplier's clause.
The massive 10 per cent swing reflected the public fury against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime, hit by the 2G spectrum scam, power cut, skyrocketing prices and deteriorating law and order.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is not worried over the recent statements made by the Left parties advocating radical changes in the economic policy and has recommended a 10-point agenda for the new government.
The stock markets on Monday crashed, witnessing a historic fall of 16 per cent in a day triggered by uncertainty over economic reforms and policies of the new government at the Centre.
Though several exit polls have painted a dismal picture about the electoral fate of the Left Front in West Bengal and Kerala -- two states ruled by the Communist Party of India - Marxist led combine -- the top brass of the party is putting up a brave front. Top Left Front leaders have claimed that the party will retain power in both states despite heavy odds. The United Democratic Front in Kerala, led by the Congress, is locked in a bitter battle with the Left parties.
Congress at its plenary session in New Delhi resolved to call upon the government investigate links between terrorists and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its sister organizations, report Vicky Nanjappa and Krishnakumar Padmanabhan.
Under attack from opposition parties and NGOs back home, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday admitted to 'nuancing' of the Indian position that it will not accept internationally legally binding emission cuts.
Terming as 'very serious' reports alleging that ISRO benefited a private firm through allocation of scarce S-band spectrum without a bidding process, Left parties on Monday demanded a thorough probe into the 'new scam'.
'He always had a choice to resign and walk toward the sunset in protest.' 'Instead, he chose to be a mute witness to one of the most sordid chapters of India's parliamentary history when MPs were bought up like cattle to steer the nuclear deal through,' says M K Bhadrakumar.
A 10-time Lok Sabha MP, Chatterjee was a central committee member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which he had joined in 1968. He was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.
On September 7, the trade unions have called a dawn to dusk bandh to protest against rise in price of daily commodities and, once again, fuel price hikes.
A united opposition on Monday forced adjournment of the Question Hour in both Houses of Parliament, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation.As soon as the House met, Bharatiya Janata Party members stormed the well, chanting . 'We want JPC'. They were joined by members of the Shiv Sena and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
'No, the liberals haven't lost because there weren't any liberals in the fray to begin with.' 'What has happened is that left-wing orthodoxy has lost to right-wing orthodoxy.' 'That is at best a Pyrrhic victory for India,' argue Sonali Ranade and Sheilja Sharma.
While the Left will listen to what Barack Obama has to say in Parliament, he should also listen to their concerns, says CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury.
Concerned over the situation in Kashmir, Opposition parties attacked the government over its handling of the affairs related to the state but were divided on the question of granting autonomy to the state. While BJP was strongly against grant of autonomy and even questioned whether the government was going to discuss it, Left parties favoured political and economic package including "broadening of framework of autonomy within the sovereignty of Indian constitution".
Chandrababu Naidu's latest announcement that the Telugu Desam Party would be a part of the just-conceived "Federal Front", on Thursday took senior party leaders by surprise as it currently maintains a cordial relationship with the Left.
'We genuinely believe that good India-US strategic ties in various fields are absolutely necessary -- whether it is security, space or trade. We are in favour of strengthening India-US ties,' says the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Making clear her willingness for an alliance of non-Bharatiya Janata Party parties, Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her party will join such a front for the 'greater interest' of the country.
As Railway motormen brought Mumbai to a standstill, MPs, including from Congress, on Tuesday paralysed functioning of Parliament over the issue, expressing solidarity with striking employees and targeting Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for failing to avert the situation.
CPI-M calls her bid 'desperate attempt to save herself'.
'Rahul is misguided by a handful of family retainers who don't want him to show unrestrained initiative in forming allies.' says Sudhir Bisht.
Communist Party of India - Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday stated that the Left parties would not compromise on the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam.The CPI-M leader underlined the urgent need for an alternative economic policy as the people were reeling under scorching prices for the 'wrong policies adopted by the United Progressive Alliance'.
Claiming that their recent nationwide strike was a "big success", CPI(M) on Wednesday said it would intensify the struggle against rising prices and would not be deterred by the "politically motivated propaganda" about losses the hartal caused to the nation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA and Left Parties, including the CPI-M and CPI, have organised a 'Bharat Bandh' on Monday to protest against rising inflation and the hike in prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas.
The latest updates from the Malayalam film industry.
Left parties would launch an offensive in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament against the United Progressive Alliance government hiking prices of petroleum products, Communist Party of India-Marxist member of the Parliament Basudeb Acharya has said.
'It was the only moment in the three days of Obamania on Indian television that the poor Leftist leader -- no puns please -- looked bushed. So much so, that a rightwing party leader who was also on the panel reached out and gently pressed the Leftist's hand, as a father does to a wounded child.'
Top Left leaders Prakash Karat (Communist Party of India-Marxist), A B Bardhan (Communist Party of India), Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc) and Abani Roy (Revolutionary Socialist Party), led the demonstration near Parliament House.
The Left parties will greet visiting US President Barack Obama on Monday with protests but their MPs, barring the Forward Bloc (which has two MPs in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha), will listen to him when he addresses Parliament.
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