The Communist Party of India-Marxist central committee has found serious fault with party veteran V S Achuthanandan for openly attacking the state leadership and rejected his contention that he has been fighting the 'rightist deviations' of the state unit.
A TMC office, former MLA and councillor residences, and a CPI(M) memorial were allegedly vandalised in Jadavpur, Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress and the Left Front have accused BJP workers of the attacks, while the BJP has denied involvement, attributing the incidents to internal TMC disputes.
CPI(M) leaders, including Brinda Karat and M A Baby, were detained during a protest outside the ED headquarters in Delhi against searches at the residence of former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Kerala ministers deny allegations of a Congress-BJP operation behind ED searches at residences linked to Marxist veteran Pinarayi Vijayan, claiming instead that the CPI(M) had an understanding with the BJP. They also downplayed the significance of the searches and the meeting between the Kerala CM and the Prime Minister.
A committee formed by West Bengal's BJP government is considering proposals to rename several prominent roads, bridges, and public places in Kolkata, including those named after communist leaders Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, and Ho Chi Minh. This move has sparked sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress and CPI(M), who view it as "vendetta politics" and an attempt to disrespect differing ideologies.
Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi on Thursday, September 12, 2024 following a prolonged illness, hospital and party sources said. He was 72.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal announced that Rahul Gandhi would lead the INDIA bloc in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, dismissing reports of TVK proposing C Joseph Vijay as a prime ministerial candidate. Venugopal highlighted Gandhi's widespread appeal and campaigns on key issues, while also addressing internal alliance differences and criticising the BJP government's actions.
West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya's comments recalling the role of non-Bengali communities during the 1946 communal riots and alleging past restrictions on Durga Puja have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties, including the TMC, Congress, and CPI(M). Bhattacharya appealed for unity for peaceful Durga Puja celebrations, while opposition leaders accused him of divisive politics and distorting history.
The BJP has announced Hasirani Rath, mother of slain former aide to Suvendu Adhikari, as its candidate for the Nandigram bypoll, aiming for an emotive campaign. The party also named Sakharav Sarkar for the Rejinagar seat. These bypolls are set against a backdrop of multi-cornered contests and internal TMC disputes, with voting scheduled for October 6.
Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan has been removed from the Communist Partyof India-Marxist politbureau but will continue in the Central committee and will hold the post of the Chief Minister till the coming assembly elections. This was revealed by a press release of the CPI-M central committee after the marathon deliberations at the AKG Bhavan in New Delhi.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is set to elect its next general secretary, with speculation rife over who will lead the party. Leading contenders include M A Baby, backed by the party's Kerala unit, and Ashok Dhawale, who enjoys support from the West Bengal lobby. Other potential candidates include Mohammed Salim, B V Raghavulu, and Brinda Karat. The election will take place at the 24th CPI(M) congress in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Student organisations across India are protesting the National Testing Agency's (NTA) decision to re-conduct the UGC-NET examinations for three subjects, citing repeated lapses that jeopardise students' academic and career plans. They are demanding the NTA be scrapped or held accountable for its failures.
'It was very clear in the Parliament election that there was an erosion of Hindu votes in southern Kerala from the CPI-M to the BJP.'
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby and other Left leaders were detained by Delhi Police during a protest against ED searches at former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's residence. The CPI(M) alleges excessive force was used, while police state around 50 protesters were detained and released.
The UDF government in Kerala is likely to hand over the probe into former ADM Naveen Babu's death to the CBI, with a Cabinet decision expected soon in this regard.
Political parties in West Bengal react to the Election Commission's reshuffle of senior administrative and police officials ahead of upcoming elections, with TMC criticising the move and BJP and CPI(M) welcoming it.
Kerala police have arrested four individuals in connection with the violent attack on vehicles carrying Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials who raided former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan's rented house. The arrests followed a stand-off with CPI(M) party workers and leaders.
The Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) has voiced strong dissatisfaction with the ongoing Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Sabarimala gold loss cases, urging the Kerala government to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The organisation also highlighted severe issues faced by pilgrims during the Mandalakala-Makarvillakku season, including poor crowd management and long waiting hours, and offered to provide free services to devotees.
Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and, within hours, were named the saffron party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal, underlining both their political rehabilitation and the party's calibrated shift in inducting leaders from the erstwhile ruling dispensation.
Terming as "rigged" the death sentence to ousted Iraq president Saddam Hussein, the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Sunday denounced the Iraqi High Tribunal verdict and demanded intervention by the UPA government to get it rescinded.
Already, within the week of the election results it became apparent that the Congress' DNA has not changed from its traditional approach to politics as but a game of thrones, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
With no major elections round the corner, Prakash Karat-led Communist Party of India-Marxist will utilise its time to fight deviations from Left ideology both inside and outside the party.
While they are trying to unite different parties to form a non-Bharatiya Janata Party, non-Congress alliance at the Centre, the Communist Party of India - Marxist and the Communist Party of India on Monday intensified their tussle over the Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency in northern Kerala's Mallapuram district.After the CPI announced its intention two days earlier to field its own candidate from that seat, the CPI-M's Central Committee today put its foot down.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing a severe leadership crisis as former minister Jyoti Priya Mallick resigned from all party organisational posts citing health, and senior North Bengal leader Goutam Deb stepped down as mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, amidst widespread internal rifts and electoral setbacks.
CPI-M leader W R Varadarajan said senior party leaders Harkishan Singh Surjeet and Jyoti Basu have requested the party to relieve them from politburo due to their advanced age and immobility. A decision on the request would be made on April 3. Both had urged the CPI-M to relieve them in the last Congress, but the party had requested them to continue as it felt their advice and guidance would be vital.
The BJP has released its first list of candidates for the West Bengal assembly polls, featuring Suvendu Adhikari against Mamata Banerjee in a high-stakes electoral battle. The Left Front has also announced its initial list of candidates, setting the stage for a crucial election.
Sitaram Yechury strived to have the country's Left movement shed its doctrinaire approach to India's socio-cultural complexities and stitch electoral and social alliances to fight the Sangh Parivar.
Former Kerala minister M A Baby was elected as the CPI(M) general secretary at the 24th party congress in Madurai. Baby, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998, has been a member of the Politburo since 2012. He succeeds Sitaram Yechury, who passed away last year.
Intense lobbying is underway in Kerala as V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala vie for the chief minister's post, with their camps citing popularity, MLA support, and experience as key factors for the Congress high command's decision.
After more than four decades, Chhattisgarh's Bastar region has been declared free of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), marking the end of the armed Maoist rebellion in the area. The decline is attributed to sustained security operations, improved governance, and socio-economic development initiatives.
'Workers are the people who create all the wealth in this country. How can you call them anti-national?'
Chakraborty, an ardent trade unionist and a former Rajya Sabha member, was admitted to the hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 30.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist central committee considered a report submitted by the polit bureau on the prevailing situation in Kerala and party related matters there, a statement released by the party said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's advice to female boarders on Sunday about not venturing out late at night, in the aftermath of the alleged gangrape of a medical student in Durgapur, drew criticism from the Opposition, which asserted that her remarks were emblematic of the state's law and order situation.
The two senior most leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist are at the loggerhead over alliance or adjustment with the Congress.
The 65-year-old leader had taken over as general secretary of the CPI-M from Prakash Karat in the 21st party congress, which was held in Visakhapatnam, in 2015.
As the March 31 deadline arrives, a wave of Maoist surrenders suggests insurgency's end, but political and social concerns remain.
The decision was taken keeping in mind the party norm that no CPI-M leader can represent the party in the Upper House for more than two terms.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal announced the Congress party's goal to win 100 seats in the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections. He highlighted the party's strategy, including early candidate selection, opportunities for youth, and addressing alleged alliances between CPI(M) and BJP.
Perhaps sensing mid-term polls, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has reinstated Kerala Chief Minister V S Achutanandhan and the party state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the politburo