For the first time in the history of the Communist Party of India - Marxist, its two founding members Jyoti Basu and Harkishan Singh Surjeet will give a miss to the party's 19th All India Congress, which begins in Coimbatore on Saturday, due to health-related reasons. The 94-year-old Basu expressed his regret and inability to attend the Congress. "Their absence would be deeply felt. But both the comrades, we know, are always with us," MP Brinda Karat said.
When it comes to the Congress and Wayanad, the only way the scepticism in the minds of some in Kerala may be addressed is by the Gandhi family proving that they are more than a passing caravan in town, reports Shyam G Menon.
Citing the Samajwadi Party's electoral victory in Uttar Pradesh, the Communist Party of India Marxist on Saturday revived the idea of a Third Front, pitching for the unity of Left and democratic forces to give the people another alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said people wanted an alternative to the Congress and the BJP as both of them had been defeated in the UP elections.
Deriving from Narendra Modi's continuing charisma, the proposed scheme, if and when implemented, can cut both ways. That is to say, if Modi can win, he can lose. Or, someone else in his place, later on, could lose as much as he could win in his time, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
In a memorandum submitted to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, the 21 opposition MPs who signed the document demanded urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to bring peace and harmony to the state.
The Congress president during his year at the helm of the party has repaired the citadel for far more challenging years ahead, and played a crucial role in shaping the Opposition alliance.
The Trinamool Congress will file a defamation suit against the Communist Party of India-Marxist and West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for equating the party with the Maoists.
Accusing the Congress of using money power to win the trust vote, the Communist Party of India-Marxist said on Friday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had 'bettered the record' of his predecessor P V Narasimha Rao for indulging in immoral and shady practices' to remain in power.
Rahul Gandhi's focus will be on his Nyay Yatra, rather than the INDIA bloc's election campaign, leading to speculation among allies that the Congress leader is already looking at the Opposition's fight beyond May 2024.
The Chinese leader will display his grip on the Communist party and chart his plans for his country's future.
D S Rajan analyses the outgoing Chinese president's keynote address to the once-in-a-decade Congress and his take on corruption, foreign policy and political reforms
In an embarrassment to Congress Lok Sabha member from Kannur K Sudharakaran, a former aide of his on Saturday alleged that the Member of Parliament was involved in a "conspiracy" to murder Communist Party of India - Marxist leader E P Jayarajan in early 1990s.
Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha elections has begun across states and Union Territories, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar told PTI.
Top leaders of Communist Party of India-Marxist, CPI, Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc are expected to meet in the third week of this month to devise a common stand the four parties should have vis-a-vis the Congress in view of the elections. At the meeting, the four parties will also discuss ways to resolve their inter-party wranglings and strengthen their unity further.
The Bharatiya Janata Party was on Thursday poised for a landslide victory in Gujarat to retain power for a record seventh straight term but was behind the Congress in Himachal Pradesh which could go with the trend of alternative governments in the hill state.
'Every Congress leader in UP and the rest of India is calling me and thanking me that finally someone spoke about this JNU gang ruling the Congress party in UP.'
In the event of Left parties deciding to withdraw support forcing a mid-term poll for the Lok Sabha both the sides have a lot to lose, as the shadow-boxing between them will have an impact on the poll outcome, political observers point out. Knowing well that CPI-M is ideologically opposed to the nuclear deal and that it would not have a direct bearing on the electorate, the Congress party is confident of facing people, but not before bringing down the spiralling prices.
'The Congress's arrogance and unrealistic claims have weakened the anti-BJP movement at the national level.'
The politburo of the Communist Party of India - Marxist on Tuesday denied reports about joining an electoral coalition, along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, for the assembly elections in Sikkim."The CPI-M- will have no alliance with the Congress or the BJP in Sikkim, as reported in the media," according to a terse statement issued by the party.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm after opposition members held protest in Parliament seeking a discussion on the issue.
"The Congress should realise that secularism alone is not enough and it should do some serious introspection over its policies," said CPI secretary D Raja.
Congress party and National Conference, the erstwhile ruling alliance in Jammu and Kashmir, are likley to "stay away" from tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony.
The Left and SP, along with TDP, have held consultations on the issue.
Future Gaming of lottery king Santiago Martin was the biggest purchaser of electoral bonds at Rs 1,368 crore, of which nearly 37 percent went to the DMK.
The Sri Lankan government had recently announced a 48-hour ceasefire solely due to the efforts of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, the Congress party said in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday.
Over a million officials are said to have been punished in Xi's anti-corruption campaign according to the official media accounts. The intensity of the campaign also attracted criticism that Xi made effective use of it to silence his critics and rivals within the party.
We have lost a devoted communist who was ready to sacrifice anything for the people and the party, says Shameem Faizee, recollecting his meetings with comrade A K Hangal.
When Jiang Zemin traveled, as you can see in the photographs here, a Kodak Moment was never far away.
China on Thursday said it will speed up modernisation of military and build itself into a 'maritime power', an announcement which may cause anxiety in India and some other neighbours of the Communist giant.
'By treating Nepali politicians as shabby buffoons to be pampered one day and collared another day, India badly exposed itself.' 'A belief got entrenched in the Nepalese mind that we are a dangerous neighbour,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The veteran leader was cremated at his native Bhugterian village amid "Bhim Singh amar rahe" slogans.
Navigating a history of animosity and mistrust, negotiations for a potential Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance in West Bengal face significant challenges while addressing the shared adversary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, with the Bengal Congress unit appearing reluctant to engage in an electoral pact.
The Trinamool Congress on Friday termed Communist Party of India - Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury as the country's 'number one Maoist' and alleged that he has close links with the Maoists in Nepal. "Sitaram Yechury is the man who supports the Maoists and keeps going to Nepal. He should be considered as the number one Maoist in India," TC chief whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said, when asked to comment on Yechury's allegation that TC is fomenting violence in Bengal.
In the months immediately following the 2024 tragedy, reporting on the landslide per se had been a straightforward affair. On one side was death and destruction. On the other side, survivors and the business of survival. It was black and white. What direction to take was clear. Rehabilitation in comparison, felt like a complex situation. One that is fraught with shades of grey. As grey as human life, explains Shyam G Menon.
Speaking on the resolution, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the CAA is 'against the Constitution and humanity'. The resolution was supported by both the opposition parties Congress and the CPI(M)-led Left Front. The BJP legislature party opposed the resolution.
As the suspense over the much-anticipated name for the next President continues, veteran Communist Party of India leader AB Bardhan has said the left parties would meet on June 21 to devise their strategy for the upcoming presidential polls
Any decision to include "non-locals" in electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir is unacceptable and would be contested by all means, including in court, Nation Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Monday after a meeting of nine parties over the issue.
Sources said the opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasise on building a common ground.
Saifuddin Laskar (47), TMC area president of Bamungachi area in Joynagar was shot dead from close range near his house by miscreants when he went out to offer prayers in the morning, the police said.
The CPI-M's allegations were termed a political conspiracy by the opposition Congress which accused the Left party of stooping low to target its political opponents.
