The close assembly election results in Kerala -- where the CPM is the single largest party but won't form the government -- is thanks only to VS's line, which insists that the primary obligation of the party is not merely toward electoral politics but toward the vast segments of dispossessed, marginalised, humiliated, impoverished people, says MK Bhadrakumar
For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav will address joint rallies before the first Phase of voting and, after that, for the seats in the second Phase of voting, they added.
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.
Two CoBRA battalion personnel were seriously injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists during an anti-Naxal operation in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) asserts that major political parties participated in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, deploying booth level agents despite opposing the exercise in the Supreme Court. The ECI defends its authority to conduct the revision to maintain the integrity of elections.
'When Narendra Modi was here, he spoke only about development and what the BJP wanted to do in Kerala. That kind of sober rhetoric or argument is acceptable to the people here.'
The mother of the RG Kar Medical College victim is entering West Bengal politics as a BJP candidate to fight against the TMC government and seek justice for her daughter's case in the upcoming Assembly election.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
West Bengal is on edge as it awaits the results of its recent election, with the TMC and BJP vying for control. The counting process will be conducted under tight security, with the Election Commission implementing stringent measures to ensure a fair and transparent process.
The high-pitched campaign for the first phase of West Bengal assembly elections concluded with the BJP and TMC focusing on electoral rolls and dietary habits, while making promises to voters. Voting is scheduled in 152 constituencies across north Bengal and southern districts, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote. A record number of Central paramilitary forces have been deployed, and several districts have been identified as highly sensitive.
The Supreme Court has ruled that no cognisable offence was committed by BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma regarding alleged hate speeches during the 2020 anti-CAA protests in Delhi. The court upheld a previous decision by the Delhi High Court, stating that the speeches did not incite violence or target a specific community.
The BJP and the Opposition have engaged in a war of words over the implementation of the women's reservation bill, which aims to reserve seats for women in legislatures. The bill was defeated in the Lower House, leading to accusations and counter-accusations between the parties.
A police complaint has been lodged at Barakhamba police station in Delhi, against 26 Opposition parties "for improper use of the name of INDIA and use of the said name for the undue influence and personation at elections."
In West Bengal's electoral chessboard, governments are rarely made in the hills of North Bengal or the forested region of Jangalmahal. Power is usually decided in the crowded plains of South Bengal, where elections are won less by momentum and more by mathematics.
Embroiled in a battle for survival, Left parties marginally improved their performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading in eight to 10 seats according to vote counting trends.
The electorate did not vote for the BJP as much as they voted against the TMC. This is an important distinction that the new government will ignore at its own peril, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
The Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, and the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday announced to contest 85 seats each in Maharashtra assembly elections even as deliberations to seal a final seat-sharing pact are still underway.
Years after the Nano exit, Singur's farmers now seek industry and jobs, as the land remains caught between failed promises and political contest.
The T P Chandrasekharan murder case verdict in Kerala could land a heavy blow to the Communist Party of India's Lok Sabha ambitions. G Sreedathan explains
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
As the Centre announced the inclusion of caste enumeration in the next census on Wednesday, opposition parties said it is a victory for their long-standing demand and sought time-bound implementation.
Opposition parties in India, including the Congress, Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), have unanimously hailed the armed forces' "Operation Sindoor", a retaliatory strike against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, which involved missile and drone strikes, was conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Despite political differences, all parties expressed support for the government and the armed forces, stressing the importance of national unity and integrity in the face of terrorism. While emphasizing the need for diplomatic avenues to prevent further escalation, some parties also called for caution in attributing political credit for the strikes.
Khan, the anti-Communist propagandist of the day, should understand that the Communists were subjected to suppression before it came to power in the state through ballot in 1957, Vijayan said at a party programme.
The Congress party in Odisha has moved its MLAs to Karnataka due to concerns about cross-voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Meanwhile, the BJD has called for meetings of its legislators.
'Even if they align with the TVK now, I don't think the AIADMK leadership will completely surrender to the dominance of Vijay.'
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar, contesting from Nemom, Kerala, declares assets exceeding 93 crore, including movable and immovable properties, ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
'The entire party is centred around one man and that is Arvind Kejriwal.' 'Till the time you are in Kejriwal's good books you are powerful. The day you are not with him, you are no one in the party.'
A Naxalite was killed and a C-60 commando injured in an ongoing encounter in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra. The operation, involving multiple C-60 units and CRPF, began after intelligence about the presence of Maoists in the area.
'The strategic difference over technology and territory between India and China remain great and security interests on both sides will likely prevent a short-term rapprochement of any depth.'
A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) reveals that a significant number of registered unrecognised political parties in Bihar have not made their mandatory financial disclosures public for 2023-24.
Kerala recorded a high voter turnout in the Assembly elections, with over 77 per cent of eligible voters casting their ballots. The election is crucial as it will determine whether the LDF secures a rare third consecutive term, the UDF stages a comeback, or the NDA makes deeper inroads into Kerala's political landscape.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his party will soon come out with a 'hydrogen bomb' of revelations about 'vote chori' and after that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be able to show his face to the country.
Having been the butt of criticism on social media for months, the Communist Party of India-Marxist's West Bengal chapter, has hosted a Facebook page and has also opened a Twitter account.
Voters in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry are voting in crucial assembly elections.
Kerala is set to hold its Assembly election, with the ruling LDF aiming for a historic third term, the UDF seeking a comeback, and the NDA striving to gain a foothold in the state's political landscape.
The CPM argued that though the Kolkatta high court order asking the Central Bureau of Investigation was judicially not correct, it will not contest the order.
Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat called for unification between Communists and Socialists to forge a "viable political alternative". Karat, who was participating in a function to mark the centenary celebrations of late socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, said on Tuesday, "the Communists are ready to forge a third force in the country in which socialists should also join and share a common platform."
The survey, reportedly conducted by a private agency, found that 28.3 per cent of respondents believe Tharoor is best suited to lead the state.
Building grassroots people's movements is the only way forward for the Left, says Praful Bidwai
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