Kerala's election discourse operates surreptitiously. Its explicit face focuses on important national and local issues. At the same time, it seeks to secure apt communal equations to ensure votes, notes Shyam G Menon.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has convened a meeting of the party's strategy group on September 8, the sources said. Opposition leaders are keen that various like-minded parties should work closely with each other to take on the government in Parliament.
Several prominent opposition leaders including Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah will share the dais at a rally being organised by Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana's Fatehabad on Sunday.
A delegation of opposition parties including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Left leaders on Wednesday met President Ram Nath Kovind seeking repeal of the three farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on various borders of the national capital.
Two persons have been arrested in connection with the abduction of the daughter of a Kerala Member of Legislative Assembly and her male friend from a bus in Mangalore. Police have identified four persons who were believed to be involved in the kidnapping, Western Range Inspector General of Police A M Prasad said.
A team of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday held on-spot inquiries in Sandeshkhali to ascertain facts about alleged sexual abuse by some Trinamool Congress leaders even as fresh agitation rocked the trouble-torn village, where locals torched the property of accused Trinamool leaders and held demonstrations against the delay in arresting the main accused, Shahjahan Sheikh.
CPM general-secretary Prakash Karat had said that the government would have to face serious consequences if it went ahead with the nuclear deal.
'Any mistake in the defense of secularism, any lapse in economic policy that affects the people, any giving in to pressure from America, we shall come out,'warns CPI-M leader Prakash Karat.
The ensuing assembly elections in four states besides a host of issues, including the airport privatisation, Iran and Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector, would figure prominently at the meet.
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.
Karat demanded that the UPA categorically spell out its stand on the International Atomic Energy Agency meeting, with regard to the Iran nuclear issue.
Notwithstanding the softening of its stand on passing a resolution in Parliament on the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Sunday said "the sense of the House" should be reflected on the issue.
CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said India needs to follow an independent foreign policy.
Making it clear that the Left would not budge from its firm stand, CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat said to 'Kairali' TV channel, "We will not compromise, if they go ahead with the strategic alliance with the US. If they go ahead to fulfil their word with President Bush, for 40 years this agreement will bind India. It will affect our independent foreign policy. We cannot accept that.
Nandigram has been witnessing sporadic clashes between supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee, which is spearheading the agitation against land acquisition for a SEZ there.
Shatrughan Sinha won't attend, citing 'important personal engagements.' Will L K Advani be present? M I Khan reports on a swearing-in ceremony the likes of which Patna may not have seen before.
Arun Jaitley will visit Kerala on Sunday. The same day, Kerala Governor P Sathasivam will discuss law and order with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Sivadasan noted that the post of the governor is being misused by the central government to forward its agenda in the states.
CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat admitted that differences did exist between the allies and said, "We are trying to reach a consensus."
'The BJP's economic policy narrowed the employment potential. Go to any urban area, you will see closed \n\nfactories. The small sector belongs to the middle class, and their future is ruined,' says CPI-M leader Prakash \n\nKarat.
Speaking at the all-party meeting called by the government, Modi said, "People have great expectations and that is why Parliament should function and be productive."
The film, which was released on May 5, has kicked up a political storm.
Here are some of the reactions to Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks that Godse was a deshbhakt.
A day before her scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi excise policy case, Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader K Kavitha led a hunger strike here on Friday seeking the passage of the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill in this Budget session of Parliament.
Is the CPI-M willing to acknowledge that its cadres were involved in the violent incidents in Nandigram?
He was administered the oath of office by Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Raj Bhavan in Patna.
This election will be remembered for being the first election where the Election Commission failed to take action on gross violations involving the ruling party that repeatedly used religion, communal slurs, lies and undocumented allegations, observes Ramesh Menon.
The "opaque" electoral bonds scheme for funding political parties will "destroy democracy" as it promotes corruption and does not allow a level playing field between the ruling and opposition parties, the petitioners challenging the validity of the scheme told the Supreme Court, which on Tuesday observed election funding was a "complicated issue".
A large number of people assembled at their home in Chadbugh locality and bid a tearful adieu to the brothers.
Wayanad will continue to support Rahul but not to the same extent as in 2019, when his margin of victory had been enormous. Articulate, to the point and speaking in fluent Malayalam, CPI's Annie Raja, had the people who gathered to see her, listening in rapt attention, notes Shyam G Menon.
Remith, who suffered severe injuries on his head and neck in the attack that happened at 10.30 am, died on the way to hospital, police said.
Nitish Kumar has again proven that he is a master of the art of changing governments.
"There were CPI-M men carrying red flags who blocked my car and some other vehicles which were going along with mine to Nandigram. I was hit on the face and they tried to pull my hair and were about to drag me out of the car," Patkar told PTI over phone from the spot.
US President George W Bush on Wednesday came under severe attack from the Communist Party of India-Marxist, which described him as a "fool" for comparing Russian leader Lenin with the likes of Osama bin Laden and Adolf Hitler.
Besides the SAD, the SP, the AIADMK and the TRS supported the idea; while the AAP, the TDP, the JD-S, the AIFB, the DMK, the TMC, the GFP and Left parties opposed it.
Political leaders and other prominent personalities condemned the attack on Amarnath Yatris in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday after terrorists open fired at the bus carrying the pilgrims killing seven and injuring 32 others.
A joint delegation of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Communist Party of India on Tuesday met the family members of the Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped and killed in Hathras, and demanded an independent judicial enquiry into the matter.
He also asked the government to spell out its stand on the voting on the Iran nuclear issue at the IAEA board meeting next month.
Parliament proceedings were adjourned amid ruckus and sloganeering by the Opposition members over the Adani issue.