Page 5 - Cpi(m)

CPI(M) turns to 'old flavour' in new package for route to revival in Bengal

We have fielded mostly new faces. There are barely three who are above 60 years of age, said Samik Lahiri, a senior leader of the party

Battle for Kerala: CPI(M)'s national party status, BJP's likely inroads

In 2019, the BJP secured only 13 per cent of the votes polled in Kerala and 16 per cent along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies

LS polls Highlights: SP changes mind, now Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Kannauj

General Elections 2024 news updates: Catch all the news updates on the announcements related to Lok Sabha polls here

Referred to Gandhi's old name due to his recent statements: Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday defended his recent recollection of Rahul Gandhi's "old name", stating that it was in response to certain statements made by the Congress leader during campaigning in the state, which according to the left leader, helped the BJP and agencies under its control. Vijayan said that such a conduct from the Congress leader was "completely immature" and therefore, Gandhi should not simply repeat what some of his party's leaders in the state tell him. "That is why I said he should not go back to his old name," he said at a press meet held here. Vijayan was responding to a reporter's query regarding the correctness of him making such a remark when in the past the CPI(M) had taken a stand against such personal attacks. Vijayan had referred to Gandhi's old name on April 19 a day after the Congress leader had wondered why the Marxist veteran was not jailed by the BJP government at the Centre, unlike two other Chief Ministers of opposition-ruled

Hold Modi accountable for 'false, unverified allegations': Congress to EC

Congress says the Election Commission 'risks tarnishing its legacy and abandoning its constitutional duty' if it fails to act against the Prime Minister

LS polls: Intense battle in Kannur as Cong, CPI(M), & BJP vie for dominance

The Northern Kerala constituency of Kannur is witnessing an intense battle between the Congress and the CPI(M), while the BJP is focusing on the newly registered young voters to make an impact in the seat. With 39 percent minorities, including Muslims and Christians, the voters often support the CPI(M)-LDF in most of the assembly seats falling under this Parliament constituency in the polls to the legislature, but the Lok Sabha constituency has often swayed towards the Congress-led UDF, hoping to replace the BJP at the Centre. The strong minority vote base is what helped the UDF win the seat as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is its major partner. The rubber farmers in areas like Irikkur and Peravoor, predominantly Christians, have also been a strong vote bank for the Congress. Hoping to retain the seat this time as well, the Congress has fielded Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee chief K Sudhakaran here. Considering his candidature in the seat, Sudhakaran had recently ...

ECI warns Tripura BJP candidate for calling CPI(M) party of murderers'

The Election Commission of India has warned BJP candidate Tripura East Lok Sabha constituency, Kriti Devi Debbarman, for violating the model code of conduct by branding the opposition CPI(M) a party of murderers. The CPI(M) on Wednesday lodged a complaint against her with Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in this regard. The video footage of the speech also corroborated that the (BJP) candidate has made the speech against which the complaint was made, said Saju Vaheed, Returning Officer of the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat. Based on the available evidence, it is convinced that the statement was made in violation of the model code of conduct, he said in a statement. Smt Kriti Devi Debbarman is hereby warned to abstain from making such statements in future which violates the MCC. Otherwise, appropriate action will be taken as per the provisions of MCC the returning officer said. Debbarman, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Tripura, is the sister of Pradyot Debbarma, the

Some parties seek LGBT vote as most Indians disapprove of homosexuality

Election manifestos of Congress and CPM promise stronger legal protections for the community

LS polls in Kerala: INDIA bloc allies CPI(M), Cong trade allegations on CAA

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc, on Sunday traded allegations against each other on various issues, including the CAA and the recent Kannur blast, as the Lok Sabha poll campaign intensified in the state. Polling will be held in the state on April 26. At an LDF public meeting in Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated his accusations of Congress being silent on the implementation of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and various central government policies that are against the interests of the state. He contended that the Congress never opposed the central government policies that are financially choking the state and obstructing its welfare measures. Vijayan went on to claim that the past experience of the country has been that the Congress's stand was always similar to that of the BJP and, therefore, they cannot be trusted to oppose the saffron party. He further alleged

Lok Sabha elections: CPI(M) manifesto promises super-rich tax, nixing FRBM

CPI (M) said it stands for state governors to be chosen out of a panel of three eminent persons proposed by the chief minister, state funding of elections and banning corporate donations to parties

LS polls: RJD to contest on 26, Cong, Left to field on 14 seats in Bihar

In the seat-sharing formula for the Mahagathbandhan allies, RJD gets key constituencies in Madhubani and Hajipur while Congress to contest from Kishanganj and Muzaffarpur

After Congress, CPI gets Income Tax dept notice for Rs 11-crore dues

The Communist Party of India (CPI) has received a notice from the income-tax department, asking it to pay "dues" of Rs 11 crore for using an old PAN card while filing tax returns during the last few years, sources said on Friday. They said the Left party is consulting its lawyers to challenge the notice of the tax authorities. The sources said the "dues" to be paid to the I-T department include penalties and interest due to authorities for "discrepancies" in the use of an old PAN card by the party. "We are seeking legal assistance and consulting our lawyers," a senior CPI leader told PTI. Earlier, the Congress said it has received I-T notices, asking the party to pay dues of more than Rs 1,823 crore for discrepancies in tax returns filed for previous years. Trinamool Congress leader Saket Gokhale has also claimed that he has received 11 I-T notices in the last 72 hours. The Congress has been alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre is trying to "cripple" the opposition

LS polls: CPI(M) expects turnaround in Bengal after barren outcome in 2019

The CPI(M) is hoping for a turnaround in the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal after a barren outcome in 2019, maintaining that the results will depend on the people being able to freely exercise their franchise. Claiming that the people have seen through the "hollow" promises made by the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, CPI(M) central committee member and candidate from Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency Sujan Chakraborty said that the "red flag" is there when no one else is believed to be trustworthy. "If people can exercise their franchise freely, then there will be a reflection of that in the results," he told PTI. Elections in West Bengal, where poll-related violence has been in the focus for long, will be held in seven phases with the highest number of central security forces. Several companies of central forces were sent to the state by the Election Commission as a confidence-building measure even before the polls were announced. The CPI(M)-led Left Front, which ruled the state for

DMK allots Madurai, Dindigul to CPI(M), Nagapattinam, Tiruppur to CPI

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK on Tuesday announced that CPI(M) will contest from Madurai and Dindigul and the CPI from Nagapattinam and Tiruppur constituencies in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The announcement came a month after the ruling party allotted two seats each to the Left parties, who are part of the alliance with Congress and a few other parties. CPI(M) leaders led by State Secretary K Balakrishnan, CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan and others called on Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin at the Dravidian party's headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' here today and signed formal agreements regarding the seats. The ruling DMK had allotted two seats each to the CPI(M), CPI and VCK and one each to the IUML, KMDK and MDMK. The DMK has earmarked nine seats in Tamil Nadu besides the lone segment in Puducherry to the Congress party. The DMK is set to contest in 21 seats. The KMDK nominee will contest in DMK's rising sun symbol and in effect, the ruling party is set to fight from 22 ou

LS polls: BJP intensifies efforts to overcome electoral dry spell in Kerala

The BJP is intensifying its efforts to break its electoral dry spell in Kerala as the state braces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. With a concerted focus on outreach, particularly towards the minority Christian community, the party aims to secure a foothold in the southern state. Kerala's demographic landscape, with Muslims and Christians constituting a significant portion of the population, presents a formidable challenge for the BJP, perceived as a pro-Hindu party. However, the party is leaving no stone unturned in its bid to appeal to diverse voter segments. In a strategic move, the BJP has welcomed prominent Christian figures like Anil K Antony, son of Congress stalwart A K Antony, and seasoned Kerala politician P C George, into its fold. Additionally, the party is leveraging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent visits to Kerala, emphasising developmental agendas tailored to the state's needs. To bolster its electoral prospects, the BJP has strategically fielded two

Unlike 2019, Oppn offers strong alternative to BJP in 2024: Binoy Viswam

As the parties gear up for the Lok Sabha polls, Binoy Viswam, the Kerala state secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has asserted that opposition forces now have the confidence to present the INDIA formation as a compelling alternative to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This confidence, he notes, was lacking during the 2019 elections. In an interview with PTI, Viswam, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha, elaborated on the potential of the INDIA formation, which comprises anti-BJP parties. He highlighted the necessity for unity among opposition forces to counter the ruling coalition effectively. However, Viswam criticised the Congress party's move to field Rahul Gandhi from the Wayanad constituency, terming it as a "strategic misstep." "During 2019, people demanded an answer to the question of an effective alternative to the BJP, but we had no answer. This time, I am confident that people now have a hope of having an alternative with the INDIA formatio

Lok Sabha polls: Left Front urges Rahul Gandhi to contest from Hindi belt

CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan said if the slogan is to defeat the BJP, Gandhi should contest from the Hindi belt

Lok Sabha polls: It may not be a cakewalk for Rahul, Congress in Kerala

In the run-up to Lok Sabha polls, LDF appears to be better placed than in 2019 and BJP is leaving no stone unturned to emerge as a challenger in the state

Never accepted any electoral bonds funding; always opposed it: CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday said it has not accepted any funding through electoral bonds and it never opened a designated SBI account as required to accept the bonds. "Reports have appeared in some sections of the media that the CPI(M) has received various amounts as contributions through electoral bonds," the CPI(M) said in a statement. "The party wishes to clarify that these reports are false and baseless. The fact is that the CPI(M) has refused to accept electoral bonds on principle. That is why it did not even open a designated State Bank of India account as required by the law to accept electoral bonds," it said. "The CPI(M) had appealed to the Supreme Court against the electoral bonds scheme because of this basic opposition," it added in the statement. In a landmark verdict just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Supreme Court on Thursday scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme of anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional" and .

Kerala court rejects corruption complaint against CM over sand mining

A Kerala court has rejected a complaint alleging corruption by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and various officials back in 2019 in connection with a government order permitting removal of sand from the Thottappally coastal area in Alappuzha district. Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge, Kottayam, M Manoj dismissed the complaint saying that prima facie none of the offences, under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC, as alleged against the CM and others in the complaint were disclosed. "The averments in the complaint do not disclose any offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 or under any other law. "The complicity of the respondents in any of the alleged offences are not prima facie made out and disclosed as per the averments in the complaint." the judge said in his order dated February 7. The complaint was moved by the President of the Karimanal Khanana Virudha Ekopana Samithi alleging that atomic mineral sand extracted from Thottappally coastal area in t