New Delhi: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat rubbished the talks of a 'federal front' and said, "... let those parties which are willing to come together on a common programme platform do so without that just talking about a front does not make much sense". The Left parties are scheduled to have a convention on July 1 following which they will come out with a set of alternative policies which they hope will attract other democratic parties on to it's platform. Karat also ruled out any future alliance with the Congress saying, "It is only to stop the BJP and have a secular government that at one time we extended support - that is a one time exception". Karat was speaking to CNN-IBN's Rupashree Nanda.
CNN-IBN: The political situation in the country is very fluid and increasingly there are talks of a Third Front - do you think that it is a possibility? Is a Third Front possible without the Left parties?
Prakash Karat, general gecretary, CPM: Well, we have always said that the coming Lok Sabha elections, both the Congress and UPA and the BJP and NDA - they are not going to fare well. And you have seen the shrinking of both these alliances in the last number of months. The roles of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties, especially the regional parties will be much more and it will be reflected in the Lok Sabha elections. As far as we are concerned, the Left parties are organising
10:29 PM, Jun 14, 2013
New Delhi: In the midst of churning in the NDA, the Left parties on Friday waded into the scene for formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP front to fight the next Lok Sabha elections. Senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury first met JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav in an apparent attempt to wean the party away from its rival Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief who has floated the idea of a Federal...
10:03 PM, Jun 14, 2013
New Delhi: Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily spoke against those opposing the government's move to put in place a new pricing regime for natural gas produced from domestic fields. Moily hit out at oil import lobbies saying they threaten all oil ministers. "Every minister who occupies this position is threatened by the import lobby. The decision making power, the decision making process is obstructed and aborted. But, I cannot be threatened,"...
02:50 PM, Jun 14, 2013
Kolkata: The Left Front on Tuesday accused West Bengal's State Election Commission (SEC) of failing to implement security measures for the upcoming panchayat (rural body) polls as directed by the Calcutta High Court. Left parties will hold demonstrations outside of the office of commission demanding adequate security for the polls. "The SEC has failed to implement the court's order on security issues regarding the panchayat election," said Left Front chairman...
05:25 AM, Jun 12, 2013
New Delhi: Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for an all-party meeting on the Naxal strategy, the Rural Development Ministry has launched a new programme in 24 districts that are badly affected by left-wing extremism. Named 'Roshni', the programme aims to provide training and employment to 50,000 youths in these districts. Sukma, Bijapur, Kanker and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, Latehar in Jharkhand, Malkangiri and Koraput in Odisha...
11:04 PM, Jun 07, 2013
While certain RTI activists have asked for political parties to come under RTI, almost all political parties are united in their opposition to this move. All functions of a party and minutes of all meetings can't be disclosed, they say. CPI(M) leader Nilotpal Basu joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on why political parties should not come under RTI. Q. The other friendly CPI and strong opponent TMC have welcomed...
05:23 PM, Jun 06, 2013
Anil Bairwal, national coordinator of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and RTI activist joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on why political parties should come under RTI. Q. If RTI is implemented on Congress then we all know what would happen. In that case it'll be very difficult to help Congress rule India and hence RTI shouldn't be applied on Congress atleast. Your thoughts? Asked by: Ravi A. I think...
05:23 PM, Jun 06, 2013
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said the West Bengal government will soon get comments of the Centre on the bill passed by the state assembly for protection of investors in chit fund schemes. "The Ministry of Finance has given its comments to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). I think they (MHA) are awaiting comments from one or two other ministries, perhaps the Ministry of Company...
10:08 PM, Jun 04, 2013
Siliguri: The BJP will put up candidates in almost all the seats in the coming panchayat polls in West Bengal, senior party leader Prakash Javadekar said on Saturday. "We will put up candidates in all the seats in the panchayat polls in West Bengal. We will also do well in the polls," Javadekar, the BJP official Spokesperson told reporters in Siliguri. We will do well in the panchayat polls as...
01:24 AM, Jun 02, 2013
Malayalam director Arun Kumar is currently busy with his much awaited release 'Left Right Left'. The director is noted for his earlier superhit film 'Ee Adutha Kalathu' which was released last year'. The film won several awards such as Mohan Raghavan Memorial award for best script and NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film director. The writer-director duo Arun Kumar Aravind and writer Murali Gopi have now joint hands for will...
04:27 PM, May 25, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday that the government would ban online lottery "Online lotto". The necessary notification regarding the issue will be issued soon, she said. Describing "Online Lotto" as a social problem, she said it led to fights between family members. "Online Lotto was started during the Left Front rule. It has ceased now. But today I am officially announcing a ban on such...
07:47 AM, May 22, 2013
Kolkata: In a breather for the Mamata Banerjee government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not mandatory to deploy central paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls. The West Bengal government had appealed the higher bench after a single bench upheld the State Election Commission's plea for three-phase polling and deployment of central forces. The State government wanted two-phase polling and security...
01:11 PM, May 14, 2013
New Delhi: The Left parties on Thursday sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the West Bengal chit fund scam and accused the Trinamool Congress-led government of not intervening to check activities of companies with suspicious financial dealings in the state. Senior leaders of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and Forward Bloc met President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh separately and...
03:25 AM, May 10, 2013
Kolkata: Accusing the Left of failing to protect investors in ponzi schemes during its prolonged rule in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Thursday hit back after Left leaders met the Prime Minister and Finance Minister seeking a CBI probe into the chit fund scam. "Who are asking for a CBI probe today? It is those who were unable to pass an effective bill to rein in chit fund companies...
06:47 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: As the Opposition stepped up pressure on Pawan Kumar Bansal seeking his resignation over the railway board bribery controversy, the Samajwadi Party (SP) also joined it in the demand saying the Railway Minister "cannot be protected for long". "When non-Congress officials are caught, they are quickly investigated. But Congress ministers accused of corruption are protected. This is a serious matter and Pawan Bansal cannot be protected for long....
03:34 PM, May 06, 2013
Kolkata: The West Bengal government has sealed the offices of MPS group, a business house that has an estimated liability of Rs 17,000 crore and is under the scanner of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The crackdown comes after the collapse of Saradha group's chit fund business in April, which affected thousands of depositors. Panicking depositors and agents protested outside the MPS group's office at Lake Town...
09:58 AM, May 05, 2013
Panihati: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday mocked her predecessor Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's comment that the former Left Front regime had kept chit funds at bay and promised to publish 'posters' against canards by the Marxist party. "Kept them at bay? But rubbed shoulders with them! Whose photo is this?" Banerjee asked dramatically at a Trinamool Congress rally in Panihati in North 24 Parganas, showing a photo purported to...
12:40 AM, May 05, 2013
New Delhi: Left parties on Tuesday termed as "meaningless" the demand for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation over the coal allocation issue but asked him to face Parliament as he "owes an answer" to the country. CPI(M) also dubbed the disruption of Parliament as "match fixing" between BJP and Congress. "Demanding resignation of the government is meaningless and it does not happen," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters outside Parliament....
02:59 PM, Apr 30, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is getting ready to face the Opposition fire in the state Assembly. A special 2-day session has been called by Governor MK Narayanan from Monday to discuss the chit fund scam in the state. It has not just wiped away crores of investor money but also dragged the Trinamool Congress and Congress ministers into the mess. The scam is also getting bigger with...
10:44 AM, Apr 29, 2013
Jaipur: Shane Watson was a man in turmoil when he left the tour of India last month after being disciplined by the team management but the Australian all-rounder says he forgot his troubles as soon as he had his new-born child in his arms. Watson was one of the six Australian players who were suspended for a match after failing to complete a presentation sought by coach Mickey Arthur during...
12:55 PM, Apr 28, 2013
