LDF Wins Local Body Bypolls

THE CPI(M) led Left and Democratic Front (LDF) has registered an enthusing victory in the byelections for various local bodies. Elections were held for 35 seats in different districts on May 22.
Out of these 35 seats, the LDF has won 18 seats; it wrested from the rival United Democratic Front (UDF) the latter’s 10 sitting seats. While the UDF was able to won only 13 seat, the BJP won just one. Political commentators in the state have described these results as indicative of a possible pro-LDF edge in the upcoming local body elections which are to be held in 2015.

Defend the Party, Left in West Bengal

THE brutal violence against the CPI(M) and the Left Front in West Bengal is continuing after the Lok Sabha elections. For about fifteen days after the polling ended on May 12, there have been widespread attacks targeting the CPI(M) workers and Left Front supporters in various districts. A report of such attacks is published in this issue of People’s Democracy.

Cuba Denounces Subversive Zunzuneo at UN Commission

ON May 12, Anayansi Rodríguez, Cuba’s permanent representative to UN offices in Geneva, emphasised that the Zunzuneo programme launched by the United States to incite subversion in Cuba, violates the agreements adopted at the Information Society World Summit.

DUJ Regrets Pakistan Decision

THE Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has regretted the Pakistan government’s refusal to renew the visas of two Indian journalists posted in Islamabad, and has demanded that the Pakistan authorities reconsider the decision to deny visas to Meena Menon, correspondent of The Hindu, and Snehesh Philip, correspondent of the PTI.

CPI(M) to Review Poll Results

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on May 18, 2014, and subsequently issued the following statement.
THE Polit Bureau discussed the results of the Lok Sabha elections and the post-election situation. It conducted a preliminary review of the elections and the performance of the party. It examined the various factors which led to the poor results for the party and the Left.

CITU Condoles Com Umanath’s Demise

The secretariat of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions issued the following statement on May 21, 2014, mourning the demise of Comrade R Umananth.
THE CITU deeply mourns the demise of Comrade R Umanath, a veteran freedom fighter, stalwart of the working class movement and of communist movement of the country who passed away on May 21, 2014 at around 7.15 a m at Tiruchirapally after prolonged illness at the age of 93.

Left Must Prepare People for Struggles

PRAKASH KARAT DELIVERS SUNDARAYYA MEMORIAL LECTURE
WITH the ascent to power by RSS-backed Narendra Modi, the people of the country will be subjected to twin-pronged attack – intensified pursuit of neo-liberal reforms and heightened communalisation of society resulting in division of people. The task before the Left today is to rally the people against neo-liberal policies and prepare the people for struggles while safeguarding their unity.

CPI(M) Retains Both Seats With Greater Margins

* Left Front’s vote share increases to 64.77 percent.
* All opposition candidates lose deposits
* Decisive lead of more than
50 percent votes in 58 assembly seats.

Goebbels Proved Right, Harshads Endorse Modi

THE happiest person after the 16th Lok Sabha election results in India would be Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister in Adolf Hitler’s cabinet. Decades after his death, Goebbels must now be turning in his grave and screaming “I was right”.
Goebbels was indeed right, it seems, as it was he who had theorised the concept “tell lies a hundred times and it would be believed as true”.

Turkey: Erdogan still a Political Force

THE results of the local government elections held in Turkey on March 30 showed that the popular support for the ruling party and its prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite all the scandals engulfing the government, has ebbed only marginally. In the hard fought elections, the ruling Justice and Welfare Party (AKP) won around 45 percent of the vote and retained the two major cities of Istanbul and Ankara. In Istanbul, the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), got 40 percent of the vote while the AKP got around 50 percent of the vote.

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