FOLLOWING the scrutiny of all applications and the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations on April 24, the picture of the contest is now clear. The battle lines have been drawn for the upcoming election, which is likely to have significant political implications not just for the state, but for the entire country. With only two weeks remaining until election day, the final electoral battle has begun with full vigour.In Puttur, located in the coastal Dakshina Kannada district, the main contest is between the BJP and Hindutva!

THE 132nd birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar was yet again celebrated by the Delhi unit of the Dalit Shoshan Mutki Manch (DSMM) on Parliament Street on April 14 with cultural and political programmes highlighting his ideas of equality and social justice.The cultural fest on the Parliament Street began with songs by Ratan Gambhir. The songs talked about the need for unity of the working class and dalits, warning them against the agenda of hatred and division pursued by the Hindutva forces.

THE joint cadre meeting of CPI(M) and CPI held on April 9 at Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad was a huge success. Red flags of both parties filled the venue, and the cadres were brimming with enthusiasm.The air was filled with chants of ‘Idhi Saayudha Porata Gadda! Yerra Jenda Adda’ (This is a land of armed struggle! An abode of red flags).

Below we publish the statement issued by many prominent historians on April 7THE recent decision of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to drop entire chapters from the history textbooks for class 12, as well as from other classes and to delete statements from other textbooks is a matter of deep concern.

LAST week, the Karnataka election scene witnessed a significant development with the revolt and resignation of Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi, and several other senior leaders, including two MPs, who joined other parties. Jagadish Shettar, a former BJP CM and six-time MLA, was asked to retire from electoral politics, which he refused, leading to his resignation from the party along with his followers. He has now accepted the Congress' invitation to be their candidate from his constituency, despite his background in the RSS and BJP.