CONTROVERSY erupted after the Intermediate exam results in Telangana were declared on April 18. The success rate of first-year students was 60.5 per cent and second-year students 64.8 per cent. Girls outshone boys in the examinations. The success rate was increasing every year, whereas this year it has fallen compared to last year. This has raised doubts in the minds of the students, parents and intellectuals, and they questioned the authenticity of the results.

THE Madras High Court on April 27, has ordered the transfer of Madurai District Collector, an Assistant Returning Officer, Personal Assistant (General) to the Collector and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) and others involved for the breach of security, on a petition filed by CPI(M) candidate Su Venkatesan.

In a meet the press programme held in Calcutta Press Club on April 27, Surjya Kanta Misra, secretary of the CPI(M), West Bengal state committee, said, ‘Everyday TMC is now taking a roll call of its MLA’s to find out,  how many are left, and how many have gone to BJP. But this roll calling will not save the party. Soon the entire TMC will be transformed to BJP, as it happened in Tripura.’

PEOPLE in the East Tripura parliamentary constituency exercised their voting rights in large numbers on April 23 despite attempts by goons of the ruling BJP to intimidate them. Polling in the constituency was deferred from April 18 to April 23 as the prevailing law-and-order situation there, was not conducive for holding free and fair poll. In the first phase polling in West Tripura seat on April 11, there were reports of largescale violence and booth capturing.

The filing of nomination paper of Amra Ram, CPI(M) candidate from Sikar was held on April 15 at Sikar. Thousands of women and men coming from different shades of life, representing organisations of kisans, youth, workers women etc., joined Amra Ram in his nomination exercise. Vasudev, and  Badal Saroj, former CPI(M) state secretaries of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states’ respectively, joined the ‘nomination march’. Phul Chand Barbar, M S Meel, Harfool Bajian, Subhash Nehra, Ramratan Bagria, Qayum Quereishi from the CPI(M) and other leaders of CPI and CPI(ML) were also present.