THE Election Commission performs a vital role in the parliamentary democratic system in India.  The Commission is the body authorised by the Constitution to conduct free and fair elections.  Article 324 (1) of the Constitution empowers the Commission with: “The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every state...”. The Commission has, over the last seven decades, fulfilled this responsibility in a manner which has enhanced the credibility of the electoral system in India

MAY 5, 2019 marks the conclusion of the year-long observance of the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx, who was born on May 5, 1818.The 200th birth anniversary was observed worldwide, including in India. Conferences, seminars, discussions, and a host of publications regarding Marx and Marxism marked the year.What these diverse activities established was the abiding relevance of Marx and his thought in the contemporary era, that of the 21st century.

BJP leaders in general and Narendra Modi himself in particular have sought to turn the 2019 Lok Sabha elections into a contest on the issue of “nationalism” and national security. The means they have adopted to do so completely exposes how false their claim to nationalism is and how hollow their make believe commitment to national security.That they have brazenly sought to invoke the country’s armed forces in this endeavour shows the depths to which they are prepared to sink in a desperate attempt to keep the real issues facing the Indian people out of focus in these elections.

THE Maharashtra police, on April 17, has issued externment orders to CITU state leader Dr Dhondi Ram Limbaji Karad, that prevents him from entering three districts in the state including Nasik, Thane and Ahmednagar, ahead of elections.

VOTING to all the twenty constituencies in Kerala was held on April 23. There was a record polling percentage and without any untoward incident reported, the voting passed off peacefully. A high, 77.68 per cent polling was registered in the state, which is higher than the last Lok Sabha elections (74.04 per cent) in 2014.An understanding between UDF and BJP were visible in constituencies like Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Vadakara. In Thiruvananthapuram, Congress workers had withdrawn themselves from the polling scene.