THREE of the five rounds of the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra will be completed by the time this report is published. Overall, it is clear that so far it is advantage Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-INDIA), so far as Maharashtra is concerned. The three major constituents of the MVA are the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group), the Congress, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar group). The smaller constituents of the MVA include Left and secular parties. Massive rallies of the MVA are being held across the state in all the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Below we publish the condolence letter addressed to D Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India by Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on May 3.I AM deeply grieved to hear the news of the death of Comrade Atul Kumar Anjan.I have known him for half a century since our student days when both of us used to be in the student movement and worked together on many issues and campaigns.Atul was unwavering in his commitment to Marxism-Leninism and was fully dedicated to the cause of the working class and the peasantry.

MAYBE many people thought that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Bengal would also be in the familiar pattern. A mock war between PM Modi and chief minister Mamata will go on with both sides resorting to extremely hostile snides. Even if central forces are deployed by the Election Commission to ensure fairness at the booth level, the local areas will be dominated by Trinamool-backed miscreants.Recent happenings have highlighted the corruption and misgovernance that is rampant in the state.

NARENDRA Modi’s pronouncements on the inheritance tax show a degree of frivolity that is quite amazing and hardly expected of a prime minister. The Congress Party’s Sam Pitroda had mentioned the possibility of an inheritance tax, to which Modi’s response was not a reasoned argument (and there are a few he could have mentioned) but a set of deliberate and banal misinterpretations that make the proposal appear ridiculous; what should have been a serious debate became just maliciously farcical.

THE National Alliance of Journalists and the Delhi Union of Journalists through a joint statement issued on May 1, has greeted all its members and co-workers on the occasion of May Day.This May Day has a special significance as the country is in the midst of a national election when the freedom of expression and the rights and dignity of independent journalism, the spirit of inquiry and   the scientific temper and secular democratic character of India is being threatened as never before.In this context, NAJ-DUJ welcomes the promises made by some political parties in their election manifesto