Communist Left

Vietnam Communist Party chief's funeral draws thousands of mourners

Thousands of mourners gathered in Hanoi on Friday for the second day of the funeral of the man who dominated Vietnamese politics for over a decade, Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. His death, at 80, last week in Hanoi marked the start of a succession struggle within the party that will likely to continue until the all-important National Party Congress of Vietnam's Communist Party in 2026. Trong's coffin, draped in the red and yellow of Vietnam's flag, was laid beneath his smiling portrait and dozens of medals at the National Funeral House in Hanoi on Thursday. All flags in the southeast Asian nation flew at half mast during the two-day period of national mourning, while all sports and entertainment were suspended. He will be buried at Mai Dich cemetery, the final resting place for military heroes and senior party officials, later on Friday. Top Communist Party officials paid tribute, including President To Lam, who took over as caretaker general secretary a day .

Kerala CM admits to repeated instances of bomb blasts in some Kannur areas

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday admitted in the state assembly that there have been repeated incidents of bomb blasts in some areas of the northern district of Kannur and said the police will conduct more vigorous investigations there. The submission by Vijayan came while rejecting the Congress-led UDF opposition's demand to adjourn the House proceedings and discuss the issue of repeated instances of bomb blasts in Kannur district. Claiming that a peaceful environment prevailed in Kannur, the CM said that the police were taking strict measures, including inspections, to prevent the manufacture of explosives. "The government is viewing the recent incident and similar instances very seriously and police have been directed to take stringent actions. Do not try to give it a political colour," he said. He said that a case of unnatural death has been registered under the Explosive Substances Act in connection with the demise of an 86-year-old man in a bomb blast at ..

Left vows to tie wages to inflation, lower retirement age in France

Political parties including the Socialists, Greens, Communists and hard-left Unbowed France (LFI) will form a 'Popular Front' in a bid to challenge the far-right's National Rally

LS poll results: Left parties improve, lead on 8-10 seats, show EC trends

Embroiled in a battle for survival, Left parties marginally improved their performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, leading in eight to 10 seats according to vote counting trends. The CPI (M), which had only three MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha, was leading in five parliamentary seats, trends of the Election Commission website around 12 noon showed. The party sprung a surprise in Rajasthan, with its candidate from Sikar, Amra Ram, leading by more than 55,814 votes over BJP's Sumedhanand Saraswati. In Tamil Nadu, where the CPI(M) fought on two seats, Madurai and Dindigul, the party was leading in both, while in Kerala's Alathur K Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) was leading by more than 15,936 votes against Congress's Ramya Haridas. There was a close contest in Attingal in Kerala where the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has pitted V Joy against Congress's Adoor Prakash. The CPI(M) candidate was leading by around 600 votes, the trends around 12 noon showed. In West Bengal's .

Sri Lanka's Marxist party to make official visit to India on Monday

A delegation of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a MarxistLeninist communist party in Sri Lanka, will on Monday start on an official visit to India. The delegation of JVP, the largest party under the broad entity National People's Power (NPP), is to leave Colombo tomorrow (Monday) for India on an official invitation of the Indian government," a statement from the party said. The delegation to India comprises JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, senior legislator Vijitha Herath, Secretary Nihal Abeysinghe and executive committee member Prof Anil Jayantha, the statement said. The JVP, which led an anti-India campaign in 1987-90 against the Indo-Lanka Accord, has continuously led in at least one public opinion poll. Its NPP broader front has led in surveys, leaving the island nation's main parties trailing. The surveys claim that in the post-economic crisis phase since 2022, the NPP has gained significantly in public support, particularly in anti-corruption perceptions. Dissanayake

WB BJP MLAs face charge of disrespecting national anthem, complaint lodged

Police complaints were lodged against 11 BJP MLAs of West Bengal charging them with disrespecting the national anthem during a sit-in on the assembly premises earlier this week. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhondeb Chatterjee said the complaints were lodged on behalf of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party. The TMC legislators led by party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were singing the national anthem on November 29 at the base of BR Ambedkar's statue before calling off a demonstration against the Centre's discriminatory attitude towards West Bengal. The state's ruling party accused the BJP legislators of shouting anti-state government slogans and ringing bells while the anthem was sung barely 50 metres away. The saffron party, however, asserted that even if the anthem was sung by TMC MLAs, it was being done in a very low volume, inaudible from their protest spot and alleged that efforts were on to frame them in fabricated charges. "The BJP has shown scant res

Kerala 'Iron Lady' in politics KR Gowri passes away

Often referred to as the 'Iron Lady' in Kerala politics, legendary Communist K.R. Gowri passed away at a private hospital here on Tuesday, said family sources.

It's Commie-Left that has lost appeal in Indian politics, not Indira-Left

If the two principal parties have turned away from the so-called 'neo-liberal' agenda, they must be in agreement that the electorate is interested in anything but those ideas