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The mid-term elections in the United States of America, scheduled for November this year, have assumed crucial importance as the Left wing of the Democratic Party led by Bernie Sanders, has launched a massive campaign in a planned manner to get the candidates with faith in people’s agenda elected in the Democratic Party ticket to transform the character of the US congress. These biennial elections are being held just two years after the November 2016 presidential elections which led to the victory of the Republican candidate Donald Trump.

The International Monetary Fund has forecast bullish GDP growth for India at 7.4 per cent in 2018 as against 6.7 per cent in the previous year. It forecast a better 7.8 per cent GDP growth for 2019, making India the fastest growing economy again overtaking China, which is expected to slow down to 6.6 per cent GDP in 2018 and 6.4 per cent in 2019. Of course, India and China growth figures are not comparable in absolute terms. India is a mere $2.5 trillion economy while China is a huge $11 trillion. So even a ten per cent growth will add $250 billion to Indian economy and a mere 5 per cent growth in China will add $550 billion to the Chinese economy.

Tonnes of crocodile tears have been shed in the past one week over the murder of democracy; as though it has occurred for the first time. The truth is that democracy is being murdered in this country every day. No party has the moral right, at least none among the mainstream parties, to criticise any other party for the murder of democracy. Each one has been committing the crime with impunity and citing the precedent set by the very same party that makes the accusation. So, it is essentially a chicken and egg story.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his extensive claim of drive against corruption in public life in India will have to pass through acid test in the coming fortnight and linked to it is the fate of the Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka. With only 104 legislators winning the last assembly poll in the state, the Yeddyurappa government cannot win confidence vote unless it wins over a dozen legislators through offerings in cash, kind or other types of compromises with the basic philosophy and morality in politics. It will be worst kind of corruption for retaining power. Can the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his claims of corruption less India withstand the survival of the Yeddyurappa government in office?

Finally the Supreme Court has pronounced its verdict; the one-day Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has to prove his majority in a floor test on May 19 at 4 PM. The pro-tem speaker will conduct the floor test. The apex court’s verdict has closed the possibility of defection of MLAs of Congress- JD(S) combine to the BJP. Once again the judiciary has saved the democracy and it should be applauded.

Movement is an anxiety-buster. Husbands stalking corridors outside labour-rooms! The mobile rings and people are up on their feet, walking, talking! It’s therapeutic movement. So, the Congress-JD(S) alliance moved their MLAs from resort/hotel in Bengaluru to Taj and Hyatt in Hyderabad. But, no sooner did they come to rest, the Supreme Court ordered them to get on the move, again: The floor test will take place Saturday 4 pm, less than 36 hours; no secret ballot, only a show of hands. CM BSY should not take any policy decisions till and if/when he wins! Kaput.

According to the Sarkaria Commission, the largest single party can stake a claim to form the government only with the support of others, including “independents”. But in Karnataka as well as the other states of Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, the BJP did not have the support of other parties. This would have made the Governor invite the Congress-JDS alliance to form the government. But he did not follow the constitutional practice that had been set precedent in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya.

LUCKNOW: BSP national president Mayawati is now more confident about entering into alliances with other regional parties after the successful experiment in Karnataka with JD(S).

The five-day 23rd Congress of Communist Party of India held at Kollam, Kerala, from April 25, 2018 will be by generations to come for the historic decision of the Congress to take all measures to unite and consolidate the growing consensus among political parties as well as the general masses against RSS-BJP and also against Narendra Modi. It will also be remembered for the unity and political maturity of the delegates reflected clearly in all the debates, discussions and finally in the decisions taken both political and organisational. All the top leaders of Left parties who greeted the Congress too confirmed the urgent need to unite all secular, democratic forces to save the nation and people from the onslaughts of the communal, fascist forces in power at the Centre and in 15 states.

The arguments finally grind to a halt at 4.56 am and the three-judge bench of Justices Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan rule at around 5.30 am that the governor’s actions can be “injuncted against” but that his orders cannot be restrained. “Are the governor’s actions amenable?” asks the Supreme Court, and former attorney general Mukul Rohtagi, speaking for the Karnataka BJP, replies, “His actions are amenable, otherwise he’ll be Badshah!”