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NEW DELHI: CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat’s statement on Saturday that the CPI-M is ready to support any formation to keep Narendra Modi out of power at the centre and the Congress has to be a part of the secular alternative, have at last made the position of the Left clear after a lot of prevarications. But this is too late since only two phases are left of the general elections, still, the statement has its value and it can be the starting point of discussions after the results of the polls are announced on May 16.

It would be a mistake to believe that Narendra Modi was unaware that he was treading a thin line on the model code of conduct when he displayed the BJP’s poll symbol at a press conference immediately after casting his vote in Ahmedabad.

The drag-on process in India's 16th Lok Sabha elections will be over with only two polling days left - May 7 and 12 - in the last phase, to fill the remaining 103 seats in the 543-House. Meanwhile, speculations have begun to rend the air on the aftermath and possible political realignments if a hung Lok Sabha after all is what the country votes for.

Lok Sabha election in Bihar is crucial for the future of Lalu family in Bihar. Since, Lalu himself is convicted and most probably he may never fight any future election, he is fighting for retaining the political hold of his family over Bihar. It is a ‘do or die’ battle for him, because a massive defeat of his party may end the hegemony of his family and he will not be in a position to thrust his next generation on his supporters to lead them.

The Centre has provided a total sum of Rs.12, 379.30 crore for modernization of police forces of States and Union Territories during the current 12th Five Year Plan (April 2012-March 2017). Of this, Rs.3, 750.87 crore is Plan expenditure and Rs.8, 628.430 crore Non-Plan expenditure.

Betrayal of trust, deception, self-deception and untruth thy name is Sanjay Baru, whose book, “The Accidental Prime Minister……….” has created a make-believe world of pure fiction based on opportunistic mindset of the person having worked as Media Adviser/Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh for over four years during the UPA-1 Government.

LUCKNOW: Enthused by the minority support visible in last four phases of Lok Sabha polls in UP, Samajwadi Party is now claiming that it would get about 30 out of 47 seats that went for polls.

With 7th round of nine-phase Lok Sabha elections over, the political circles are abuzz with speculation of the type of government likely to be formed after May 16 when poll results are out. What is crystal clear is that both the Congress and the BJP will fall far short of a majority in spite of so called Modi wave. It is pretty obvious that at the end it is going to be the game of numbers and regional parties may play a pivotal in formation of the government at centre.

Naveen Patnaik may be sure of bouncing back to power as Chief Minister of Odisha for the fourth time in succession and win a good number of seats in the Lok Sabha for his party, but he is equally worried about the possibility of his tally declining as compared to the 2009 polls.

Once bitten may not necessarily be twice shy. At least, not the United States of America, the self-appointed global policeman or military bully boasting a record score in failed attempts to set up puppet regimes across the world. As if to prove the old adage that failures are the pillars of success, the US is exploring all the time new areas of military engagement. This time, it is an East European state - Ukraine, once the home of 1,900 Soviet nuclear missiles, third largest after the US and Russia. Missiles were handed back to Russia for dismantling in the mid-1990s in exchange of an external security assurance from the friendly neighbour. Once again, the snooping US has been playing a spoilsport. It is out to prove the famous line of the peremptory norms of the laws of war that if it needs two hands to make a clap, one hand is enough to strike a war. The US has already created a war-like atmosphere in Eastern Europe.