In contrast to the 1990s, when age-old matters of identity drove electoral politics, it appears that development-related issues such as land acquisition and law and order will play a critical role in the contentious campaign for the UP elections due next year. While this can be attributed to the BSP’s “sarvajan” agenda, it also signals the impact of the market economy and the need to attract private investment, which has...

-The Hindu   A joint committee of krishak sabhas (farmers' organisations) of four Left parties have given a call to their units across the State to observe “Haroa Diwas” on July 14. It would be in protest against the police firing and attacks by armed Trinamool Congress activists on Saturday on farmers and sharecroppers who had returned to their land in the Haroa area of West Bengal's North Paraganas district after having...

-The Telegraph   The Congress today restated the government’s position of being opposed to including the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the ambit of the Lokpal bill, a day before Sonia Gandhi’s scheduled meeting with Anna Hazare. Hazare and his team insist that the offices should come under the scrutiny of the ombudsman. The BJP, which heard out Hazare and his colleagues today, made it clear that it will not “compromise”...

When the basic structure of the Constitution denies the Prime Minister immunity from prosecution, how could it be argued that the office should not be brought under the scrutiny of the Lokpal? The Indian citizenry is up in arms against corruption at the highest levels of government. Anna Hazare's movement has caught the people's imagination. The former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has pitched in and called upon the youth to start...

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will meet Anna Hazare on Saturday, citing a “packed prior schedule” to turn down his request for an appointment today. The anti-graft activist has been parleying with leaders of major political parties in the capital for the past two days and met Bihar rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad. Sources said despite the Congress Working Committee in its meeting last week coming down strongly on Hazare and his...