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| | major state elections Thu 10 May
On Thu May 10 2001, elections in four important states in the Indian federation will show where political balances in the world's biggest democracy are shifting to. For or against hindutva fascism? For or against communism?
Report from the Indian Express: ---- New Delhi, May 9: The stage is set for Thursday's Assembly polls in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Union Territory of Pondicherry in what is being dubbed as "mini general elections" and a test of popularity for the Vajpayee Government after the Tehelka expose. An estimated 13 crore electorate are eligible to exercise their franchise in 823 Assembly constituencies where over 5000 candidates including Chief Ministers of Assam, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are in the fray. The Assembly polls assume significance in view of new alignment of political forces in West Bengal, where the CPI (M)-led Left Front Government had an uninterrupted reign of 24 years. In Tamil Nadu, the Opposition challenge is being led by AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha, disqualified from contesting the polls. Polling will be held for 234 seats in Tamil Nadu, 294 in West Bengal, 140 in Kerala, 125 in Assam and 30 in Pondicherry. (PTI) ---- Comments: * Assam is in the North-East, East of Bangladesh - the government is presently putting a lot of pressure (imprisonment, disappearances) against human rights activists in Assam. So-called communist parties or coalitions dominated by communist parties are in power in both Kerala and West Bengal. * Kerala has western country levels of literacy and child mortality. * West Bengal has about 50% of land redistribution (poor farmers are poor, but they own the land they work on). The WTO/IMF/WB would hope to crush these versions of democracy...
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