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India: Communist boost in Indian polls
BBC News ^ | 05/11/06

Posted on 05/11/2006 9:28:08 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

Communist boost in Indian polls

The Communists won a record seventh term in West Bengal India's Communist parties have swept to power in two Indian states as votes are being counted following elections that lasted a month.

A communist alliance won a record seventh term in West Bengal and has wrested Kerala from the Congress Party.

Separately, Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi has been re-elected in Rae Bareilly - she had quit parliament in March after a political row.

Her party is hoping to retain Assam and form a government in Tamil Nadu.

The southern state of Tamil Nadu appears headed for a coalition government even as early results indicated that the ruling AIADMK has been voted out.

We had the people's complete trust and we knew we would win by a huge margin

Biman Bose Bengal communist leader

The AIADMK is led by a former actress-turned politician, Jayalalitha - one of India's most controversial leaders - and is trailing behind its rival DMK which is leading in about 100 seats.

But it looks like it will fall short of an absolute majority in the 234-member state assembly and may have to form an alliance with the Congress which is leading in more than 30 seats.

In West Bengal, the Communist-led Left Front government is celebrating its historic victory - it is already the world's longest running elected communist administration.

"We had the people's complete trust and we knew we would win by a huge margin," Biman Bose, the West Bengal secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), told Reuters.

The Communists back the federal Congress-led Indian governing alliance but oppose the party at the state-level.

Analysts believe that the Communist-victory in Kerala and West Bengal could spell trouble for the Congress because the left parties oppose several of its economic policies including increasing foreign investment and privatisation.

Gandhi victory

But the party is celebrating after the massive win of its president Sonia Gandhi in the parliamentary constituency of Rae Bareilly, which is a family stronghold and was once represented by the former Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi won comfortably in Rae Bareilly

Mrs Gandhi won the seat by a margin of 417,000 votes over her nearest rival - her margin in the 2004 parliamentary election was 250,000.

"It is the people of Rae Bareilly who have contributed to this victory," her son, Rahul, told journalists in the northern Indian town.

She quit parliament in March, following a controversy over her role as head of the National Advisory Council, a state-funded body set up to advise the current government.

Under Indian law, MPs may not gain financially from other public posts.

Vote counting is also taking place in neighbouring Pondicherry, which was once a French colony, and the north-eastern state of Assam where the governing Congress Party is ahead of the rival Asom Gana Parishad, although it may fall short of an outright majority.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: communistparty; congresparty; india; stateelection

1 posted on 05/11/2006 9:28:10 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; Gengis Khan; razoroccam; voletti; Srirangan; sukhoi-30mki

Ping!


2 posted on 05/11/2006 9:29:01 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster

I always said the Indian people were overrated when it came to intelligence -- I guess they are handing out the Communist Manifesto by now...


3 posted on 05/11/2006 9:30:02 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: EagleUSA

On the russian tit. NATO(the civilized world) in the near future will probably have to face the SCO-or Alliance of ICK as I like to call it(Communist,3rd world shyteholes,Islamics, and autocrats).


4 posted on 05/11/2006 9:41:06 AM PDT by MARKUSPRIME
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To: TigerLikesRooster

What is wrong with the world? Why so many countries turn their face to communism. Can someone explain? Don't people learn history or read books?..


5 posted on 05/11/2006 9:41:27 AM PDT by igor1
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To: igor1
Re #5

Because it panders to union goons and promises free lunch(welfare.)

6 posted on 05/11/2006 9:44:20 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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To: TigerLikesRooster; All

I dont understand why is this such a big deal. West Bengal and Kerala were communists for the last 30 years nothing new about it. In any case the communists in West Bengal are communists only in name.


7 posted on 05/11/2006 10:27:20 AM PDT by Gengis Khan
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To: TigerLikesRooster

India is a perfect example of a Dhimmi country. They voted against the creation of Israel and sided with the Soviets. Lately India has been moving to the Left. Soon we will see another state on the lines of Venezuela and Bolivia. Most Hindus are too scared to stand up to Islamic or Communist terror.


8 posted on 05/11/2006 11:19:19 AM PDT by The Lion Roars
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To: The Lion Roars

Thats the most uninformed comment I have read about India's current state of affairs in a while. The nation is not, i repeat NOT communist. Its like calling America communist just because NewYork has a democRAT for a leader. Besides, Bengal and Kerala put together don't add up to much. Between them, the only city's name they can throw up that you might ever have heard is Calcutta (Kolkota) and even this city is improving slowly because the Reds in West Bengal state are not really commie/Marxist like the profess. Kerala state has no industry at all and the commies serve to kep it that way, which we Indians and even foreign backpackers dont complain much about because it leaves the forests intact giving us some clean air to breathe and several holiday resorts to enjoy when we take a break from work. New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai are all in very very Democrat/Neo-capitalist hands. Not to worry. And besides, most Indians hate the Naxals. So not to worry. America's democratic ally will stay that way for ages to come.


9 posted on 05/11/2006 11:33:26 PM PDT by MimirsWell (Kick the sino-butts.)
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To: The Lion Roars
India is a perfect example of a Dhimmi country. Yes and no. India has successfully resisted islmist invasions for a 1000 yrs now. Hence the fear of islamism as also the loathing for islamism. Does israel making concessions to the Palestinians amount to dhimmitude? depends on your viewpoint I guess but so does your stand on India's dhimmitude. The commies are unbeatable in west bengal and un-winnable evevrywhere else (Except for kerala and tripura).
10 posted on 05/12/2006 2:45:51 AM PDT by voletti (Awareness and Equanimity.)
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To: All

India is NOT a communist country...There is no collectivisation of agriculture..There are individual property rights..The industry is largely free to operate and geting more free every day...The communists have seen what happened to Russia..They would not engage in Fool's pursuits...In fact one of the most reform minded Chief ministers(equivalent to a US governers)(The minister of Bengal) is a communist..He is liberlizing the economy of the state better than most others...There is no immediate threat of communists taking over and starting a fight with any other country....


11 posted on 05/12/2006 7:21:26 AM PDT by MunnaP
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To: voletti; All

I have heard that theory of hindus fighting muslims for 1000s of years. That is wrong. The hindus were a conquered race. The muslims ruled over most of the hindus. I believe even the hindu warrior clans made peace with the muslim rulers by marrying their daughters to the sultans. Most of the hindus didnt fight back. They were ruled by the muslims. A skirmish here and there by one odd hindu maharajah doesnt count.

This dhimmi attitude still exists in modern day india.
Otherwise how do you explain india's vote against Israel. 10 to 1 that they were playing to their local jihadi supporters. Can you explain the communist-muslim demonstrations against president bush when he visited that country? from what i hear the hindus have been hounded out of kashmir by the jihadis. i am sure there are more examples of such kinds of behavior.

india is a dhimmi country. israel does have its share of whackos but israel will never be a dhimmi country.

the place that you mention - bengal - has an interesting history. bengal was partitioned into an islamic country - pakistan - and the hindus were hounded out. yet these hindus keep voting a communist government to power in indian bengal. explain that!!!

i wouldnt trust involving involving such people in any kind of security alliance against the commies or against islamic jihadis. they just dont have what it takes to fight against communism or islamism.

having said that i bear no ill intention towards india. i just wish that you grow courage to take on communism and islamic terrorism.


12 posted on 05/12/2006 12:46:37 PM PDT by The Lion Roars
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To: MimirsWell

I wish I could believe what you said. The cities might be capitalist. But the communists are strong in the country side and the situation is ripe for a left revolution similar to nepal and latin america. When that happens the islamic jihadis will join your communists and then delhi or any of these cities wont be safe anymore.


13 posted on 05/12/2006 12:49:05 PM PDT by The Lion Roars
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To: The Lion Roars

I can't find the article right now, but the state has recruited villagers and tribals to fight the maoists and naxalites. The good thing about India's economic boom is that there is a carrot and with the Salva Judum (look this keyword up on google), there is a stick. The maoists are ruthless and just as cruel and corrupt. More nd more villagers have come to realise this and democracy has allowed them the reasoning faculty in their minds to discern reality from propaganda. The naxal movement will fall. Give it time. They will never overrun the cities. At such a time, I will take up arms myself and many more Indians will too. We have given our sweat and blood to build this economy this far. We wont let some f*cking son of a Maoist pig take that away from us.


14 posted on 05/12/2006 7:01:16 PM PDT by MimirsWell (Kick the sino-butts.)
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To: MimirsWell

I almost believed you till I came across this front page article in the Washington Post

Maoists Gain Ground in India

This is now a thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1631538/posts


15 posted on 05/12/2006 10:32:21 PM PDT by The Lion Roars
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