Democratic Front in India @ whatisindia.com

When the securities scam ran riot during his stewardship of the finance ministry, Dr Manmohan Singh diagnosed the malaise as “systemic failure”. (Edits, Statesman, Editorial, Statesman, Nov 07, 2007)

c but finds herself trailing behind Barack Obama and John Edwards among the independent voters, a new poll released a year before the election shows. (Hillary Leads By Big Margin, Times of India, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 06, 2007)

The failure of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in providing education, healthcare and other public amenities had subjected it to the ire of the public, said Mohsina Kidwai, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala. (Fight Anti-Development Forces: Kidwai , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 05, 2007)

Senator Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner for the '08 US presidential race, favours giving India an "augmented voice" in the United Nations and other major institutions, given the country's "special significance both as an emerging . . . . (Hillary Advocates 'Augmented' Indian Role In Un, Pioneer, S Rajagopalan, Nov 03, 2007)

Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has urged the State government to pay Rs.15 lakh as compensation to the family of M.C. Elias, assistant sub-inspector of police who was killed during the student clash at the Changanassery NSS Hindu College recently. (Chandy Seeks Rs.15 Lakh For Asi’S Family , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 02, 2007)

Two ULFA militants were killed in an encounter with the Army inside a forest area in Arunachal Pradesh bordering upper Assam while 11 revellers were injured in a blast triggered by unidentified militants at a Lakshmi Puja fair at Orang in . . . . (Army Kills 2 Ultras; 11 Revellers Hurt In Blast , Tribune, Bijay Sankar Bora, Oct 30, 2007)

Union agriculture minister and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday expressed a desire to forge an all-India alliance with the Congress party during the next parliamentary general elections, whenever they are held. (Pawar For Ncp-Congress Tieup , Asian Age, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 29, 2007)

Thirteen months can be a long time in politics. No one knows this better than the dozen-plus candidates who have entered the competition to win the November 2008 presidential election in the United States. (Looks Like Hillary Versus …, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 22, 2007)

The specter of a hypothetical US military strike on Iran is emerging as a dominant foreign policy theme in a 2008 White House race already haunted by the war in Iraq. (Iran A Key Issue In 2008 Us Polls, Times of India, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 15, 2007)

Relations between the Catholic Church and the CPM have hit a new low in Kerala, with the two locking horns over a bishop’s claim that a Marxist legislator had received the “last rites” before his death last year. (Cpm, Church In Rites Row , Telegraph, JOHN MARY, Oct 15, 2007)

Transport minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen here today pleaded innocent and blamed a political party for conspiracy to involve him in the sex scandal case taken up by the state high court on Tuesday. (Hakeem Yaseen Alleges Conspiracy , Tribune, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 11, 2007)

The State committee of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has set October 12 as the deadline for the Kerala Congress (J) to come up with its Minister nominee. (Ldf Panel Sets Deadline For Kerala Congress(j) , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 09, 2007)

The Communist Party of India (Maoist), the key outfit responsible for Naxal activities in at least 16 States, is setting up an intelligence wing to gather information that would be useful for further expansion of its activities. (Cpi (Maoist) Recruits To Expand Activities, Pioneer, Correspondent or Reporter, Oct 06, 2007)

The CPI(M) Kerala unit's efforts to woo the Muslims of the State suffered a setback on Friday with four Marxist party workers being hacked at Tirur in Malappuram, a Muslim-majority district, on Friday, during the holy month of Ramadan. (Setback For Cpm's Woo-Muslim Policy , Pioneer, Correspondent or Reporter, Sep 29, 2007)

The little twists and turns, barbs and counter barbs between the political parties are aimed at impending elections. By now, there is little doubt that the UPA, by choice rather than affirmative action on the Left’s part, will not complete its . . . . . (Getting Into Election Mode?, Business Line, Rasheeda Bhagat , Sep 20, 2007)

It will be worthwhile for the government to consider a “quasi-federal system” for devolution of powers and meeting the aspirations of all sections: N. Ram “India will continue to encourage Sri Lanka for a solution to the national question” (“Weakening Of Ltte Gives An Advantage To Sri Lanka In Finding A Political Solution”, Hindu, B. MURALIDHAR REDDY, Sep 17, 2007)

The Shiv Sena-BJP detente gathered momentum when leader of Opposition L K Advani was in Mumbai last weekend. It was then that Advani spoke to Bal Thackeray, as well as his son and political heir, Uddhav, and the leaders agreed it was time to . . . . . (Bjp, Sena Patch-Up Process Began On Lk's Mumbai Visit, Times of India, Correspondent or Reporter, Sep 13, 2007)

“THIS is essentially to create a shock effect on the government and its agencies. More concrete and substantial political and organisational work of the Maoists is taking place at the grass roots in a number of States including Jharkhand . . . . (Naxal Terror, Frontline, Venkitesh Ramakrishnan, Sep 12, 2007)

Senator Hillary Clinton's pro-outsourcing stance in the past, on top of her well-established Indian-American constituency, may well cause hiccups in her bid to win the endorsement of American labour in the run-up to the '08 presidential race . . . . (Hillary Faces Flak For Pro-India Stance, Pioneer, S Rajagopalan, Sep 10, 2007)

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and minister for transport Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen has appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the militants to announce ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan to create a conducive . . . . (Pdf Chief For Ramzan Ceasefire , Tribune, Correspondent or Reporter, Sep 10, 2007)