A B BARDHAN
POLITICS
CPI favours Dalit woman as President: Bardhan
June 14, 2012, 8:05 pm | Press Trust of India POLITICS
New Delhi: The CPI on Thursday said it favoured a Dalit woman as the next President of India, but did not spell out any name for the top Constitutional post. Top CPI leader AB Bardhan said Congress or UPA have not spoken with the Left parties or come out with any name for the Presidential elections. "Mahatma Gandhi has said one good thing...among many other good things that a Dalit woman should be made President," he told a press conference when asked about his party's preference in the July poll for the President post. However, Bardhan said, he did not mean Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar when he talked about a Dalit woman as the next president.
POLITICS
Bardhan hits out at UPA govt over corruption
June 16, 2011, 12:55 am | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
Hyderabad: Hitting out at the UPA government over the issues of corruption and black money, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan on Wednesday alleged that the Centre had failed to take effective steps to check the malaise. CPI leaders S Sudhakar Reddy and Gurudas Dasgupta had been raising the issues in Parliament since 2008 and had even written to the Prime Minister, he said. "Did Manmohan Singh reply? No. How will you get back the money? Who are those who have deposited black money? Reveal the names. That is our demand," he said. Bardhan said CPI demanded the removal of Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran and a probe against him, he said. Even though the UPA government
POLITICS
'CPI to fight against corruption, price rise'
May 30, 2011, 7:02 pm | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
Patna: CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan on Monday said his party would soon launch a nation-wide stir in phase manner to protest against corruption, price rise and food insecurity. "We will soon launch a nation-wide agitation in phase manner against rampant corruption, price rise, food insecurity and other burning issues facing the country," Bardhan told reporters. Stating that after hiking the price of petrol, the Centre was going to raise the prices of kerosene, diesel and cooking gas, the CPI leader said it would badly affect the people. Bardhan said even the prices of milk, freight charges and transportation charges have increase at several places. He expressed serious concern over alleged inordinate delay being made
POLITICS
Sonia's comment an insult to Bengal: Bardhan
April 16, 2011, 1:00 pm | IANS POLITICS
Kolkata: Taking on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's comment that conditions in West Bengal are worsening under the Left Front, Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A B Bardhan on Friday said the statement is an insult to the state. "Sonia Gandhi's statement is an insult to West Bengal and its people. Is it more backward compared to the other states? Do you, you the press, believe it? There should be a limit to what ever is being said," Bardhan told a press conference in Kolkata. In a meeting at Englishbazar in Malda district on Friday, Gandhi had said, "Why is the condition of the state worsening? With hardworking and skilful people like you in abundance, should
POLITICS
Left ahead in Kerala, tough fight in WB: Bardhan
April 1, 2011, 3:21 pm | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
Kochi: It will be a tough fight between the Left Front and the Trinamool Congress in this month's assembly polls in West Bengal while in Kerala the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) had an edge over the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said on Friday. "In West Bengal the fight is tougher. In Kerala we have an edge" Bardhan told reporters at a meet-the-press programme organised by Ernakulam Press club in Kochi. In Kerala, the fight was no doubt keen, but LDF had an edge and the Left front would win a majority, he said, adding "the so called Kerala pattern of alternating LDF and UDF governments would not happen this time
POLITICS
Left getting alienated from people: Bardhan
June 5, 2010, 12:04 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS
New Delhi: Forty-eight hours after the Left's defeat in Bengal civic polls, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan slammed them saying the leaders live in denial, are arrogant and out of touch with people. In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan spoke to Karan Thapar. AB Bardhan: It has been a very big defeat for the Left, no doubt about it. I would even use the word debacle in some respects. Karan Thapar: To what extent is this outcome a verdict on 33 years of Left rule? AB Bardhan: It is the anti incumbency factor, but it seems you see, even if you work for the people, if
POLITICS
Bardhan takes on CPM, calls leaders arrogant
June 28, 2009, 8:46 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS
General Secretary of Communist Party of India A B Bardhan lashing out at comrades said that Left leaders tend to become arrogant as they come to power. Talking to Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate Bardhan said that CPM-led Left Front government in Bengal runs as if it is a single party government. He also blamed them for the Lalgarh violence and neglecting adivasis (tribals) in the state. Bardhan suggested that tough questions should be asked to state’s Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Karan Thapar: Were you advising them (state government) to do something more? Did they in other words failed to listen to your advice? A B Bardhan: At that time, there was no question of
POLITICS
PM's chair not a heirloom, Bardhan tells Sonia
April 28, 2009, 12:57 am | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
Kolkata: The Communist Party India on Monday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her criticism of leaders of the other parties who want to become prime minister. Taking on Sonia over her reported statement that it had become a fashion for political leaders of various parties to aspire to be prime minister, CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said: “It is strange. She is keen when her son aspires to be the PM and it is a fashion when others do so.” “The prime minister's chair is not an heirloom,” added Bardhan. Claiming the Congress was giving ‘love calls’ to the Left after the first two phases of the elections, he said, “If the Congress
POLITICS
CPI names LS candidates, plans to contest 50 seats
February 22, 2009, 8:29 pm | IANS POLITICS
New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday announced its first list of 28 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and said it planned to contest 50 seats. Announcing the list, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan told reporters that the Left parties intended to form a Third Front - excluding the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party announced eight candidates in Uttar Pradesh, six in Bihar, three each in West Bengal and Maharashtra, two each in Rajasthan, Orissa and Punjab, and one each in Delhi and Gujarat. Bardhan said the rest of the candidates would be from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In West Bengal, the Left
POLITICS
Jayalalithaa calls for an alliance with CPI
November 19, 2008, 6:50 pm | Agencies POLITICS
Chennai: CPI leader A B Bardhan is likely to meet AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Wednesday. The meeting will be held to discuss the possibility of an alliance between the two parties ahead of the general elections. Jayalalithaa had earlier declared that she was open for an alliance with the left. Bardhan will meet her along with other leaders of the Left front. Meanwhile, Jayalalithaa on Wednesday threatened to sue Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi,seeking Rs one crore as damages if he did not apologise for his remarks that her party might have "instigated" the recent violence in Dr Ambedkar Law college here, which left three students injured in Chennai.
POLITICS
'Left lost trust vote, won hearts of Indians'
August 3, 2008, 11:26 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS
Have the Left parties damaged their credibility by their behaviour? That's the key issue Karan Thapar raised with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India, A B Bardhan. Karan Thapar: Mr Bardhan, the Left parties have failed to stop the Indo-US deal going further and you have lost whatever influence you had with the UPA government. I put it to you. This is a double whammy against your party. A B Bardhan: We might have lost our influence with the UPA government. But then we have won the hearts of the Indians. We may have lost the vote…trust vote. Karan Thapar: Do you really believe that you have won the hearts of
POLITICS
Left leaders get threats for blocking N-deal
June 22, 2008, 2:27 pm | IANS POLITICS
New Delhi: Four top Communist leaders on Sunday received death threats by mail for blocking the India-US civil nuclear deal and for allegedly "harassing" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government. CPI-M leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury and CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja got identical copies of the letter in flawed English, sources in both groups told IANS. "May god bless this country to eliminate these r***** by any means. People are fed up with you. Enough is enough," read the letter, which came from Mumbai. Confirming that he had received the letter, Raja told IANS. "These kind of things keep happening in politics. We do not take it seriously." A CPI-M source said
POLITICS
FM's measures have failed, throw him out: Left
June 20, 2008, 5:29 pm | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
Raipur: The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Friday demanded the dismissal of Finance Minister P Chidambaram from the post of Union Finance Minister, saying inflation has reached 11 per cent proving all the FM's measures a total failure. "We want his (Chidambaram's) immediate ouster," CPI General Secretary, A B Bardhan told reporters. Steep increases in prices of all commodities like now have never been seen in the past eight to ten years, pushing the common man in real difficult situation, he said. Now the inflation has crossed 11 per cent and will go up further after the recent increase in prices of petroleum products, Bardhan said adding that the CPI and other Left parties had
POLITICS
UPA govt would not fall if Left withdraws support: CPI
March 15, 2008, 11:15 am | Press Trust Of India POLITICS
New Delhi: The CPI has indicated that in the event of the Left withdrawing support to the UPA Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the outside supporters would not bring it down. The CPI General Secretary, A B Bardhan, however evaded direct replies to questions on whether the Left would move a no-confidence motion or support one moved by BJP against the government. "That we will think at that time," he said when asked whether the Left would move such a motion. Asked whether they would support one moved by BJP, he said. "I don't think anything of that sort will happen. If the government is reduced to a minority, I think it will dissolve the House."
POLITICS
48 hrs before talks, Left goes soft on N-deal
March 15, 2008, 8:21 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS
New Delhi: For the first time since the UPA and Left locked horns over the nuclear deal, the Left has indicated that the government need not stall talks with the Nuclear Suppliers Group. This comes just before the crucial UPA-Left discussions on the Indo-US nuclear deal on March 17. The Left is not really threatening to enforce a closure right after the talks are completed with the International Atomic Energy Agency. In an interview with CNN-IBN, CPI Secretary General A B Bardhan opened a small window where dialogue could be taken to the next stage with the Nuclear Suppliers Group. Excerpts from the interview:- Karan Thapar: Suppose the government says to you what I
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