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Voting for five assembly elections will begin on March 27, with West Bengal conducting the maximum eight phases continuing till April 29, and votes for the polls in the four states and one Union territory will be counted on May 2, the Election Commission said on Friday. IMAGE: Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, centre, with Election Commissioners Sushil Chandra, left, and Rajiv Kumar addresses a press conference in New Delhi, February 26, 2021. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo. As many as 18.68 crore voters will be eligible to cast their votes at 2.7 lakh polling stations for 824 assembly seats across Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The elections for the five assemblies are expected to witness a determined attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to put up a strong show, including in Assam where it is already in power, as well as in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry where the saffron party has been pushing hard in recent years. ... » Learn More about One phase poll in TN, Kerala, Puducherry; 3 in Assam; 8 in Bengal; Counting on May 2

'The Dalits have always asserted themselves, but there has never been any gain for Dalits.' bandh successful.' bandh has become a success.' IMAGE: A scene from the January 3 bandh in Mumbai. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar , founder of the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh -- and, more importantly, Dr B R Ambedkar 's grandson -- minces no words as he takes on the Maharashtra government. Ambedkar tells Rediff.com 's Prasanna D Zore about the RSS concerns about the January 1 attack on Dalits in Bhima Koregaon and how he hopes to create a coalition of forces to offer an alternative to the BJP and Congress. What has the Dalit movement achieved from the Maharashtra bandh you called on January 3? This bandh was supported not just by the Dalits who were attacked during the January 1 celebrations at Bhima Koregaon. A large number of smaller OBCs ( other backward classes ) too joined in the bandh and that is the reason why it was so ... » Learn More about Why Maharashtra

'Today, Dalits can become IAS officers, doctors, IPS, MLAs, MPs and even the President due to the Constitution.' IMAGE: Bhim Army Sena members stop a train during the Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act in Patna, April 2, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo On Monday, April 2, north India witnessed violence during the Bharat Bandh protests which were called by Dalit organisations to protest against the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Already under pressure, the Narendra D Modi government faced internal rebellion when one of its own, Savitri Bai Phule -- the Bharatiya Janata Party MP who represents Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich Lok Sabha constituency -- accused the BJP of not doing enough to defend the rights of Dalits in the country. "I am not opposing the Government of India. I am only saying give respect to Dalits," an anguished Phule tells Rediff.com 's Syed ... » Learn More about The BJP’s Dalit MP who wants Modi to walk the talk

'Such a serious threat -- to assassinate the prime minister of India, no less -- was not handed over to the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad for investigation, but to the Pune crime branch.' Photograph: @narendramodi/Twitter So in the first of its kind political humour we have encountered in a long time, an e-mail is produced that is addressed to media organisations stating how they -- all 'Naxals' -- want to threaten Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with assassination 'Rajiv Gandhi style', an e-mail which was also copied to the police! The authorities in Maharashtra quickly pounced on five people -- including a lawyer, professor and editor -- who are directly connected with the Dalit cause. This is, after all, a Bharatiya Janata Party government. Apart from these five individuals, the e-mail named activists who had been arrested by the Maharashtra police during the previous Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government. It's no surprise that we are being served ... » Learn More about Dalits, Urban Maoists and a plot to kill the PM