DMK's dilemma: Support a Tamil VP nominee CP Radhakrishnan or stand by ideology?
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Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
BJP appeals to DMK, INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu to support Radhakrishnan for VP
Chennai: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has put the ruling DMK and INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu in a tight spot by urging them to support the nomination of Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan to the post of vice-president. BJP state president Nainar Nagendran on Monday said it was a 'historic moment' that Radhakrishnan, 'the son of Tamil soil', had been chosen for the vice presidential polls. The NDA on Sunday announced Maharashtra governor C P Radhakrishnan as its candidate for the vice-presidential poll scheduled for September 9. (PTI) 'This is not merely a political decision, but a proud recognition for all Tamil people. If history records that every party, rising above political boundaries, supported this honour being bestowed on a Tamil leader, it will be remembered as a milestone in healthy politics. Therefore, I sincerely appeal to all leaders and members of the INDI Alliance in Tamil Nadu to rise above party lines and extend their support,' he said. The NDA on Sunday announced C P Radhakrishnan, serving as the Maharashtra governor, as its candidate for the vice-presidential poll scheduled for September 9. BJP's ally and Tamil Nadu's principal opposition AIADMK thanked the national party's leaders for choosing a politician from Tamil Nadu as the VP nominee. The DMK has 22 members in the Lok Sabha and 10 in the Rajya Sabha. Even though the NDA does not require their support in terms of numbers, the BJP is appealing to the Dravidian party and its allies (Congress, Vidhuthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, CPI (M), CPI, etc) to rise above politics and support a Tamilian. Interestingly, Radhakrishnan had met chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin in his Chennai residence, a week ago, on August 11. The leaders at the time had said that Radhakrishnan met him to enquire about Stalin's health since he had been hospitalised for a week and discharged in July. Radhakrishnan hails from the Gounder community in the western region which has historically been the citadel of the AIADMK, where the DMK is gaining ground recently. AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) also belongs to the Gounder community, as does former BJP state president K Annamalai. Radhakrishnan was born in Tiruppur and elected twice from Coimbatore - the only pocket where the BJP has its own support base in the state, which has been successively ruled by either the DMK or AIADMK since 1967. Having roots in the RSS in Tamil Nadu, Radhakrishnan was formerly the state president of the BJP unit. He was first elected from the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat in 1998 following the bomb blasts in Coimbatore city that year ahead of L K Advani's visit. He retained the seat the following year. Radhakrishnan's nomination comes at a time when Tamil Nadu faces assembly elections next year and the DMK has been criticising the BJP for being anti-Tamil. The BJP has been trying to make inroads into the southern state and Radhakrishnan's nomination seems to be another outreach to the Tamil population. DMK spokesperson A Saravanan said that BJP's decision to nominate Radhakrishnan will not influence voters. He cited the example of former BJP state president L Murugan who despite being made Union minister from the Upper House lost the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu. 'Radhakrishnan is an RSS man. What benefit can be brought to the people of Tamil Nadu? People of Tamil Nadu can see through what the BJP is doing,' he said. Nagendran's meeting with superstar Rajinikanth at his Chennai residence on Monday also set off speculation of roping in the actor's support since he is known to lean towards the right wing in a state where film stars straddle politics. Rajinikanth was backed by the BJP to make his political debut in the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu but after several fits and starts, he backed out. His mass influence has swayed elections in Tamil Nadu like in 1996 when the AIADMK lost after he said that 'Even God can't save Tamil Nadu' if J Jayalalithaa wins again. Nagendran said he met the actor to wish him upon completing 50 years in the film industry. 'An artist who has ruled the Indian film industry for half a century, with sacred ash on his forehead and patriotism in his hearts, he remains an everlasting national actor,' Nagendran said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
EC 'deleting' names of backward community voters: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused the Election Commission of deleting names of voters belonging to backward communities and acting in favour of the ruling BJP . Independence Day 2025 Modi signals new push for tech independence with local chips Before Trump, British used tariffs to kill Indian textile Bank of Azad Hind: When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave India its own currency Speaking to reporters in Parliament complex, Yadav alleged that names of voters belonging to several backward groups, including the Maurya, Pal, Bhagel and Rathore communities, were being struck off the rolls to benefit the BJP. "The truth is their votes are being deleted. The SP raised this issue earlier also, but it is important to understand that this is done deliberately to cut the votes of backward classes, while projecting that these votes are going elsewhere," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Yadav claimed his party had identified constituencies where they lost by a narrow margin and where voter deletions played a role. "This is what we could identify in a short time. If we receive the voter lists in the format we want, we can provide more such cases. Votes cast in 2019 were deleted by 2022. There is also a proper procedure for creating a voter ID , but that is being ignored," he charged. Live Events The former chief minister demanded strict action against erring officials. "Our demand is simple that suspend even one district officer who is responsible. If you do this, not a single vote will be cut anywhere in the country. Show us if in 2019, 2022 or 2024, even one officer was removed for such lapses. Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, not a single officer has been punished, no matter how many complaints are filed. Why is that? It means the EC listens more to the BJP," Yadav charged. He also cited a case where, according to him, a BJP legislator had created 400 fake votes at her booth, forcing the SP to get over 200 of them removed. "This kind of verification is being done by political parties, but why does not the EC conduct such an exercise?" he said. Criticising the way officials are appointed during elections, Yadav objected to alleged caste-based selections. "Our demand is very clear that don't appoint Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on the basis of caste, don't appoint presiding officers on caste basis. It appears as if the ruling party decides which official suits them best," he said.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Mamata Banerjee may skip inauguration of 3 metro projects by PM Modi in Kolkata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to skip the inauguration of three Kolkata metro projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 22, a top state government official said on Monday. The chief minister does not wish to share the stage with officials from the central government, PTI quoted a bureaucrat as saying.(AITC) Banerjee, during her tenure as the railway minister, had planned these metro projects, he claimed. The decision to skip the inauguration of the metro projects was taken in the backdrop of alleged harassment of migrants from West Bengal in the BJP-ruled states, he said. "There have been charges of linguistic discrimination and the harassment of the Bengalis in several states, with the alleged support of the BJP and the central government. Protests are underway to oppose such discriminatory treatment being meted out to Bengali migrants. In such a situation, the chief minister does not wish to share the stage with officials from the central government," the top bureaucrat told PTI. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a letter dated August 14, invited Banerjee to the inauguration of three metro projects on Friday. Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Sealdah-Esplanade section of the Green Line, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby Crossing)-Beleghata stretch of the Orange Line, and Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar (airport) section of the Yellow Line. "These railway projects were originally planned and funded by Mamata Banerjee during her tenure as the railway minister. After years of slow progress, the BJP is now inaugurating them before the elections to claim credit. The chief minister was only given a routine invitation via letter," the official claimed. The chief minister had, in the past, attended central government events to respect the constitutional protocol, he said. "But during these programmes, BJP supporters created chaos and acted disrespectfully, turning the official functions into political platforms. Given this into account, no option will be given for such unacceptable conduct," he added.
