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New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
AIADMK takes two RS seats, announces candidates; DMDK promised seat in 2026
CHENNAI: The AIADMK on Sunday announced former MLAs I S Inbadurai and M Dhanapal as the party's candidates for the two to-be-vacant Rajya Sabha seats. Announcing this at the party headquarters, AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy said the DMDK will be given one Rajya Sabha seat when vacancies arise in 2026. He also said the DMDK will continue in the AIADMK-led alliance. Responding to a question, Munusamy said that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had promised to give a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026 and that the party will stand by it. Munusamy added that the DMDK has agreed to this.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Senthil Balaji intensifies preparations in Western districts ahead of TN assembly election 2026
TIRUPPUR: Intensifying the preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections, DMK West Zone in-charge and former minister V Senthil Balaji met DMK functionaries in Tiruppur and instructed them to expedite the election duties, on Thursday. Sources said that Balaji, who was previously in charge of Karur and Coimbatore districts, has now been appointed as the in charge of West Zone districts by the DMK leadership. As a result, the charge of Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Erode, Namakkal and Karur districts for the elections have been handed over to Balaji, covering a total of 35 constituencies. In Tiruppur, Avinashi, Tiruppur North, Tiruppur South and Palladam constituencies are under Balaji, while Dharapuram, Kangeyam, Madathukulam and Udumalaipet constituencies have been assigned to Food and Civil Supplies Minister R Sakkarapani. Reportedly, Balaji is now holding secret consultations and meetings with DMK functionaries in the West Zone districts. Reporters have been barred from these meetings, and Balaji has also been avoiding press meets. On Thursday, Balaji met Tiruppur East and North district functionaries separately, gave suggestions, and also advised them to expedite election works. Speaking to TNIE, N Dinesh Kumar, district secretary of Tiruppur North, said, "This is purely an election-related consultation meeting. Senthil Balaji gave instructions to party functionaries to expedite election works." Reportedly, Balaji also issued instructions to quickly identify strong and weak polling booths and address them. "Balaji has instructed that all preparatory works be completed and ready by the end of January 2026, as the election date is likely to be announced by February," a DMK functionary said. Further, party functionaries said Balaji, who met party functionaries in Erode two days ago, instructed district secretaries to remove non-performing functionaries from their posts and appoint new active functionaries. In 2021, the AIADMK-led alliance won 44 out of 68 seats in 10 districts in the Kongu region. It won all 10 seats in Coimbatore district, and five of eight seats in Tiruppur. In Erode, the AIADMK alliance had won five of eight seats. "This will change in the upcoming Assembly election. Balaji is formulating strategies for this," said a senior DMK functionary.
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Cannot form govt in Tamil Nadu without backing of national party: MP Karti Chidambaram
COIMBATORE: No party can form a government in Tamil Nadu without the support of a national party, said Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram, and reaffirmed the unity and strength of the INDIA bloc in the state. Speaking to reporters at Malumichampatti in Coimbatore on Tuesday, Chidambaram reviewed the Congress' grassroots position and preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections. "The DMK-led alliance is politically strong in Tamil Nadu, and the Congress is gearing up as a powerful force," he said. While he acknowledged that the AIADMK still holds a significant vote bank, he criticised its renewed alliance with the BJP. "Grassroots AIADMK workers are unhappy. After severing ties before the Lok Sabha elections, why rekindle the alliance now? Many are questioning this," he added. Commenting on coalition dynamics, Chidambaram stressed that Congress is not in a position to demand more seats than the BJP in an AIADMK-led front. "We are caught between not being in power or in the opposition. It's a complex situation," he admitted. "Congress hasn't been in power in Tamil Nadu since 1967, and that's unfortunate," he added. On national issues, he welcomed the Indian Army's response to the recent terror attacks in Pahalgam and backed Chief Minister Stalin's move to write to fellow chief ministers on the governor issue. He clarified that P Chidambaram's recent remarks were misunderstood, and affirmed that the INDIA bloc remains robust.
India Today
03-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
EPS to be chief ministerial face for 2026 Tamil Nadu polls: AIADMK resolution
The AIADMK passed a resolution accepting the inclusion of the BJP in its alliance to defeat the DMK in next year's Tamil Nadu Assembly polls and to project Edappadi K Palaniswami as the chief ministerial resolution, passed during the party's executive council meeting, said that the AIADMK-led alliance initiated the "first step" to include the BJP and to bring in like-minded parties who oppose the ruling condemned the DMK government for giving "525 poll promises but not being able to fulfill them, and thereby, cheating the people". The resolution slammed the DMK for raising issues about the three-language policy, NEP, Katchatheevu and delimitation "to hide growing anger among the people".It accused the DMK for raising property tax, water tax and not for being able to keep the price of essential commodities and materials required for building resolution demanded the DMK to release a 'white paper' about the investments attracted, list of industries providing jobs created through the Global Investors Meet and Chief Minister MK Stalin's foreign said the DMK for "causing shame to Tamil Nadu due to the continuous sexual assault and violence against women".The AIADMK condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, and said it will support any action taken by the central government to stop cross-border also shared its pleasure with the announcement by the Centre to conduct a caste enumeration along with the forthcoming national census Watch IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu#AIADMK#Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam#Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin#Bharatiya Janta Party
Hans India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
SC drops bail cancellation proceedings against Senthil Balaji after he resigns as TN ministe
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of an application seeking recall of its decision which had enlarged DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu minister Senthil Balaji on bail in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged cash-for-jobs scam. A Raj Bhavan communique accepting the resignation of Balaji, who was Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise in Tamil Nadu government, was placed before a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and A.G. Masih. The Justice Oka-led Bench on April 23 told the senior DMK leader to choose between his ministerial post and bail in the money laundering case, as it dealt with an application claiming that Balaji may influence the case witnesses in his capacity as a minister. It had cautioned Balaji that if he did not step down from his minister post, it would recall its bail order, noting that the top court had made a mistake by ignoring the previous judgments against him. "We are giving him a choice. Freedom or post? [T]he judgment of the Madras High Court records how, as a minister, you tried to influence witnesses by entering into a settlement with them, based on which proceedings were quashed," the bench had said. The Supreme Court had asked Balaji, who was immediately inducted into the Tamil Nadu Cabinet after he was granted bail, to decide by April 28 whether he preferred his liberty or his minister post. Following the top court's ultimatum, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday recommended the Governor to accept the resignation of Balaji and to reallocate his portfolios to other ministers. "The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has recommended to the Governor of Tamil Nadu to accept the resignation of V. Senthil Balaji, Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise, and Dr K. Ponmudy, Minister for Forests and Khadi. The Governor has approved the recommendation," read a Raj Bhavan communique issued. It added that Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar has been given the additional portfolio of Electricity, while Housing and Urban Development Minister S. Muthusamy has now been designated as the Minister for Housing and Prohibition & Excise. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had, on June 14, 2023, raided Balaji's house and other places in Chennai, Karur, and Coimbatore and interrogated him about a job for a cash scam while he served as the Transport Minister in the AIADMK-led government. After several hours of interrogation, Balaji was arrested and sent to judicial custody. Even as the opposition demanded the immediate removal of Balaji from the ministry, CM Stalin did not succumb to the pressure. However, Balaji finally tendered his resignation on February 12, 2024, eight months after his arrest and ahead of his bail plea hearing in the Madras High Court. After the Supreme Court granted him bail, Balaji walked out of Puzhal Central Prison after 450 days and was inducted again as minister on September 29 last year.
