Latest news with #DMDK
New Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu Congress invites DMDK to join INDIA bloc amid rift with AIADMK
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai on Tuesday invited Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) to join the INDIA bloc led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu. This has come amid signs of discontent brewing in the DMDK camp over being 'sidelined' by the AIADMK, especially in the recent Rajya Sabha seat allocation. DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant recently expressed disappointment over the AIADMK's alleged failure to honour a 'pre-poll assurance' to allot a Rajya Sabha seat to her party. The DMDK was part of the AIADMK-led alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Responding to a query on Premalatha's public gratitude to the DMK for passing a condolence resolution in honour of DMDK founder Vijayakant at its recent general council meeting, Selvaperunthagai said, 'This is my personal opinion, but I believe DMDK should align with the INDIA bloc under DMK's leadership. We welcome them wholeheartedly.' The TNCC chief's invitation is seen as a political signal at a time when the DMDK is reassessing its future. It may be noted that Premalatha also paid tribute to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi on his 102nd birth anniversary. Recalling Karunanidhi's contributions to Tamil Nadu and the Tamil language, she also remembered his personal relationship with Vijayakant, saying, 'Kalaignar graciously presided over our wedding. The bond between him and Captain was deep and unforgettable.' Political signalling 'This is my personal opinion, but I believe the DMDK should align with the INDIA bloc under DMK's leadership. We welcome them wholeheartedly,' TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai said on Tuesday. The invitation is seen as a political signal at a time when the DMDK is reassessing its future. Premalatha also paid tribute to M Karunanidhi on his birth anniversary
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Could Vijay's party be the draw as polls stir TN's crowded political space?
AS THE countdown to the Assembly elections sets off a chain of alignments and realignments in Tamil Nadu, the one party that is steadily consolidating its position is Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The political outfit floated by Tamil cinema icon Vijay is seeking to emerge as the fulcrum of a third front, and could attract smaller parties which feel neglected by the DMK and AIADMK. Vijay is quietly laying the groundwork for the TVK, with a search reportedly on for an Assembly constituency for the star beginning with the letter 'V', just like his name – a suggestion reportedly by a well-wisher. Sources said the hunt may narrow down to Virudhachalam, a backward constituency in northern Tamil Nadu, ahead of the TVK's state-wide tour starting in August. By then, the picture could also be clearer on the PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) and DMDK (Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam), both of which are struggling. While the PMK holds considerable influence due to its support among the OBC-Vanniyar community, the DMDK (founded by another matinee idol, the late Vijayakanth) has a solid vote bank in certain rural pockets. The vote banks of both parties complement the TVK's appeal among Dalits and OBCs in rural and semi-urban areas. The DMDK, led now by Vijayakanth's Premalatha, is unhappy about ally AIADMK not giving a ticket to it for the coming bypolls, and has said it expects the AIADMK to keep a Rajya Sabha berth promise to it. In an unusually direct statement Sunday, Premalatha reminded the AIADMK about a 'written commitment' to allot five Lok Sabha constituencies and one Rajya Sabha seat to the DMDK ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami ducked the question when asked about this, deputy general secretary K P Munusamy insisted the alliance with the DMDK was intact. Premalatha, however, has said her options are open. The PMK, on the other hand, is caught in a public power struggle between founder S Ramadoss and his son and party president Anbumani Ramadoss. The elder Ramadoss reportedly prefers direct talks and an alliance with the AIADMK, but Anbumani, who was a Union minister in the NDA government at the Centre, favours an arrangement through the BJP. If the dispute persists, the PMK too could drift toward Vijay. 'Both the DMDK and PMK are unhappy satellites of the AIADMK-NDA alliance, caught in loops of postponed promises and internal confusion. Vijay may be a clean slate for them,' said a source close to Vijay. Should either the PMK or the DMDK align with the TVK, the impact could be significant, especially in north Tamil Nadu. As per TVK calculations, such an electoral bloc may swing at least 10 key districts. The damage may not be restricted to the AIADMK alone, as such an alliance could hurt the DMK too by weaning away the Dalit base of DMK ally VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi). Another force multiplier for the TVK may be Vijay's next movie Jana Nayagan, which is in post-production and expected to wrap up by mid-July – its release coinciding with his roadshow, which is expected to cover all the constituencies in the state over three months. 'The tour will demonstrate Vijay's ground strength. He will meet local community leaders, student groups, and fisherfolk,' a top TVK source said. While Virudhachalam leads among the constituencies Vijay may pick – as he considers seats with a significant OBC-Vanniyar population, Dalits, fishermen and Christians (Vijay is Christian by faith) – others that have a chance are Virugambakkam, Virudhunagar, Villupuram, Vedaranyam, and Vellore. One of the most backward constituencies in Tamil Nadu, Virudhachalam incidentally was the seat from where the DMDK's Vijayakanth made his electoral debut in 2006. Vikravandi, with a high proportion of backward classes, is the second choice. Virugambakkam is also on the list as it was where Vijay once resided in Chennai, but it is a largely urban constituency. 'Virudhachalam fits the narrative of the character Vijay plays in his films, of an underdog and the man of the people. Otherwise, it may be Vikravandi,' said a TVK source. The TVK is also close to finalising its symbol, which is set to be 'TV', an image familiar as well as easily associable with the party's name. The party is set to go then with the slogan 'Ungal vote TV-ku (Your vote is for TV-K)'. About whether the TVK itself would consider aligning with either the AIADMK or DMK, a top associate said: 'It will only damage him. Look at what happened to leaders like O Panneerselvam or Vaiko and G K Moopanar, when they made tactical compromises. You can't join hands with the very enemy you have built your political grammar against,' he said. Aides point out that this stance also helps Vijay stand out in a crowded political landscape filled with parties with shifting loyalties. Vaiko, once DMK chief M Karunanidhi's protégé, was expelled from the party in 1993 and formed the MDMK. It later aligned with the DMK, inviting charges of political opportunism. Panneerselvam, a Jayalalithaa loyalist, lost influence after her death, and since then has been jostling around for friends. Moopanar was a senior Congress leader before he left the party in 1996 to form the Tamil Maanila Congress.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
LIVE news updates: 16 Naxalites surrender in Chhattisgarh, say police
Live Blog Today's top news updates: On Sunday, Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone operations to date against Russia, targeting five military airbases located deep within Russian territory. "The Kyiv regime staged a terror attack using FPV drones on airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur Regions. All attempted attacks on military airfields in Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur were repelled, and there were no reported casualties among military personnel or civilians," stated Russia's defence ministry. A man wielding a makeshift flamethrower shouted "Free Palestine" and hurled an incendiary device into a group gathered to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, law enforcement officials confirmed on Sunday. Six individuals, aged between 67 and 88, sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious burns. The attack occurred as members of the volunteer group Run For Their Lives were concluding their weekly demonstration aimed at raising awareness for the hostages. The AIADMK announced on Sunday that the DMDK remains a part of its alliance in Tamil Nadu and will be allocated a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026. The DMDK had been pressing for a seat immediately, citing a prior understanding during the 2024 Lok Sabha election negotiations—a claim not publicly confirmed by AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami. In a related development, AIADMK revealed its candidates for the 19 June Rajya Sabha biennial elections: IS Inbadurai, secretary of the party's advocate wing and former legislator, and M Dhanapal, Chengelpet-East district presidium chairman and ex-MLA. 2:46 PM Four killed as car rams into truck in Haryana Four men in their 20s were killed when their car rammed into a truck in Haryana's Mahendragarh district early on Monday, police said. The men, aged between 25-30, were returning from Neemhera village in Mahendragarh district to Gurugram. The accident took place near Unhani village under Kanina. 1:42 PM Gujarat by-elections: Cong announces candidates for Kadi and Visavadar seats The Opposition Congress has announced Ramesh Chavda and Nitin Ranpariya as its candidates from Kadi and Visavadar assembly constituencies, respectively, for the upcoming bypolls to the two seats in Gujarat. Chavda is a former Congress MLA from Kadi assembly seat in Mehsana district. Ranpariya, who had served as a member of the Junagadh district panchayat, is fighting the assembly election for the first time. The ruling BJP has fielded Rajendra Chavda from Kadi and Kiritbhai Patel from Visavadar for the June 19 bypolls. 11:47 AM Maharashtra ATS conducts searches in Thane in terror case The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday conducted searches in Thane district, including at the residence of a former SIMI office-bearer, in connection with a terrorism-related case, officials said. An ATS team along with the Thane rural police started searches in the morning at Padgha village in the district, an official said. The residence of Saquib Nachan, former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), was among the premises searched by the ATS team, he said. 11:13 AM All legal procedures followed while arresting female Instagram influencer: Kolkata Police Kolkata Police have dismissed criticisms that they have "unlawfully" arrested a 22-year-old female Instagram influencer for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, and claimed that all legal procedures were followed. They defended the arrest of influencer Sharmistha Panoli saying that the case was "duly investigated and adhering to legal procedures". "Kolkata Police acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law. The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities," Kolkata Police posted on Facebook on Sunday. 11:02 AM Airlines projected to report $36 billion profit in 2025: IATA Airlines' profit is expected to touch $36 billion, slightly higher than $32.4 billion posted last year, IATA said on Monday. Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the national capital, its Director General Willie Walsh asserted that airspace should be kept out of trade wars. First Published: Jun 02 2025 | 10:36 AM IST
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
AIADMK defers RS seat allotment, DMDK to reveal poll ties in Jan 2026
Apparently perturbed over AIADMK's decision to defer the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat to it to 2026, the DMDK said it would announce its poll ties ahead of the Assembly election next year. Stopping short of accusing the AIADMK of not honouring its commitment made before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth said the AIADMK had already allotted a seat each to Dr Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK) and G K Vasan (TMC) in the past and now it was the turn of her party to get a Rajya Sabha seat. Playing down DMDK's decision to make known its stand on alliance on January 9, 2026, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters in Coimbatore on June 1 that the ties between the AIADMK and DMDK were smooth and attempts to break them would not fructify. On June 1, AIADMK Deputy General Secretary K P Munusamy announced that DMDK remained part of the AIADMK-led alliance and a Rajya Sabha seat will be allocated to that party in 2026. On May 31, DMDK treasurer L K Sudheesh called on Palaniswami and discussed the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. Responding to the development, Premalatha claimed the AIADMK had committed in writing that it would allot five Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat to her party during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. This assurance was given in writing. When we asked him to specify the date, Mr Palaniswami had said the year is not usually mentioned in the letter, Premalatha told reporters here. She did not reveal all these details earlier, as it was the AIADMK's duty to fulfill its commitment. Now we will fulfill our duty by deciding on the alliance at our party meeting in Cuddalore on January 9, 2026, Premalatha told reporters here on June 1 when sought for her reaction. She further said that politics revolved around elections and the AIADMK had fulfilled its responsibility keeping in mind the 2026 Assembly election. We will also do the same, as every political party acts with election in mind. The DMDK would soon announce election-incharge for all the 234 assembly constituencies in the state and commence the poll work, she added. The DMDK general secretary thanked Chief Minister M K Stalin and his DMK for adopting a resolution at that party's general council meeting in Madurai on June 1 paying tributes to DMDK founder Captain' Vijayakanth who died about a year and a half ago.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
LIVE news: Strikes on Russian airbases will 'undoubtedly be in history books', says Zelenskyy
Today's top news updates: On Sunday, Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone operations to date against Russia, targeting five military airbases located deep within Russian territory. "The Kyiv regime staged a terror attack using FPV drones on airfields in the Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur Regions. All attempted attacks on military airfields in Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur were repelled, and there were no reported casualties among military personnel or civilians," stated Russia's defence ministry. A man wielding a makeshift flamethrower shouted "Free Palestine" and hurled an incendiary device into a group gathered to highlight the plight of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, law enforcement officials confirmed on Sunday. Six individuals, aged between 67 and 88, sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious burns. The attack occurred as members of the volunteer group Run For Their Lives were concluding their weekly demonstration aimed at raising awareness for the hostages. The AIADMK announced on Sunday that the DMDK remains a part of its alliance in Tamil Nadu and will be allocated a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026. The DMDK had been pressing for a seat immediately, citing a prior understanding during the 2024 Lok Sabha election negotiations—a claim not publicly confirmed by AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami. In a related development, AIADMK revealed its candidates for the 19 June Rajya Sabha biennial elections: IS Inbadurai, secretary of the party's advocate wing and former legislator, and M Dhanapal, Chengelpet-East district presidium chairman and ex-MLA. 11:47 AM Maharashtra ATS conducts searches in Thane in terror case The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday conducted searches in Thane district, including at the residence of a former SIMI office-bearer, in connection with a terrorism-related case, officials said. An ATS team along with the Thane rural police started searches in the morning at Padgha village in the district, an official said. The residence of Saquib Nachan, former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), was among the premises searched by the ATS team, he said. 11:15 AM Bomb threat at Jammu railway station turns out to be hoax A bomb threat targeting Jammu railway station turned out to be a hoax after an intensive search of the premises by security agencies, police said on Monday. The hoax call was received from an unknown caller regarding the presence of a bomb at the main station on Sunday evening, a police official said. 11:13 AM All legal procedures followed while arresting female Instagram influencer: Kolkata Police Kolkata Police have dismissed criticisms that they have "unlawfully" arrested a 22-year-old female Instagram influencer for allegedly uploading a video with communal comments, and claimed that all legal procedures were followed. They defended the arrest of influencer Sharmistha Panoli saying that the case was "duly investigated and adhering to legal procedures". "Kolkata Police acted lawfully according to the procedure established by law. The accused was not arrested for expressing patriotism or for personal belief; legal actions were taken for sharing offensive content which promotes hatred among the communities," Kolkata Police posted on Facebook on Sunday. 11:06 AM RSS leader booked over alleged inflammatory speech in Dakshina Kannada An FIR was registered against an RSS leader on Monday for allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech that could incite communal tension, police said. The accused, Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, delivered the speech on May 12 during a condolence meeting organised in memory of a Hindutva activist and a known rowdy-sheeter Shuhas Shetty who was murdered in the Mangaluru on May 1, they said. According to a police statement, the programme was held at Madwa Palace Convention Hall in Kavalapadur village under the Bantwal Rural Police Station jurisdiction. 11:02 AM Airlines projected to report $36 billion profit in 2025: IATA Airlines' profit is expected to touch $36 billion, slightly higher than $32.4 billion posted last year, IATA said on Monday. Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in the national capital, its Director General Willie Walsh asserted that airspace should be kept out of trade wars.
