Latest news with #Vaiko
The Hindu
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Durai Vaiko welcomes decision to broadcast Tamil programmes on Tiruchi AIR FM
Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko on Tuesday welcomed the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's decision to revert to the practice of broadcasting Tamil programmes on Tiruchi FM 102.1 at night. In a statement, Vaiko pointed out that he recently condemned the All India Radio for broadcasting Hindi programmes on the Tiruchi FM at night and urged the Union Ministry to revert to the standard practice of broadcasting Tamil programmes. Within 24 hours of his demand, the All India Radio had stopped broadcasting Hindi programmes and reverted to the original schedule. It was a good decision. Language was not just a tool for exchanging information, it was the identity of the region and the people, he said. While thanking the AIR officials, Mr. Durai Vaiko said that it was learnt that the Tiruchi FM station was broadcasting the programmes of another station at night. Tiruchi FM authorities should broadcast its own production at night hours, he said.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
AIADMK picks two former legislators for RS elections
Tamil Nadu's main opposition AIADMK on Sunday announced former MLAs M Dhanapal and IS Inbadurai as its two nominees for the June 19 biennial election to the Rajya Sabha, said AIADMK general secretary KP Munusamy, adding that ally Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) will be given one Rajya Sabha seat when vacancies arise in 2026. On July 24 this year, six RS members from Tamil Nadu will retire and it includes PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss and MDMK top leader Vaiko. To secure a Rajya Sabha seat, a nominee requires 34 votes. The AIADMK, led by Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS), has 62 MLAs and the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has four MLAs. The AIADMK and BJP formed an alliance in April to fight the 2026 assembly elections together after splitting for 19 months. The DMK-led coalition, the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), in Tamil Nadu has a strength of 159 legislative members in the 234-member assembly. The DMK has announced four nominees. The party re-nominated senior advocate P Wilson and nominated party members Salma, and SR Sivalingam, while giving the fourth nomination to ally Kamal Haasan, actor and chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). While announcing the nominees, Munusamy said that the DMDK continues to be in their alliance and that EPS has confirmed that they will be given a seat in the Upper House next time. However, the DMDK was not happy with the announcement. DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant did not confirm Munusamy's statement that the DMDK will continue in the AIADMK-led NDA alliance. 'Politics is all about elections. The AIADMK has made its announcement. The DMDK will announce its stand on alliance in January 2026 at the party's conference in Cuddalore,' Vijayakant told reporters. When the AIADMK split from the BJP, only the DMDK remained with the Dravidian major, while the remaining allies such as the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) remained with the NDA. The current sitting members in the Upper House from Tamil Nadu are MM Abdullah (DMK), N Chandrasegharan (AIADMK), Anbumani Ramadoss (PMK, an ally of NDA), M Shanmugam (DMK), Vaiko (MDMK, an ally of DMK) and Wilson (DMK).
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Denial of Rajya Sabha seat to Vaiko won't affect alliance, says Durai Vaiko
MDMK principal secretary and Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko on Friday said the 'denial' of a Rajya Sabha seat to MDMK general secretary Vaiko [though there was no formal agreement with the DMK on this] had hurt the party cadre and office-bearers, but it would have no bearing on the DMK-led alliance (of which the party is a constituent) in the State. Addressing journalists in Tiruchi, Mr. Durai Vaiko said the party cadre, office-bearers, and well wishers, who were disappointed over the Rajya Sabha seat, expressed concern on various platforms, including social media. 'Mr. Vaiko, in his 61 years of public life, was held in high regard by the people and State and national leaders, including many Prime Ministers. He was at the forefront in protecting the interest of Tamils and Tamil Nadu. Many wanted him to be renominated to the Rajya Sabha to raise his voice for the Tamils. Though the cadres were disappointed, the MDMK would get over it in the interest of the State,' he added. To a question, Mr. Durai Vaiko said the MDMK was allotted a Lok Sabha seat and a Rajya Sabha seat during the seat allocation negotiation with the DMK in 2019. It was allotted a Lok Sabha seat in 2024 and, according to him, the DMK leadership had said a Rajya Sabha seat would be allotted at an appropriate time. When the MDMK insisted on a formal announcement, the DMK leaders had assured the party that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would take a favourable stand, especially when it came to Mr. Vaiko's nomination, he alleged. When asked whether it would lead to the break up of the DMK-led alliance in the State in the run up to the Assembly election, Mr. Durai Vaiko said it would not have any bearing on the alliance. Mr. Vaiko was offered a Cabinet berth at the Centre thrice. But, he declined the offers as he was not after posts or positions. Hence, the alliance would continue in the interest of the State, he said. Condemns 'Hindi imposition' Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr. Durai Vaiko condemned the All India Radio for broadcasting Hindi programmes on its 102.1 FM station in Tiruchi in the nights. While Tamil programmes were broadcast between 5.50 a.m. and 11 p.m., the FM station switched over to Hindi programmes from 11 p.m. It was nothing but an attempt to impose Hindi in the State, he said
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Unhappy, but we will move on: Durai Vaiko on RS seat snub
Trichy: MDMK principal secretary Durai Vaiko has expressed disappointment at party chief and his father, Vaiko , not being renominated as Rajya Sabha MP. However, he said at a press conference in Trichy on Friday that the party has chosen to move on for the larger interest of Tamil Nadu and well-being of the DMK-led alliance. Stating that Vaiko is the brand and identity of MDMK, Durai said they hope the DMK would compensate them for the 'disappointment' by treating MDMK with 'dignity' in seat allocation for the ensuing assembly election. "Post is not a matter for our leader (Vaiko) as he rejected opportunities not once but thrice in the past to become a Union cabinet minister. We believed that DMK would fulfill the assurance given to us as part of the alliance, by allocating a Rajya Sabha seat. Now, we feel disappointed and sad, but we choose to move on for the alliance to stay intact," Durai Vaiko said. The MP said that when MDMK joined the DMK alliance in 2019 along with Communists and VCK, they were promised one Lok Sabha seat and one Rajya Sabha seat. As Vaiko developed cardiac issues back then, he was urged to become a Rajya Sabha MP due to his health conditions. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, MDMK's key functionaries demanded a Rajya Sabha seat again, but as there was more than a year left in the existing RS term, MDMK believed that DMK would certainly allocate them an RS seat later, he said.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Tamil Nadu, why DMK, AIADMK face crucial alliance test in Rajya Sabha polls
With Tamil Nadu headed to the high-stakes Rajya Sabha polls for six seats on June 19, the ruling DMK and the principal Opposition AIADMK are bracing to finalise a seat-sharing agreement with their respective allies. All eyes are on whether high-profile leaders like MDMK chief Vaiko, former state BJP president K Annamalai and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder, would get a Rajya Sabha nomination from their respective alliances or not. For the prize for them would not be just a seat in the Upper House but also their continued relevance in state politics. The terms of six Rajya Sabha members from the state will expire on July 24, who include M Shanmugam, P Wilson and M Mohamed Abdulla from the DMK, Vaiko, AIADMK leader N Chandrasegharan, and the PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss. While the MDMK is a constituent of the DMK-led INDIA bloc, the AIADMK and the PMK are the BJP's allies in the NDA. Given the 234-member state Assembly, each candidate would require a minimum of 34 votes to clinch a Rajya Sabha seat. The INDIA bloc, with 158 MLAs (DMK: 133, Congress:17, VCK: 4, CPI: 2, CPM: 2) could win four seats comfortably, while the NDA with 75 members (AIADMK: 66, BJP: 4, PMK: 5) is set to win two. The M K Stalin-led DMK faces a tricky question whether it will renominate ally Vaiko to the Upper House. The party already has an understanding with Haasan to send him to the Rajya Sabha, which was reached when the MNM chief joined the DMK-led alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. So far, the DMK has not given any assurance to Vaiko, with party insiders indicating that it is not committed to offering him a seat this time. 'If Vaiko insists, we will see,' a senior DMK leader said, reflecting the party's non-committal stance. However, ignoring Vaiko would be a tough call for the DMK, considering his long association with the party and its ideological journey. The DMK seems to be planning to renominate Wilson and Abdulla, while it may replace Shanmugam, now in his 80s, with a younger face, party sources said. Haasan is set to be get a Rajya Sabha seat. However, it remains to be seen whether he is given ticket as a DMK nominee or as an MNM candidate. Eyeing two seats, the AIADMK faces a more complex dilemma. With 66 MLAs, the party could easily win one seat on its own steam, while it would need a little support from the NDA allies for claiming another one. The AIADMK's ally DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakanth has claimed that a promise for a Rajya Sabha seat was made to her party during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It is another matter that the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K Palaniswami or EPS, has indicated that the party may contest both seats if possible, claiming that 'no such formal agreement existed with DMDK'. However, the AIADMK's other two allies, BJP and PMK, may also stake their claims over the second seat. EPS may especially have to grapple with the BJP's rising expectation, which may seek a Rajya Sabha nomination for its leader K Annamalai, who recently stepped down from the state party chief's post just before it forged an alliance with the AIADMK for the 2026 Assembly polls. While BJP sources said Annamalai is likely to be the party's nominee if they get a seat from their senior partner, a senior AIADMK leader and ex-minister said that 'Even if the EPS agrees to allot one seat to the BJP, he may not want Annamalai to get it.' An RSS functionary said: 'If not this Rajya Sabha seat, what is next for Annamalai? The 2026 Assembly elections? But I believe he won't contest that either.' He said Annamalai's prospects of being inducted into the BJP-led Union ministry may brighten if he enters the Rajya Sabha. 'Being a central minister or an MP is really significant. But being one of the 234 MLAs in the Assembly? And if he faces one more defeat in the Assembly polls, after having suffered losses in the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, it could push Annamalai to the margins of Tamil politics,' he said. In some past Rajya Sabha elections, the AIADMK was seen to have been 'generous' with its allies such as the PMK and the Tamil Maanila Congress even when they barely had any legislative presence. This enabled the PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss and Maanila Congress's G K Vasan to enter the Upper House. But this time, with fewer seats in hand, EPS may adopt a tougher stance, sources said. The names doing the rounds for the AIADMK's Rajya Sabha poll nominees include senior leaders D Jayakumar, S Semmalai, Gokula Indira, and younger faces like J Jayavardhan and VVR Raj Satyen. Some party insiders are lobbying for giving representation to a leader from the state's southern districts, where the party has been losing ground. There is also a growing demand from a party section for giving a ticket to a member from the fishermen community on the ground that the party has not done it since Valumpuri John's tenure in the Upper House ended in 1990. Going by the past trends, Tamil Nadu's upcoming Rajya Sabha polls may throw up surprises. In 1970, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's loyalist C Subramaniam lost such an election despite her Congress faction's intense efforts. In 1986, the DMK's T R Baalu pulled off a surprise win due to cross-voting in the then rival AIADMK-Congress alliance. In the 2021 Rajya Sabha polls, complex alliance calculations played out again, as smaller parties like the MDMK and PMK were rewarded by their senior allies not for their strength in the Assembly but for their 'strategic significance' in state politics.
