19-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Senthil Balaji resigns, but continues to wield influence behind the scenes?
'Power' of politics
Former electricity minister Senthil Balaji resigned after the Supreme Court's order, but there's chatter he's still in control behind the scenes. Just a few days ago, senior officials were spotted at his home, and the behind-closed-doors meet went on for quite a while. It raised eyebrows since he's no longer in power. No one knows what they discussed—other bureaucrats are clueless too! An insider mentioned it definitely wasn't just a casual visit. His phone is ringing off the hook, and files are allegedly still making their way to him. So, is he really done, or is he still calling the shots?
— S Guruvanmikanathan
The travails of X
It's not every day you see civil servants flexing their literary muscles, but IAS officer VP Jayaseelan from Virudhunagar district did just that. On May 14, he shared a free-verse poem about his lifelong struggle with the mysterious 'X' in math, which has haunted him for years. He humorously reflected on everything from that tricky two-headed compass to dodging concepts like stock market investments and passive income. The best part? He finally found his true 'X' at a bus stand—the White Dog aka Memory, that relentlessly chases him. His poem prompted Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu to quip: 'X-ellent, sir!'
— T Muruganandham
Will the numbers keep coming?
It looks like the TN Police are taking a page from the banking world by rolling out quarterly press releases on crime data. They shared this first batch of figures in late April, just as the Assembly was in session, which feels a bit too convenient, right? Interestingly, the stats show a drop in road accidents and crimes. It'll be curious to see if they keep this trend going in future quarters when the Assembly isn't in session. It's one thing to share numbers during budget talks; it's another to keep the accountability going when the spotlight isn't on them.
— ENS
No comments, please
Once loud enough to crash the comments section, PMK's social media warriors have suddenly discovered the 'mute' button. Despite senior Ramadoss politely (read firmly) reminding that Anbumani is just a working president – not the full boss yet – Anbumani's online cheerleaders have treated their keypads as hot coal. The usual digital drumbeats have gone more conspicuously radio silent than a WhatsApp family group after someone mentions 'family photo'. Sources say as those who tried cheering both dad and son got caught in the crossfire — now everyone's playing safe, proving silence is the new strategy in family-run politics.
—Kumaresan S
(Compiled by Dinesh Jefferson E, Mary Catherene)
