Taking the war of freebies to a new high, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam manifesto for the April 13 assembly elections on Thursday promised 20 kg of free rice for ration card-holders, laptops for students from classes XI, free fans, mixers and grinders to all and mineral water to BPL families. In a bid to woo women voters, Jayalalithaa promised four gm of gold for the 'thali' (mangalsutra) free of cost to the poor, besides cable TV connections at subsidised rate
While Jayalalithaa issued an open letter to Vaiko, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi appealed Vaiko to rejoin the alliance.
Capitalising on the boycott by main opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance on Friday expectedly swept the by-polls to five Tamil Nadu assembly seats, trouncing actor-politician Vijaykant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam by impressive margins.
Thambidurai, 71, was admitted to the Apollo Hospitals on Tuesday and underwent an angiogram, they said without divulging any further details.
On the occasion of her 63rd birthday, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa on Thursday urged her party workers to defeat the ruling DMK in the forthcoming assembly polls. The party also organised various welfare events such as blood-donation camps and mass-feeding programmes across Tamil Nadu to mark the day.Her party has been out of power since 2006 and it performed below expected levels in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Karunanidhi has summoned all DMK MPs in Chennai on Tuesday, to discuss the nuke liability bill, common enterance test for medical students other political issues affecting the state.
Abstention by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi also helped the government get its legislation through in the upper house where the ruling party does not enjoy a majority.
Ending its decade long stint in the opposition, even relegated to the third spot in the House in 2011, the M K Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam made a spirited comeback to the ruling saddle to unseat its rival the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
As results pour in for the four states -- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam -- and one Union Territory -- Puducherry - here's a glimpse at the leaders who are trailing and those who are leading.
Former Chief Minister Panneerselvam's decision was made in the wake of an appeal by the BJP to put up a common candidate to defeat the DMK backed Congress candidate in the election.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Jayalalithaa on Wednesday alleged that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had indulged in various electoral malpractices to secure victory in the bye-elections to the Tiruchendur and Vandavasi assembly constituencies.
Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu, led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, on Tuesday appealed to President Pratibha Patil to give consent for use of Tamil as the official language in Madras high court before attending the World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore this week.
The continuing exodus has left the party short of leaders, especially those credited with "excellent" organisational skills. The local strongmen, who switched sides, are reaping rich rewards in DMK.
The Bharatiya Janata Party garnered five seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got three, the Samajwadi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam got two apiece and the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena got one each respectively as all 30 made it to the Upper House after the deadline for withdrawal of nominations drew to close on Thursday evening.
This is the first meeting between Stalin and Sonia Gandhi after the DMK-Congress alliance was elected to power in the just-concluded assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK, AIADMK, PMK, BJP gear up for next May's assembly elections.
Riding on an anti-incumbency wave, Jayalalithaa-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam front on Friday stormed to power handing a crushing defeat to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Congress combine in Tamil Nadu assembly polls.
Panel chairman Thakur is believed to have informed Dev that the issue was not on the agenda for the meeting.
He may be cooling his heels in Delhi's Tihar Jail for his alleged involvement in the 2G scam, but the developmental work and the projects he executed in this reserved constituency are the main plank of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which is facing a tough competition from arch-rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
They said they will raise issues related to rising prices, unemployment, corruption and caste census.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam will go to the polls this year with 43 candidates who have pending criminal charges against them, while their arch rival Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam has fielded 24 such candidates, according to a report by the National Election Watch.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament, a senior leader said.
Even a day after the filing of nominations opened for April 13 assembly polls began in Tamil Nadu, the political scene remains unclear, with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam still struggling to put the alliance led by it in shape.
Watch all the debates and discussions live.
Shobha Warrier analyses why Srirangam, with its large chunk of Vaishnavite Brahmin population, makes perfect sense for All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief J Jayalalitha decision to contest an election from there.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday dismissed minister V Senthil Balaji from the council of ministers days after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a cash-for-jobs scam, a move that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said the government would challenge legally.
The meeting of the 14-member all-important panel of the opposition will take place at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on September 13 evening.
On Day 2 of Parliament's monsoon session 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is likely to make a statement on the continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
With the all-party meetings called by Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla producing no breakthrough to end the deadlock in Parliament, Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi accused opposition parties of repeatedly 'insulting' Dhankhar.
The MPs suspended on Tuesday include National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari.
Income tax authorities on Friday launched coordinated searches across different locations in Tamil Nadu linked to state Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji, police sources said.
J Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has stayed away from by-elections in Tamil Nadu since its defeat in the assembly polls in 2006. However, in the forthcoming by-elections for Thiruchendur and Vandavasi constituencies, the party will take on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam with a sole motive.
'This is total fraud. You are showing me the slip of my vote but not counting it so this is fraud.'
Palaniswami currently helms the party founded by the charismatic M G Ramachandran and nurtured by the redoubtable J Jayalalithaa.
The BJP promised revival of the legislative council in Tamil Nadu, which was abolished decades ago by its ally, the ruling AIADMK, if their combine was voted to power in the coming assembly elections.
Exit Poll conducted by TeamcVoter throws up interesting results in the four states of Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Kerala
Days after she joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, South Indian actress Khushboo's nine-year-long popular reality game show has been dropped by pro-Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Jaya TV.
Wednesday's Vikravandi by-election has become a referendum on the Stalin government, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
It will be interesting to see who will represent the constituency as its first MLA in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
The BJP received Rs 2,555 crore (Rs 2555,00,01,000) from electoral bonds in 2019-20.
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