The Madras High Court has issued notices to key political figures and the Election Commission following a petition alleging corrupt practices during the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, including the use of children to influence voters.
The TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member strong Tamil Nadu assembly in the recently held elections. 118 is the majority mark to form the government.
The Election Commission has issued a stern notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'terrorist'. Kharge has been asked to explain his remarks within 24 hours.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay is unlikely to take oath on Thursday as chief minister as the actor-turned politician firms up support to cross the majority mark in the Tamil Nadu assembly, sources said on Wednesday.
Supporters of TVK chief Vijay gathered in large numbers outside his residence, demanding he be invited to take the oath as Chief Minister amid ongoing political uncertainty in Tamil Nadu. The gathering highlights the pressure on the TVK leadership to clarify its roadmap for the upcoming elections and its position on the ongoing government formation deadlock.
Actress Trisha Krishnan was seen at actor-politician Vijay's Chennai residence after his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party made a strong showing in the Tamil Nadu elections. The visit follows weeks after Vijay and Trisha seemingly made their relationship public.
West Bengal and Tamil Nadu on Thursday saw a massive voter participation during the ongoing assembly elections, with turnout reaching 89.93 per cent and 82.24 per cent respectively by 5 pm, according to the Election Commission of India.
'If a floor test happens, one group of MLAs may abstain to allow the confidence vote to pass. So theoretically, he can run a minority government as long as the others won't join each other to vote him out.'
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has directed police to promptly register cases, investigate expeditiously, and ensure stringent punishment for those involved in sexual crimes, following a series of incidents including the murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore.
Vijay's TVK party is on the verge of forming a government in Tamil Nadu, drawing parallels to NTR's earlier success in Andhra Pradesh. Both achieved electoral success shortly after forming their parties, highlighting the potential for film popularity to translate into political gains.
'How does the person responsible for the leader's defeat stand before the leader, showing his face, without even a shred of shame, fear, apprehension, or embarrassment?'
If TVK MLAs and ministers are perceived as clean, or demonstrably cleaner than their predecessors, the credibility dividend will be enormous. The voter will feel rewarded, points out Ramesh Menon.
Actor Vijay, president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The ceremony included a selfie with Rahul Gandhi and a 360-degree video of the cheering crowd. Vijay's party achieved a historic debut, ending the duopoly of DMK and AIADMK.
'Naalaiya Theerpu to Netraiya Theerpu!! Congratulations to Thalapathy and his party for the fabulous result.'
TVK chief Vijay convened a meeting with newly elected legislators to discuss the election of the legislature party leader and strategies for government formation after securing 108 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
Voting has commenced for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, with over 3.60 crore electors eligible to vote in 152 constituencies in Bengal and 5.73 crore voters in Tamil Nadu. Security measures are heightened to ensure free and fair polling.
'People don't like leaders who just crib and complain without offering a clear objective.' 'Theoretically and pragmatically, Rahul has to show an agenda beyond bad-mouthing Mr Modi on economic policies, foreign policy...'
'Looking at the situation purely on its Constitutional merits, the governor's conduct is defensible.' 'He is saying: You do not have a majority, so prove it. That is not an unreasonable position even if the timing and the political context make it deeply controversial.'
The DMK has announced its candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, setting the stage for key battles with the AIADMK and other parties.
The DMK has criticised its ally Congress for supporting Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government, calling the decision a 'backstab'. DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai accused Congress of being an 'unstable partner' and betraying the INDIA alliance.
The AINRC-led NDA has won the Puducherry Assembly elections and is set to form the government. Chief Minister N Rangasamy won both seats he contested.
Exit polls suggest significant shifts in Indian state assembly elections, forecasting BJP gains in West Bengal and Assam, a DMK comeback in Tamil Nadu, and a tight race in Kerala.
'Tamil Nadu has 42% of its population in the 18 to 39 age group. The bulk of the population in this age group voted for Vijay and women voters too voted for him in big numbers.'
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
Hundreds of TVK supporters gathered in Chennai, hoping to see their leader Vijay become chief minister, only to find the venue closed and the event cancelled, leading to disappointment and confusion.
In Puducherry, where constituencies have fewer than 30,000 electors on average, it is usual for N Rangaswamy to call out people he knows by name during his roadside election meetings.
'The AIADMK and DMK have 75% of the total votes. 25% of the voters do not support the two majors,' says DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai.
Following the swearing-in of C Joseph Vijay as Tamil Nadu's chief minister, the new cabinet has pledged a 'white paper' audit of all state departments and a 'zero-interference' policy in administration, signalling a significant shift in governance.
Actor Vijay's TVK party, despite being the single largest party in Tamil Nadu, has approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive for the Governor to invite them to form the government.
Actor Vijay is set to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), secured a majority in the Assembly with coalition support. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
Members of lottery 'king' Santiago Martin's family are contesting in the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Assembly elections through three different political parties.
A member of actor-turned-politician Vijay-led Tamilaka Vettri Kazhagam on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to invite his single largest political party to form the government in the state.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam joint general secretary CTR Nirmal Kumar, accompanied by party leaders, met with the Communist Party of India leaders at the CPI office in Chennai on Thursday, to garner the support for making goverment in Tamil Nadu.
C Joseph Vijay, leader of the TVK, was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, with the oath of office administered by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath in a ceremony held at Nehru Stadium. The event was attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Whether Vijay has the political spine to stitch together a stable government from this patchwork of conditions, demands, and midnight drama is the question Tamil Nadu is living through right now.
Exit polls predict a BJP victory in Assam and an edge in West Bengal, a DMK government in Tamil Nadu, and a Congress-led UDF comeback in Kerala.
Vijay was appointed CM after he presented letters of support from the VCK and the IUML who have two MLAs each.
Tamil Nadu will elect a new government on April 23.
Will the DMK retain power? Can the AIADMK spring a surprise? And what about Vijay's TVK? A Ganesh Nadar surveys the election landscape a day after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule.
The BJP has released its list of candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with the notable absence of K Annamalai, sparking speculation and discussion within the state's political circles.
