Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja was also among the 6 to elected to the Rajya Sabha from TN.
The front row of Rajya Sabha may have a new look in the monsoon session beginning Monday with the biennial elections throwing up new winners and losers.
As the deadline for withdrawal of nominations for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls ended on Wednesday evening, legislative secretaries of the respective states announced its elected members. There were no surprises, with most seats assigned to the nominees unopposed.
The House had to be adjourned twice in the afternoon amid din over the issue and finally for the day, minutes after it reassembled at 3 pm.
Amidst public outcry and opposition criticism, the Tamil Nadu government has revoked the appointment of astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister.
The AIADMK is facing a potential split after post-election disagreements, with one faction voting against the government and another defying party orders. Key leaders have been removed from their posts, and accusations are flying between the opposing sides.
The prime minister is now expected to speak on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address has taken place without any disruption.
The election for six Rajya Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu is turning into a high-impact zone.
The CPI(M) will attend the INDIA bloc meeting on Monday, with its MP John Brittas expected to raise concerns about allegations made by Congress leaders during the Kerala Assembly elections. The Left party is awaiting a clarification from the Congress regarding claims of a CPI(M)-BJP understanding, which it views as inconsistent with alliance cooperation.
The Lok Sabha is set to debate a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, a rare event where he will be seated among members as the House considers allegations of partisan conduct.
Besides Karunanidhi, all Union ministers belonging to the party at the Centre were at hand to greet the 38-year-old poet-turned-politician when she became a member of the Upper House.
The deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended on Friday afternoon.
The INDIA bloc faces challenges after recent state election defeats for key members like TMC and DMK, potentially shifting internal dynamics and leadership considerations.
Ugly scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday as opposition MPs climbed on the officials' table, waved black cloth and threw files when the House began a discussion on farmers' protest against new reform laws.
The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into the Karur stampede, prompting varied reactions from political parties. DMK claims misrepresentation in the petition, while AIADMK sees the decision as a setback for DMK. Other parties express their views on the investigation and its implications.
'It was done with record speed. First, a revolt of the MLAs, which was obviously engineered.' ''No one believed me when I said the MLAs breaking away is not the real issue.' 'It is like a comet. The head doesn't matter, the tail matters.' 'And the tail is Parliament. Suvendu has gifted the prime minister 20 MPs.'
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.
The Vanniyar vote can tip the balance in 70 to 75 assembly constituencies of the 234 in the state, mainly in the Ranipet, Vellore, Thiruppathur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Villupuram and Kallakurichi districts.
A fourth AIADMK MLA, Esakki Subaya, has resigned from the Tamil Nadu Assembly and is seen with TVK leaders, following three other rebel MLAs who also quit and joined the ruling TVK. This move has sparked strong accusations of 'horse-trading' from the AIADMK and Congress, while the Speaker insists he is acting within legal frameworks.
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.
Several opposition MPs have submitted a notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker to move a motion for the removal of Madras High Court Judge G R Swaminathan over his order regarding a temple lamp.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
AIADMK has finalised its seat-sharing arrangement with key NDA alliance members, including the BJP, PMK, and AMMK, for the upcoming elections, as announced by AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Monday was the fourth consecutive day, proceedings were washed out over the Rafale jet deal and Cauvery issues.
Proceedings in Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted on Monday before being called off for the day as opposition members protested on the alleged phone-tapping and other issues and demanded discussions on them in the House.
The BJP has launched accusations against Arvind Kejriwal, alleging lavish spending and corruption related to his new bungalow in Delhi's Lodhi Estate, sparking a political row.
Amid disruptions in the Lok Sabha, opposition parties are protesting the denial of speaking rights to the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, during discussions on the President's address. The Congress party draws parallels to a similar incident in 2004 when then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was prevented from speaking.
Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha criticised the Modi government's economic policies, citing the LPG crisis, lack of energy security, and concerns over the Economic Stabilisation Fund.
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Foreign investment cap in insurance sector raised to 49 per cent.
The DMK may consider a two-tier campaign, where they keep the focus on Chief Minister Stalin, as a senior statesman with 50-plus years of political experience, and let EPS and the BJP shout in the wilderness. In such a case, the second-tier may project Udhayanidhi as the contender and chosen obstructionist in Vijay's path. The attempt, if any, would be to reduce Vijay to Udhayanidhi's level when the former is aiming at Stalin and Stalin alone in the state's political horizon, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticizes the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, alleging corruption, caste-based crimes, and a rise in drug abuse. She dismisses the DMK's claims about language and Dravidian identity as a distraction from their governance failures.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's remark calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'terrorist' has triggered strong reactions from the BJP, who have demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.
When Vijila Sathyanath (AIADMK) rose to speak on her zero hour mention, DMK members, led by Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi, objected to it, saying she should not be allowed to raise the matter as their notices on the same issue were disallowed earlier.
The Congress party has accused the government of stifling opposition voices in the Lok Sabha, alleging that opposition leaders are not being allowed to express their views while the government side faces no such restrictions.
'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.
Opposition parties are demanding a full Parliament discussion on the West Asia conflict, criticising the government's silence and calling for a contingency plan to protect India's energy security and citizens.
"This is an insult to India's poor, it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, it is an insult to Rabindranath Tagore. With just five hours' notice, this bill was given to us. We were not allowed a proper debate," Ghose said.
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi can no longer serve as chancellor of state-run universities, a decision welcomed by the ruling DMK party. The court's judgment stems from a long-standing dispute between the state government and the governor over the assent of 10 bills passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The DMK alleges that the governor had obstructed the smooth functioning of universities by delaying appointments and other critical matters. The judgment paves the way for the Tamil Nadu government to appoint new chancellors for its universities, effectively removing the governor's influence in higher education.
In apparent signs of thaw after years of bickering stemming out of internal feud in the AIADMK in the past, party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami welcomed Dhinakaran back in to the National Democratic Alliance. The AMMK founder reciprocated with a "heartfelt thanks," yet admitting there was "sibling rivalry" with AIADMK, the party he was once associated with.
