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.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday slammed the Congress and DMK over the defeat of the amendment bill regarding the Women's Reservation Act in Parliament but said the government was determined to implement it and that "no power in the world can stop us," from doing so.
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.
In a shocking incident, a woman teacher was fatally stabbed on government school premises in Mallipattinam in the district by a youth, leading to some tense moments in the educational institution, police said on Wednesday.
Veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has criticised his party's decision to ally with the TVK in Tamil Nadu, calling it 'dreadful' and 'low political opportunism'. He fears it could facilitate the entry of the BJP into Tamil Nadu's Dravidian political landscape.
Track the 2026 assembly election results for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Puducherry, and Kerala with live vote counting updates, candidate leads, and interactive doughnut graphs. Stay informed with real?time numbers, trends, and comprehensive state?wise coverage.
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.
Vijay was appointed CM after he presented letters of support from the VCK and the IUML who have two MLAs each.
'The TVK might form a minority government.'
In Tamil Nadu, the political landscape is shifting as the TVK party's attempt to form a government faces challenges from its potential allies. Both the DMK and AIADMK are experiencing internal divisions regarding extending support to the TVK, leading to uncertainty and speculation about potential realignments.
'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.'
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government successfully won the trust vote in the Tamil Nadu assembly, securing 144 votes in favour, with support from the Congress, VCK, and an AIADMK rebel faction.
The Election Commission reports a significant increase in seizures of inducements during recent assembly elections, with Tamil Nadu leading in cash seizures and West Bengal in liquor and drugs.
Stalin ignited protests against the proposed delimitation bill, branding it a 'black law' that threatens the rights and interests of the Tamil people, leading to widespread demonstrations across the state.
A review of the accuracy of various exit polls in predicting the outcomes of recent assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu, highlighting the performance of different pollsters.
'Naalaiya Theerpu to Netraiya Theerpu!! Congratulations to Thalapathy and his party for the fabulous result.'
Senior DMK leader KR Periakaruppan lost the Tiruppattur assembly seat by one vote to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's Seenivasa Sethupathy R in the Tamil Nadu elections. The defeat highlights the impact of individual ballots and the rise of actor Vijay's TVK.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday sought a change in seating arrangement for its MPs in the Lok Sabha, saying their alliance with the Congress has ended and it would not be appropriate for its members to sit alongside those of the Congress.
VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan announced his party's decision to support Vijay's TVK in government formation to prevent President's rule in Tamil Nadu and also ensure people's mandate for TVK was fulfilled.
The Madras High Court has restrained TVK MLA R Srinivasa Sethupathi from voting, including in the upcoming confidence motion, due to a petition challenging his one-vote victory.
One of the standout stories of the TVK victory was that of 30-year-old R Sabarinathan, the son of Vijay's driver from Virugambakkam.
More than three fire engines and over 10 ambulances were deployed to rescue patients trapped inside the hospital in the Gandhi Nagar area near the Dindigul-Trichy highway, a senior official said.
The TVK has ended the nearly six-decade dominance of DMK and AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, securing 108 out of 234 constituencies in its debut, but falls short of the 118 seats needed for an absolute majority, prompting discussions on coalition options and the governor's role.
The Congress party has alleged that Instagram blocked a post by Rahul Gandhi featuring actor-politician Vijay due to government interference, a claim denied by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
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.
'The reason why they rushed through the bill was they wanted to avoid using the 2026 Census because the 2026 Census by their own decision will be a caste census.' 'The BJP knows that a significant share of the OBCs who will get captured in the census, for the first time after the 1931 Census, are against the BJP. Only a segment of the OBCs are in their favour.' 'So they wanted to avoid the OBC reservation among women, which is a demand of a lot of Opposition parties.'
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.
Vijay's electoral triumph in Tamil Nadu is poised to dramatically revive the fortunes of his much-anticipated final film, Jana Nayagan, which has been plagued by release delays, censorship battles, and a cancelled streaming deal.
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
Small parties have the capacity to play both ends against the middle. Puducherry could be heading that way, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Widespread rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday, prompting authorities to declare a holiday for schools in Chennai and many other districts.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday said that it will move the Supreme Court against the delimitation bill, if it is passed in the Parliament.
Vijay's TVK is poised to win its debut Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, drawing parallels to Arvind Kejriwal's AAP's rise in Delhi. Both parties capitalised on public disenchantment with established political structures, promising change and fighting corruption.
Launched in 2024, the TVK has Vijay's shift into politics was not sudden as he had been doing groundwork since 2009, when he launched his fan club, the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam.
'Our objective is to reach a localisation rate of 50% in the span of five years.'
'Vijay did not defeat Dravidian politics from outside. He entered the Dravidian field and claimed ownership of it. 'His argument was not that the room should be destroyed. It was that the present occupants no longer deserved to remain in it.'
By asking Vijay to produce letters of majority support before inviting him to form the government, the governor risks overstepping established Constitutional principles, notes Harishchandra.
'Vijay entered politics at a much better age compared to Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan. His fans are young and he has at least 2-3 decades ahead of him.'
'The Chennai floods in particular clearly show there is a nexus between corruption, disaster, destruction and death.' 'Urban development in India is the source of all corruption.'
A faction of the AIADMK, led by S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam, has announced its support for the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, citing opposition to Edappadi K Palaniswami's alleged plans to align with the DMK.
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