All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa is not getting VIP treatment, but being looked after as any other ordinary prisoner at the Parapanna Agrahara Central prison where she is lodged after conviction in the disproportionate assets case, according to a top jail official.
In an audio clip of an phone conversation between Sasikala and one of the party cadres, which has gone viral on social media, the leader is heard confirming her plans of her return in the politics.
With election fever rising in Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi in court promised to be more than just a regular court hearing.
Mehta told the bench that Balaji is an influential minister and the high court has allowed his transfer to a private hospital which could hamper investigation.
The power struggle in Tamil Nadu's main opposition party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, appears set to go on for a long time with sidelined leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) approaching the Election Commission and the influential Edappadi K Palaniswami camp refusing to budge.
Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazahagm leader VK Sasikala on Tuesday arrived in Chennai, 23 hours after her departure from Bengaluru, where she had served a four year jail term in a corruption case and also underwent treatment for COVID-19.
Sasikala, clad in a light green saree with a pink border, greeted supporters with folded hands. She rode to the party office in the car used by Jayalalithaa.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley feels the JD-U and SP, the prime movers behind the idea of Third Front, are 'potential losers' in their areas of influence, and are no match to Narendra Modi-led NDA.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's dominant Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) camp on Monday slammed rival leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) as a symbol of 'betrayal' and said the upcoming general council meet shall decide whether OPS would continue as party treasurer or not.
Asking her to keep away from the party, senior party leader K P Munusamy asserted that under no circumstances could Sasikala enter the AIADMK.
Violence broke out on Sunday near Kallakurichi as protesters demanding justice over the death of a girl student went on a rampage setting fire to vehicles and indulged in stone pelting, in which police personnel also became the target.
On Saturday, in locations including Korukkupet at R K Nagar allegations of cash distribution were made against some men, whose identity was not known immediately.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa is fit and healthy and has not shown any signs of 'a broken woman', a top jail official said.
The average asset of a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament is Rs 20.17 crore, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms. It also says that 67 per cent of Rajya Sabha MP's are crorepatis.
The bickering between allies All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu over late Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai peaked on Monday with the regional party snapping ties with the saffron organisation, saying it cannot tolerate any affront to the late chief minister and its other leaders.
"Stalin is the future of the party," said late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch M Karunanidhi about six years ago at a party meet when his son was party treasurer.
The top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party went into a huddle on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of the party forming the government at the Centre and changes in the organisation ahead of counting of votes on May 16.
Ahead of expelled leader Sasikala's return on February 8 to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Saturday lodged a complaint with police against her camp alleging a 'conspiracy' to unleash 'violence' and sought action to ensure peace in the state.
Contrary to expectations, not a single DMK functionary was present.
The 65-year-old Stalin's elevation comes about three weeks after the death of his father and party president M Karunanidhi.
With the Apollo Hospitals chairman saying that she has recovered, the party can go back to business as usual.
Will just sit back and see, said Dinakaran over AIADMK merger.
The parties which gave chief ministers and sent scores of MPs to Parliament, drew a blank this time.
Future Gaming and Hotel Services whose director is the lottery magnate Santiago Martin is the top purchaser of electoral bonds having purchased bonds worth Rs 1,368, according to data uploaded by the Election Commission of India on its website on Thursday.
In a brief one minute video clip, Rajinikanth thanked all those who welcomed his political plunge.
An All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam youth wing secretary was among the three men arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the sensational 2019 sexual harassment case in Pollachi town, taking the total number of persons held so far to eight.
Asserting that there was no split in the party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader from Sasikala camp M Thambidurai on Thursday requested the Election Commission "not to entertain" the dissenting cadres, who have staked claim to AIADMK symbol and sought fresh election to the general secretary's post.
The DMK has been alleging that the AIADMK government was being controlled by the BJP government at the Centre.
Party sources indicated that there were "some ticklish issues" that were to be addressed by both groups, but declined to elaborate further.
Rail and road blockade, demonstrations, and impromptu rallies by the Opposition marked the shutdown in the state affecting normal life to some extent.
"Rahul is fighting the battle of rallies as an infantry soldier, while Modi as a technician in a thermo-nuclear war."
Nearly 4,800 elected MPs and MLAs will vote on Monday to elect the 15th President of India, with National Democratic Alliance candidate Droupadi Murmu having a clear edge over Opposition's Yashwant Sinha as over 60 per cent votes are expected to be cast in her favour.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Madras high court chief justice that the habeas corpus petition of Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji shall be decided by new bench expeditiously, and asked him to place the plea before three judges "at the earliest".
Roopa had alleged that Rs 2 crore had exchanged hands to provide special facilities to Sasikala.
Utter confusion prevails in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu.
Top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah, reached out to their allies as well as other parties with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar expressing confidence that the government will get support from 'new' parties.
If not for Palaniswami, it is hard to guess if the AIADMK would have been able to garner 33.3 per cent vote share as against the DMK's 37.7 per cent. AIADMK won 66 seats, its allies Pattali Makkal Katchi and Bharatiya Janata Party five and four seats respectively and proved yet again that the western region was its fortress.
A combative Rao, who claimed the I-T search warrant did not have his name, repeatedly invoked the legacy of former chief minister, the late J Jayalalithaa, and asked if raids would have occurred at his office had she been alive.
Top Tamil actor Vijay on Friday announced the launch of his political party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam, and said he will contest the 2026 assembly polls in the state.
'Did you not see it on TV?' 'He blessed Sasikala and comforted OPS.'
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