Tamil actress Trisha Krishnan issues a strong response to 'inappropriate' comments made by a BJP leader, asserting her neutral political stance amidst controversy linking her to actor Vijay.
Tamil actress Trisha Krishnan issues a strong response to 'inappropriate' comments made by a BJP leader, asserting her neutral political stance amidst controversy linking her to actor Vijay.
Vijay was appointed CM after he presented letters of support from the VCK and the IUML who have two MLAs each.
Rediff.com's A Ganesh Nadar journeys through villages and towns, districts and cities for a reality check.
'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.'
'If Congress had aligned with the TVK before the election, we would have won almost a two-thirds majority.'
A TVK MLA from Srivaikuntam, G Saravanan, has publicly alleged that he was offered up to Rs 100 crore to defect to the DMK and faced death threats when he refused. He claims to possess concrete evidence of these "horse-trading" attempts, including a specific Rs 30 crore bribe offer involving a Tirunelveli theatre owner and supporters of a former minister. Saravanan also recounted a deliberate attempt to crash a lorry into his vehicle.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has voiced his support for the TMC and DMK after their losses in recent assembly elections, while criticising the Congress party.
The BJP is showing strong leads in West Bengal and Assam, while actor Vijay's party is making a significant debut in Tamil Nadu. The Congress is ahead in Kerala, offering some consolation amid the changing political landscape in the state elections.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the status of rebel factions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the Monsoon session of Parliament begins on July 20, following demands for their disqualification by their parent parties.
Rediff Labs analyses the relationship between alcohol and revenue generated and reported drunken driving accidents.
Former DMK Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan was arrested in Authoor after the Madras High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea concerning defamatory remarks made against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. The arrest has sparked strong condemnation from DMK leaders, including M K Stalin and Kanimozhi, who allege political vendetta and question the urgency of the action amidst other unresolved issues.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there are some parties that have expressed their inability to attend this particular meeting for their own reasons.
Counting of votes begins in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, with significant implications for regional and national parties.
Amid criticism and protests against the government over allegations that Cauvery water was being released from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam to Tamil Nadu, he clarified that the discharge was meant for Bengaluru, and not for the neighbouring state.
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.
'Appointed, sponsored and nurtured' by Jayalalithaa, P Rama Mohana Rao is now seen as a man who holds the key to the secrets of ministers and bureaucrats.
The DMK has been charting an independent course from the Congress-led Opposition bloc on contentious issues during the Monsoon Session, including not joining a walkout over the anti-paper leak bill and participating in a debate on the National Honour Bill, signalling growing fault lines within the Opposition.
Already, there is a feeling even within the BJP's AIADMK ally that the BJP is overdoing things on the ED/I-T front, as corruption is not an election issue in the state -- as long as the people are otherwise not excessively unhappy with the governing party, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The finance ministry has clarified that its letter to state chief secretaries, urging them to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets, was an advisory and not a directive. This clarification comes in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's criticism, who called the advisory a 'treacherous act against farmers'.
'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.'
Tamil cinema loses its 'King of Screenplay' as legendary filmmaker K Bhagyaraj passes away at 73, leaving behind a timeless legacy of storytelling.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is set to make crucial decisions regarding the disqualification petitions against rebel MPs from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) before the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament. Both parties have sought the disqualification of their defecting members under the anti-defection law, while the Speaker is consulting legal experts and examining precedents to ensure legally sound decisions.
'Sometimes we use political pressure and sometimes political acumen to get what we want.'
Indications are that the DMK combine will win more seats than the AIADMK and BJP, but is facing a tough fight in about half a dozen from the rest, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy of the electoral contest in Tamil Nadu.
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.
The BJP continuing to look at the Dravidian polity through the religious prism has not worked in Tamil Nadu whereas it has yielded political and electoral results across much of the rest of the country, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Three All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators who were part of the rebel group led by C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani, met Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker JC D Prabhakar on Monday and tendered their resignation.
Former AIADMK Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, expelled from the party in 2022, has joined the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, marking a significant political shift.
The Bharatiya Janata Party vs ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam battle over live telecast of the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration in Tamil Nadu shrines reached the Supreme Court on Monday, with the apex court asking the authorities to act in accordance with the law and not based on any oral instructions.
'...especially pressure on the rupee, the current account deficit, and foreign exchange outflows.' 'The key question over the next several months is whether the government can prevent external turbulence from feeding into domestic economic pessimism.'
Tamil Nadu is the celebrated home of the 'social justice' movement in the country, yet caste differences and violence has only been increasing in numbers and becoming more brutal in recent years, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu, including TTV Dhinakaran and Anbumani Ramadoss, have strongly condemned the abduction and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore district. Two people have been reportedly arrested in connection with the incident.
Tamil Nadu's latest budget offers path-breaking initiatives and major boost for social infrastructure, which other state governments are sure to follow in the coming years, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
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.
'The Centre is using Panneerselvam.' 'He is not known for standing up for his own rights, let alone for the state.' 'He spoke only after he saw huge protests against Sasikala; otherwise, he would have just complied and continued to walk down the aisle.'
Former minister M R Vijayabaskar has resigned from the AIADMK, becoming the sixth legislator to do so, reportedly over disagreements regarding potential alliance talks with the DMK. He is expected to join the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
'98 lakhs in Bengal, 97 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, 2.83 crores in Uttar Pradesh.'
The BJP is significantly increasing its digital engagement with young people on Instagram, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers, in response to the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and subsequent student protests. This strategic shift aims to counter the narrative and communicate government actions on examination reforms.
The INDIA bloc faces a significant challenge as the Congress and DMK part ways, raising questions about the alliance's future and unity.
