The Election Commission of India has defended its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters' lists, asserting that differing views among Commissioners are a normal part of deliberations and all orders carry full legal sanction, following reports of two Commissioners red-flagging issues.
Rulers in New Delhi and their political aides in sensitive states like Tamil Nadu have to be doubly careful not to provoke a situation whose consequences may be much more than visible now to the naked eye, notes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The DMK feels its genuine gestures have had no bearing on the governor's politico-administrative conduct, which is 'more political and politicised than administrative and Constitutional', observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'In both places the minority was disproportionately powerful.' 'Few people acknowledge it but at its core the Tamil Nadu problem between the Brahmins and the rest was one of power.' 'In Kashmir the Hindus held most of the land and the accompanying political power, while the Muslims were the peasants and powerless,' notes T C A Srinivasa Raghavan.
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.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has ordered the closure of 717 retail liquor outlets across the state, responding to public demand, particularly from women and political parties.
'On the day of the results itself, Vijay personally requested Rahul Gandhi for support from the Congress.'
Political circles in Tamil Nadu are rife with speculation about a potential alliance between rivals DMK and AIADMK to prevent the TVK from forming a government. This comes after the Congress party joined forces with TVK, further complicating the political landscape.
Rail and road blockade, demonstrations, and impromptu rallies by the Opposition marked the shutdown in the state affecting normal life to some extent.
Three former AIADMK ministers, Dr C Vijayabaskar, M R Vijayabaskar, and M S M Anandan, along with their supporters, have joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), prompting the DMK to label the move as 'washing machine' politics, referencing allegations of corruption against the defectors.
'When I am not in politics, why should I be jealous of him?...'
Rediff Labs analysed the past performance of the parties to develop this Sentiment Meter for the 2016 Tamil Nadu election.
The Central Crime Branch has arrested Ganesan, a former employee of Gem Granites, for possessing video evidence in the POCSO case against industrialist R Veeramani. The arrest comes as police intensify their probe into multi-crore financial transactions allegedly linked to the case, involving influential individuals and attempts to suppress the investigation.
The MDMK general council, led by Vaiko, has announced its decision to withdraw from the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance. The party accused the DMK of attempting to prop up an AIADMK government, which they claim goes against the people's mandate and the alliance's secular ideology.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging he has 'undermined' voter rights by excluding over 13 crore names from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union territories during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
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.
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.
'Present day youth are not interested in the past. They want to see what you are going to do now.'
In an indirect reference to the meteoric rise of actor-politician C Joseph Vijay as chief minister in his maiden election in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has said he sometimes wonders how some political forces achieve success in a short span, admitting that their rapid progress leaves him with a "sense of envy".
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.
'The BJP will be the ruling party.'
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.
'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.'
Tamil Nadu has the most efficient and effective cadaver transplant programme in India.
A report by Scholars at Risk, 'Free to Think 2026', states that academic freedom in India is "severely restricted" due to increasing government influence over higher education, university governance, and curbs on student expression. India is listed among six countries in this category, with its Academic Freedom Index score sharply declining. The report cites instances of faculty dismissals, event cancellations, and pressure on student protests, highlighting the alleged use of the UGC as a vehicle for state influence.
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.
Kanyakumari is the tip of India and will convey the symbol that from the tip of India, the Congress is on its way up.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
Actor-politician Vijay's newly formed party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), has made a surprising and strong showing in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, leading in nearly 100 constituencies and leaving established Dravidian parties like DMK and AIADMK trailing.
Vijayakanth's DMDK may play a key role as Tamil Nadu's political parties scramble for allies to capture the state's 40 Lok Sabha seats.
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.
Former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president K Annamalai left for Delhi from Chennai on Monday amid growing speculation on social media over his political future and reports suggesting he may be planning to launch a new political platform.
The results of the recent presidential elections in Sri Lanka are likely to have stunned groups in Tamil Nadu that have been giving moral and material support to Tamils in the north and east of the island for decades. Tamil Nadu-based groups had asked Sri Lanka Tamils to protest against the election and boycott voting.
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.
Building a party from scratch and leading it to electoral success is an entirely different challenge.
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.
'The BJP doesn't have to do anything except nudge the AIADMK in one direction.'
Lack of women in Karnataka's new council of ministers has put the spotlight once again on women's under-representation in politics and policy.
'The TVK might form a minority government.'
