Refreshing Change In Tamil Nadu As CM Meets Governor

There was a refreshing change in Tamil Nadu politics involving Governor RN Ravi as chief minister MK Stalin called on him before his Independence Day ‘At Home” tea party. They met, exchanged pleasantries and interacted for a clear 10 minutes. The insider news is that the DMK feels it will need the Governor’s clearance for a few things including the continuation of Senthil Balaji as a minister in the Cabinet as soon as he is released on bail, which the top court seems likely to do soon. The ruling DMK, which will be shifting focus to the upcoming Assembly polls of 2026, would like to have a smoother working relationship with Raj Bhavan. Having announced a boycott of the Governor’s tea party in joining other DMK+ allies Congress, VCK and MDMK, the DMK backtracked when the CM made his intentions clear that he wanted to smoothen out ties. Also, since he is going to be away in the U.S. where he is headed not only to attract investments but also go through a full medical checkup and physiotherapy, he would not like to see a confrontation taking place between his ministry and the Governor in his absence. Of course, it remains a matter of speculation if he would make his son Udhayanidhi Deputy CM before he leaves or waits for the more auspicious Tamil month of Thai (from January 14, 2025) which his wife might be recommending.