All
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Celebrities
Just a year for the most bitter battle for the Tamil Nadu gaddi and a whole host of chinks and breaches in the DMK armour are tumbling out. Is the DMK being dismantled by a cunning Chanakya? Are DMK MP K Kanimozhi and MK Alagiri being instigated to rebel against a dynastic family succession? Political seers are seeing red at every turn. The latest buzz about the Maran brothers, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi fighting for their share of spoils has shaken the DMK leaders and cadres. The father of Maran brothers, Murasoli Maran was Kalaignar’s (nephew) alter ego, power broker and conscience keeper. The two families grew wealthy and powerful even as the DMK’s political relevance grew to sustain the families. Kalanithi, founder of the SUN TV Group, an entrepreneur with an unfailing Midas touch and brother Dayanidhi too basked in the sun’s radiance and held sway in Delhi. The timing of the fallout is what everybody is questioning. Whose hidden hand is at work? The recent star status accorded by PM Modi to Kanimozhi (Stalin’s step sister) to lead an all-party delegation post Operation Sindoor indicates she is a power centre in her own right. Was she given the plum role to highlight that she too was ready for the state’s CMship? On his recent visit to Madurai, an estranged Stalin made amends by calling on older brother MK Alagiri, who assured Stalin that he is no longer interested in politics and would create no trouble as the family’s “Southern Satrap”. BJP knows that 2026 may be too early to make a significant dent in the iron grip of the Dravidian parties. But chipping away brick by brick could dent that grip. Chanakya at work on many fronts.
After spending two years at 10 Janpath with his mother Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is moving into a new address. He started the process of shifting on his birthday on June 19. It is being said 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, barely two km from 10 Janpath, will be his new address and Rahul will move into the Type VIII bungalow before the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting July 21. The Sunehri Bagh residence was earlier occupied by Karnataka BJP leader A Narayanaswamy, who was Minister of State for Social Justice in the Modi government from 2021 to 2024, and had not contested 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Since he became an MP in 2004, Rahul has been staying at 12, Tughlaq Lane for 19 years till 22 April, 2023. This was the house he had to vacate after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case involving PM Modi. He was given the choice of moving back to 12, Tughlak Lane — but it was believed that it lacked an auspicious vastu and the Gandhis declined moving back. Rahul had the option of paying market rent and continuing to stay in the bungalow after filing an application but he chose to stay with his mother. He continued to stay at 10 Janpath even after the Lok Sabha election and assumed the chair of Leader of Opposition.
Shares of Sun TV Network crashed over 5% on June 19 after a family feud came to light. Dayanidhi Maran accused elder brother Kalanithi Maran of taking control of the Rs23,000 crore Sun TV through fraudulent practices soon after their father Murasoli Maran’s death in 2003. Now, there are reports that the legal battle over Sun TV ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections has begun to worry the ruling DMK. DMK leaders have begun to worry how they would face the polls without media, muscle and money. They are not only feeling caught between feuding Maran brothers but also feel they have no answer for the TASMAC liquor scam involving close aides of Deputy CM Udhaynidhi Stalin. Sources close to DMK say Dayanidhi’s revelation is bound to please chief minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law V Sabareesan as well as be music to ears of his sister DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who also runs a TV media network Kalaignar. Both Sabareesan and Kani have been in cold and watched Udhaynidhi flex his muscles. In his notice, Dayanidhi sought to restore the Sun TV’s shareholding structure to its pre-September 2003 status. This implies that Dayanidhi and his sister, Anbukarasi Maran, along with MK Stalin, and his two brothers and sister, would be the owners of Sun TV, as Kalanithi did not own any shares in the company 22 years ago. Dayanidhi says that after their father’s death, Kalanithi took over more than 75% of the company, while the shares held by their parents were reduced from 50% to just one single share. He claims Kalanithi used none of his own money to do this. He has threatened to request a government investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office if Kalanithi does not agree to fix the issue. The notice says that when Sun TV was founded in 1985, the only shareholders were MK Dayalu (Karunanidhi’s second wife) and Mallika (Murasoli Maran’s wife).
The West Bengal government’s action is once again under scrutiny after political cartoonist Manjul received a takedown notice from Cyber Crime wing of the state police. News website, The Wire, reported that the notice targeted two 2019 cartoons featuring chief minister Mamata Banerjee; one depicting defections from TMC to BJP, and the other on chit-fund scams under her regime. The state police cited alleged legal violations behind the notice. Earlier in March, FIRs were filed against CPI(M)’s Mohammad Salim and BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya for sharing a video showing a woman being flogged by a TMC leader in North Dinajpur’s Chopra. The post led to public outrage, prompting police to seek content removal. These instances reflect a long-standing pattern. In 2012, Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra was arrested for forwarding a cartoon featuring Banerjee; his case dragged on for a decade. Farmer Shiladitya Chowdhury was branded a “Maoist” by Banerjee after questioning fertiliser prices, then detained and legally pursued. In 2019, Sanmoy Banerjee, ex-Congress spokesperson, was arrested for criticising the chief minister’s nephew. In June 2022, YouTuber Roddur Roy was arrested from Goa for allegedly abusing Banerjee and her nephew. In 2023, advocate and former Congress spokesperson Kaustav Bagchi was also detained for allegedly derogatory remarks about Banerjee. Both later joined the BJP. Notably, during protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College in August 2023, artists criticised the state’s response. In retaliation, the TMC initiated a cultural boycott led by Kunal Ghosh, backed by MP Kalyan Banerjee and Education Minister Bratya Basu.
After Opposition parties BJD and Congress lashing out at Majhi government’s performance, it’s now the turn of titular Puri King expressing his displeasure and disappointment. He has openly shown red flags to CM Mohan Charan Majhi’s administration capability over preparation of Lord Jagannath Temple’s Ratha Yatra in Puri on June 27. The King said, “Everyone thought the Majhi government will make darshan hassle-free at Lord Jagannath temple but nothing has happened so far.” Everything is moving at a snail’s pace and the entry/exit of devotees seeking Lord Jagannath’s blessings is yet to be finalised. This is because the temple management committee has not been formed in the last nine months despite King’s personal written request to the Majhi government to appoint the temple governing body. Meanwhile, the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) management committee issue has now snowballed into a legal issue to be decided by the Odisha high court. According to Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan the delay in appointing the temple management committee is because one ‘sabayat’ and seven others had moved Odisha HC challenging the inclusion of two individuals in the sacred ‘patabola seva’ — a ritual service traditionally reserved for hereditary sevaks of the Puri Jagannath Temple. In the recent HC interim order on 19 June by Justice RK Patnaik, he has now directed SJTA to consider excluding finalisation of two names of the new temple committee members for participating in the committee meeting since it is reserved for hereditary sevaks.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has targeted the BJP for distorting Bengal’s contribution to India’s freedom movement through the recently released film Kesari Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Ananya Panday. Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have accused the filmmakers of deliberately altering the names of iconic Bengali revolutionaries, alleging that this was done with political intent, as Kumar is known to be close to PM Narendra Modi and the BJP. According to Didi, the BJP had been consistently targeting the state and its rich cultural heritage. The film, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, released in theatres on April 18 and later on OTT platform JioCinema, has now landed in controversy. A formal police complaint has led to a FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly insulting freedom fighters and misrepresenting historical facts. Ranjit Biswas, a resident of Nabapalli Sector IV in Bidhannagar South, filed the complaint, claiming that the courtroom scene in the film related to the Muzaffarpur Conspiracy Case misrepresents revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Barindra Kumar Ghosh. In the movie, they are portrayed as ‘Khudiram Singh’ and ‘Birendra Kumar’ from Amritsar, which Biswas called an “insult to Bengal’s martyrs.” Following the complaint, the police have registered a case under BNS Sections 352 (intentional insult), 353(1)(c) (public mischief), and 353(2) (dissemination of false information). The TMC has demanded an apology and correction, accusing the film of whitewashing Bengal’s revolutionary history.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra is facing some sticky moments over the entry of two controversial politicians, both belonging to the Shiv Sena (UBT). BJP sympathisers and supporters are perturbed over the welcome accorded to Sudhakar Badgujar and Baban Gholap, both from Nashik in north Maharashtra. Badgujar was till a fortnight ago a close associate of Sena MP Sanjay Raut. He was expelled from that party since he presented a memorandum listing civic demands to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who was visiting Nashik. Badgujar was in the news for the past year after his pictures dancing with Salim Kutta, an alleged operator of Dawood Ibrahim, went viral on social media. Several BJP members had castigated the Sena though he had remained untouched. Even after he joined the BJP, Raut was cautious to react. Normally in the habit of launching a tirade against Sena opponents, Raut merely said about Badgujar that he would not comment on those who were not in his party. Gholap, a former minister in the first Sena-BJP alliance regime, was imprisoned for fraud and was rather inactive politically for a long time. His BJP entry was somewhat surprising for many. The BJP is facing heat for admitting the duo. Fadnavis has said that none should be held guilty unless convicted by the court. All said and done, Badgujar’s entry into the BJP has weakened the Sena (UBT) which is already facing a deluge.
Various political parties in Maharashtra are unanimous in opposing the imposition of Hindi in primary schools. The issue of teaching Hindi has provided cannon fodder to the various political outfits, which have started flexing their muscles in view of the coming local body elections. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly clarified that the opposition to Hindi teaching is misplaced but this has had no effect for those who have taken up cudgels against Hindi’s teaching. For the first time in many years, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by his cousin Raj Thackeray have expressed similar sentiments on the touchy situation. Those leaders and insignificant political parties, which had been in hibernation after the Lok Sabha election, have suddenly reactivated themselves. In this atmosphere, senior leader Sharad Pawar has once again taken an ambivalent position. Pawar has indirectly supported the teaching of Hindi. In a chat with the media, while saying that Hindi should not be imposed, he has observed that hating Hindi will not be in the interest of the students. Pawar also pointed out that nearly 60% of India’s population conversed in Hindi. Pawar’s position is considered reasonable though with a rider, as usual. Other partners of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi are nixed since they can neither support him nor speak against him. The issue, however, has potential to impact the local body elections.
Time to keep fingers crossed as an Indian team, trying to juggle with a number of questions in batting and bowling, will get down to the serious business of the first day of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds on Friday. India’s new captain Shubman Gill (three Tests in England) will have a brush with the maverick Ben Stokes who has led England in 33 Tests and won 20 for a 60.61 % win- record and with an 18- led-13-win record at home for a 72.22 positive percentage. Anyway one looks at it, the odds are stacked against India and Gill. But the charm of multi-day Test run-ins is all about outsmarting the rival team with the bat and ball for near about 450 overs if a contest lasts almost five full days and India has the opportunity to play (out of its skin) to baulk the home team which is a touch short without express fast bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. England will still have a pace bowling apparatus to trouble the inexperienced (in English conditions) top and middle order in Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair (recalled after many years), Dhruv Jurel and Gill. Fortunes could fluctuate in a matter of a few overs, and the likes of Jaiswal & Co have their task cut out. On the bowling front, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have the experience, but on a day when a team has to bowl 90 overs, the Indian team could be hard-pressed. In these circumstances Gill, while batting and Bumrah, while bowling hold the key for India to take control of events.
There is a saying in Hindi, Aapko Aam khanese matlab hai ya ghutli ginnese? For Dr S Ramadoss and his feuding son, Dr Anbumani, the PMK and its symbol, the Mango have come to a collision point in their succession battle for taking over the party. In this bitter battle, not just Dr Anbumani but even his wife Sowmya has been targeted by Dr Ramadoss senior stating that her ambition has made the father-son dispute irrevocable. He claims that even as he had brought the alliance with AIADMK to almost closure in 2024, Sowmya sabotaged it with her hectic hospitality, inviting Annamalai to their Thailapuram residence and overturned the alliance as BJP was her choice. The impasse has come to a point where Dr Ramadoss says Dr Anbumani is no longer the party head and leader, even as the son insists that his term lasts till 2026 according to the Election Commission. Going a step higher, Sowmya has taken the matter to the Gods. She travelled with her two daughters to Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi and to the temple of Nambu Nayaki Amman, a temple where thousands of devotees seek the Goddess’s blessings for their problems. This is highlighted by a ritual …fresh green turmeric is ground on stone grinders here then the turmeric paste is offered to Nambu Nayaki. Sowmya, seasoned bahu and politician went a step further …. She offered luscious looking mangoes too , to the Goddess …probably praying that her husband succeeds in getting both party and leadership in this bitter power struggle in the PMK. Considering that 80 % of the followers are silently throwing their hats in favour of Dr Anbumani, the turmeric and mangoes could well be a winning combo.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin is on a two-day visit to Delhi, primarily to pay a courtesy visit to PM Narendra Modi and thank him for giving him the opportunity to host the 44th Chess Olympiad (July 28-Aug 9) in Chennai. In view of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Olympiad had decided against hosting it in Russia. Poland and Uzbekistan were keen to host the event, but it was PM Modi’s equation with Russian President Vladimir Putin which had helped in shifting the event to India. Though the Olympiad itself was inaugurated by Modi, Stalin never got the opportunity to come over to Delhi and invite him personally as he was hospitalised due to Covid. Tamil Nadu became the ideal venue as it is home to chess legends like Viswanathan Anand and young Indian grand master R Praggnanandhaa. The state also has a temple dedicated to chess and Lord Shiva – called Sathuranga Vallabhanathar in Thirupoovanur near Needamangalam, in Tiruvarur district. Assigned to host the Olympiad, Tamil Nadu Government had worked hard for four months, creating the infrastructure for the event at the cost of Rs 92 crore. Stalin has also been advised by senior DMK leaders to call on President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jadgeep Dhankar — both of whom the DMK had not backed during their elections. Stalin is scheduled to meet President Murmu, Vice-President Dhankar and PM Modi on August 17.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law V Sabareesan has been in the news ever since DMK came to power. He is the CM’s alter ego, go to man and a conscience-keeper. Recently he was on “mission yagna” to save, and keep the government in the saddle. His mission was against the backdrop of four temple chariots in Tamil Nadu toppling and killing 12 people. This is considered a bad omen for the ruler of a State. On hearing the news, Sabareesan’s best friend London Venkat spoke to a well-known astrologer Mahesh Iyer, who advised the duo to immediately perform certain rituals to ward off the evil and impending calamity to the CM. But to perform the rituals, Sabareesan had to get the go- ahead from the first family which they did. Finally, a yagna was performed at the Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur. Political wags were on overdrive about Stalin’s son-in-law performing the ritual as a proxy. Social media talked about the two-faced ideology of Stalin who is quick to claim his agnostic status tempered by the Dravidian ideology, even as wife Durga leads her life as a staunch Hindu devotee. People do not ignore such duplicity by self-serving leaders. The Dravidian ideology is conveniently jettisoned when it comes to saving his own Gaddi. Sabareesan wondershare safeeraser registration code is now seen as acronis disk director crack скачать Stalin’s one-man Delta лицензионный ключ 360 total security Force.
Now that Parliament has resumed work, one gets to see a lot of political fireworks and sharp exchanges between the Opposition and the Treasury even during the routine Question Hour. Like what was witnessed on August 2 when a question by DMK North Chennai MP Dr V Kalanidhi to increase the credit limit of Kisan Credit Card to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 1.6 lakh for fishermen kicked up a political storm of sorts in the Lok Sabha. That is because Minister of State L Murugan who handles fisheries, took pot-shots at the DMK and its inability to fulfil poll promises like giving Rs 1,000 a month to women. Charging the DMK of now shifting the onus of fulfilling its poll pledge to fishermen to the Centre, Murugan pointed out that fishermen could always take a mudra loan — a loan without a collateral if they wanted a bigger amount. At this, the Congress and NCP MPs rallied behind the DMK and said how they had helped fishermen during UPA years. This got senior minister Parshottam Rupala’s goat who said, “You have done nothing. Kisan Credit Card has been extended for the first time to fishermen by PM Modi.” Even then Supriya Sule persisted with her query as to whether the KCC loans could be written off. It got Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to tell her “such loans are never written off”.
The Tamil Nadu political scene will remain settled for a while at least after Chief Minister M K Stalin’s assertion that the DMK-led alliance is an ideological one and not only for polls. That should put an end to the noises that came from the local Congress honchos who were smarting under the usual grievance of not being given enough importance. The Prime Minister and Chief Minister meeting on a couple of occasions last week in Chennai and the warm vibes they shared had got the rumour mills going about cracks in the DMK-Congress alliance. The CM has set the record straight and the message has gone out to TNCC not to rock the boat. It is the principal opposition party AIADMK that is in a bit of a turmoil after the Edappadi Palaniswami coup on the plank of a pressing need for a single leader. That leaves another former CM, O Panneerselvam (OPS) out in the cold. So annoyed was he that even the EC refused to recognise his position that he sent his representative uninvited to the meeting to examine the Aadhaar-electoral roll linking proposal. The only alternative for OPS seems to be to join his old tormentors Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran in a parallel party they could well name as Jaya AIADMK. Any merger of forces nurtured by MGR and Jaya would have to wait for much longer.
The Modi-Stalin bonhomie at the inaugural of the Chess Olympiad would not have gone unnoticed. The DMK and BJP may be daggers drawn in Tamil Nadu but the top brass of both parties are such pals in public that the signals can be confusing to the cadres. The good vibes between the leaders, despite the crosscurrents of Tamil pride versus Indian nationalism, may however lead to changes in political alignments. The DMK-Congress ties are already strained in the State. The local Congress honcho put out a statement criticising the police for selective action with regard to sticking of PM Narendra Modi’s images on images by the BJP on the hoardings and billboards promoting the chess event and the blackening of those images by DMK men. Knowing full well that Stalin is in charge of the Home Department and the police come directly under him, the Congress statement seems deliberate. The theory that the AIADMK is cosying up to Congress in Tamil Nadu in order to woo the minority voters in the next Assembly polls may be outlandish. The fact is anything is possible in politics, even in Tamil Nadu where DMK has been with the Congress much longer than in its ties with the NDA and BJP in occasional trysts for a share of capital power.
Post the launch of Chess Olympiad in Chennai by PM Narendra Modi, a new kind of dynamics seems to be working out between the ruling DMK and the BJP, sparking a buzz that the two parties could come together. For the first time, state BJP president K Annamalai who had emerged as the main challenger to the DMK, came out lauding Tamil Chief Minister MK Stalin for a “great opening ceremony”. It is not clear if Annamalai’s praise had anything to do with the friendly banter Modi and Stalin were seen having on the dais. Briefing reporters after meeting Modi, Annamalai said he had lauded the state government for “showing the rich, glorious and spiritual Tamil land of 5000 years that long existed pre 1967 (thousands of years prior to that).” Speculation is rife that the TN BJP could have softened towards the DMK as Stalin had been cordial; it was in stark contrast to the speech he had made on May 26 when PM Modi had visited TN to launch infrastructure projects. Steering clear of any political reference, Stalin talked about holding the Global Tiger Summit in cooperation with the Centre. It seemed Stalin was happy with Delhi as it had cleared his foreign trip for medical treatment. Looks like Stalin’s immediate worries are to find nominees to run the party and the government; his son Udhayanidhi and wife Durga are in the reckoning.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is going all out to make the 44th Chess Olympiad an outstanding success. This mega event is to be hosted at the heritage town of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), between July 28 and August 10. A stylised mascot Thambi has sprung up at many vantage points in Chennai. The historic Napier Bridge has been painted like a chess board and a teaser ad featuring Stalin and AR Rahman shot on it was released by the superstar Rajinikant. But, while doing all these publicity gigs the Stalin government seems to have conveniently forgotten to focus on their very own home grown heroes Viswanathan Anand, India’s greatest chess Grandmaster and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, the new Grandmaster. Except for a “blink and you miss glimpse “, both were not highlighted in the publicity drive. Critics allege it was an intended snub for Brahmins. Stalin moved his pawn like a grandmaster when an opening presented. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him up to wish him speedy recovery when he was admitted to Kauvery Hospital for Covid treatment. Stalin quickly latched on to this bonanza door opener and requested Modi to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad, adding he would depute MP K Kanimozhi and TR Baalu to personally invite him. Perhaps, Stalin was trying to mend fences after DMK leader A Raja publicly threatened Modi that TN would secede if not granted more autonomy. But, will Modi inaugurate the Chess Olympiad? Wait and watch.
Tamil Nadu’s BJP President K Annamalai is making news for his energetic snoop, scoop and share. He figured as a juicy news break in the mainstream media last week. The DMK is now clearly wary of him, and his exposes. The latest is about the fake passport issue scandal in Madurai which has reached the desk of ADGP, David Asirvadam, no less. Annamalai constantly trains his guns at the dynastic rule of the DMK. RS Bharathi, long term DMK spokesperson brushes this aside and retorts “Annamalai talks nonsense “. He made headlines once again as he thundered at a Press meet like a modern day Nostradamus, “The Eknath Shinde of TN has already taken avatar. Wait and watch.” When everything is cornered by one family, rebellion erupts. Late Bal Thackeray and Kalaignar traversed identical paths, as did Aaditya and Udhayanidhi. It may be mentioned that Stalin has consistently been anti-Centre and anti-Modi with his subtle delimitation of Union and States powers. But the recent threat by A Raja to the Modi government that TN would secede if the state was not granted more autonomy in Stalin’s presence has provided more ammo to Annamalai. He has promptly sent a petition to the Lok Sabha Speaker that A Raja cannot continue as MP after this secession rhetoric. A case has been filed too. Annamalai surely believes that the BJP’s ‘Telangana first, TN next’ strategy slogan has been fast forwarded significantly.
Presented with a fait accompli of a General Council meeting ratifying Edappadi Palaniswamy as the Interim General Secretary until elections are formally held in the AIADMK party, former CM and now former Coordinator O Panneerselvem will be exhausting all legal avenues before charting his future path. In seizing total control over the party, EPS also had OPS ejected from party membership saying he had been given enough opportunities to discuss issues and sort out differences. The only recourse available now for OPS would be to approach the courts with his claim that the entire GC meeting was illegal as he had not co-signed the notice convening the meeting. The courts did not take kindly to OPS seeking to stop the meeting and OPS didn’t attend the meeting either, preferring to go to the party HQ on Lloyds Road and camp there with his supporters. The BJP washed its hands of the AIADMK internecine tussle and will sit it out until it’s clear who is legally and officially in control of the party. OPS had no support from the top duo of BJP and is out in the political wilderness. He tried to play his cards too smartly, keeping a foot in the Sasikala camp while keeping channels open to the DMK leadership. OPS’ hold was on the treasury but he has lost that too.
Tamil Nadu’s senior BJP leader H Raja may have lost elections, and his national Secretary post but neither age nor defeat have withered his chutzpah and energy to take on the DMK and chief minister MK Stalin whom he calls friend. At a recent press meet, Raja took on the DMK’s A Raja for his secessionist speech, daringly, yet managed to entertain the onlookers with his extempore slugs of wit. He nailed it when he demanded Stalin should either put A Raja behind bars for sedition or face his government’s dismissal under Article 356, if Raja was his mouthpiece. “No one should think this can’t happen. Even a lame duck PM like Chandrasekhar dismissed your father’s government in 1991”. Raja claims that Jagat Gasper, a protégée of the first family is an arms peddler, and Stalin has to show him the door. Stalin, according to Raja, has a talent for claiming credit for efforts of the Centre. The BJP government under the leadership of Modi brought home over 10,000 medical aspirants from Ukraine’s war zone Stalin quickly pounced on this opportunity to claim “It was our efforts that all came home unscathed“ . The sucker punch line H Raja delivered that turned the press meet into a Stand Up comedy, “If a neighbour celebrates the birth of a child, we must offer congratulations. But if you claim responsibility for that too….it becomes awkward”.
DMK MP A Raja, a confidante of the late M Karunanidhi courted the country’s ire and shock while addressing a meeting of local cadres of DMK in Tamil Nadu. Raja, in the presence of the chief minister MK Stalin, threatened the Centre that TN would secede if the state was not granted more autonomy. “We will not stop until TN gets state autonomy ….I request the PM and the HM not to force us to revive the demand for a separate TN, an ideological demand made by Periyar for Thani (separate) Nadu “. The outburst, perhaps deliberate, is to remind the Modi government of their unhappiness with the TN Governor’s role, NEET issues not being addressed, inequitable distribution of GST, imposition of Hindi; the usual litany of woes that a non-BJP ruled states has with the Union government. Both AIADMK and BJP have condemned Raja’s seditious speech. But, what is intriguing is the CM playing the role of a mute spectator. Analysts are saying that the CM was using Raja as a trial balloon to assess people’s mood. Political analyst Sumanth Raman says “He embarrassed Stalin…sidelined in the DMK and sulking. Except for such fringe elements, no one in TN talks about separatism “. Says DMK Rajya Sabha MP TKS Elangovan, “Raja aired his frustration “. The grapes of wrath are bound to be sour. A Raja may soon discover, discretion is the best part of valour.
Notwithstanding the fact that AIADMK has backed the NDA candidate Droupadi Murmu for presidential elections, that did not stop Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from calling up AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami to seek his support for Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. The call apparently surprised AIADMK’s top brass as O Panneerselvam was present in Delhi when Murmu filed her papers. So why and how did Rahul reach out to the AIADMK when it is already an ally of the DMK? It is being said Rahul’s call to the AIADMK leader was put through by election strategist Sunil Kanugolu. Having worked with AIADMK, Kanugolu had access to top AIADMK leaders. It seems the idea to approach the AIADMK was the brainwave of Viduthali Chiruthali Kathchi (VCK) leader T Thirmamaavalavan. The Chidamabaram Lok Sabha MP wants the Congress to move away from the DMK and forge an alliance with the AIADMK for 2024 Lok Sabha polls as the mood in the state is going against the DMK. On his part, Edappadi politely told Rahul about his party’s commitment to support Murmu.
The going has been tough for this one right from the word go. This one came to Tamil Nadu after two States – Maharashtra and Goa – spurned it. Finally, it found sanctuary in the Dravidian state. And, the Sterlite Copper smelter plant at Thoothukudi had run freely for over two decades under the dispensation of AIADMK and DMK – the warring political parties in Tamil Nadu. Problem began when it went in for expansion. A protest followed. Not just that. A police firing on the anti-Sterlite protesters saw 13 people killed. A panicked government ordered the immediate closure of the plant. Well, this has caught everybody in an inextricable position. Many jobs have disappeared and thousands of crores lost in the process. And, India slipped from its pre-eminent position in the global copperfield. Virtually caught in a cobweb, Anil Agarwal, promoter of Sterlite Copper has now chosen to sell the immobilised plant. The move has taken everybody off guard. Is it a positioning strategy? Or, is it a business decision? With Ford exiting India, the proverbial sword hangs over the heads of workmen at its Maraimalai Nagar plant in Tamil Nadu? Coming as it does in the wake of Agnipath imbroglio, the Sterlite Copper sale move has surprised everybody alike, including the authorities. Well, it is yet unclear how Sterlite wants to go about selling its assets in Tamil Nadu.
A message has gone out to DMK party members from the Stalin household to mind their language in public. A full licence has been given to keep knocking the Centre over Hindi and NEET but don’t get into caste politics by dragging names of communities is the message. Stalin has mastered the art of saying it nicely even if he is diametrically opposed to the Centre and its Governor but many down the line may have lost their way in packaging their messages. The DMK MP TKS Elangovan’s rant against Hindi imposition would have been fine with the party except for the twist given in dragging caste into it with the word “shudras”. The higher education minister K Ponmudy had also raved against Hindi and he also overstepped in calling all Hindi speaking people as “Paani-puri wallahs” but the humour had struck home. Having won the battle against caste hierarchy long ago after having come to power in 1967, the DMK would like to keep social justice as an ideological peg and not give it a spin by airing caste politics. Their high command may have enjoyed the divisions among the AIADMK over the BJP trying to take over, at least in voice, as the main opposition in the State but it does not wish to get tangled in rhetoric taking over practical politics.
On May 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Chennai, where he launched Rs 31,000 crore worth of centrally-funded projects in Tamil Nadu despite which, Chief Minister MK Stalin tried to humiliate him. Two days later, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu went all out to praise late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi while unveiling his statue in Chennai. As soon as Naidu agreed to unveil the Dravidian stalwart’s statue, BJP cadre had opposed the move on social media. Naidu accepted the DMK invite as it seems the end of the road for him as his term ends in August. The DMK was elated. The party’s mouthpiece Murasoli, in its editorial showered encomiums on Naidu over his speech. The paper also dwelt on Karunanidhi’s long and strong association with Naidu. It said he had replied to the party’s critics during his speech. It recalled his comments when Karunanidhi was arrested in 2001 by the erstwhile AIADMK-led government. It was equally happy that Naidu had taken pot-shots at the step-motherly treatment that the BJP led government was meting out to the state governments led by Opposition parties. “If the States grow, the country grows,” he said. What does Naidu gain by pandering to DMK? He will never be Modi’s candidate for Rashtrapati. So, is he trying to position himself as the Opposition candidate for Raisina Road?
Rahul Gandhi is apparently upset over the DMK Government’s handling of the AG Perarivalan case. One of the convicts in former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, Perarivalan, served 31 years of his jail term before being released by the Supreme Court on May 18. The verdict may pave the way for the release of six other convicts in the case. An upset Rahul asked close aide Randeep Surjewala to issue a statement against the judgement even as he was traveling to the UK to speak at the “Ideas for India” conference and “India @75” at the Cambridge University. Tamil Nadu Congressmen are questioning Surjwewala’s attack on the Modi Government over the case, not DMK. “At least Delhi delayed it out of respect for Rajiv Gandhi. It is the DMK which has not cared for assassination of Rajiv Gandhi,” said an anguished Congress leader. Congressmen were particularly upset with the manner in which Chief Minister MK Stalin immediately felicitated Perarivalan and his mother in his office. “What was the rush? Does the life of a PM have no value in this country? If we had any self-respect, we should have snapped ties with the DMK. Why should we cling to them for the sake of a Rajya Sabha seat?” asked a partyman.
The face-off between Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin keeps hitting a new low every day. The latest grouse for DMK, after the snowballing on the NEET issue, is about the right to appoint University VC‘s, till recently a prerogative of the Governor. DMK’s shadow and alter ego, Dravidar Kazhagam headed by K Veeramani held a town hall meeting to publicize his state wide yatra to convey the alliance’s displeasure with the Governor that CM Stalin also attended. Veeramani shared strategies to take on the Governor. The few, who were privy to the meeting, were stunned by a suggested plan to annex Raj Bhavan, one of the largest stately gubernatorial residences in the country. Another alliance partner Sinthanai Selvan of Viduthalai Chiruthaigai Katchi told Stalin that the Raj Bhavan, housed on 160 acres of land, is under the state PWD ministry. He cited instances when former Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and Kalaignar had planned to relocate the Secretariat at Fort St. George to sites like Queen Marys College, Anna University. Stalin sensibly sought legal opinion on the audacious takeover plan for Raj Bhavan, and found his answer. The current economic status of TN rules out any such misadventure. Besides, and more importantly, merely changing his residence does not effectively change the Governor?
The relationship between Raj Bhavan and Fort St George were strained even when Tamil Nadu was a ruling BJP-allied State but, has turned adversarial now. Even before R N Ravi headed to Guindy from the northeast, whispers campaigns abounded about his being an ex-IB official, who spelt trouble for the DMK regime. He started off fairly amiably until the new Governor, at the instance of New Delhi, decidedly ran afoul of Stalin & Co. Governor Ravi is sitting pretty on the bill against NEET passed in the TN assembly. He also held back others, including amendments to the cooperative law. The ruling DMK finds itself in a piquant situation, even had to boycott the unveiling of the statue to Bharatiar, beloved poet of all Tamilians, to express their displeasure of the Governor. In days gone by, several occupants at the picturesque Raj Bhavan located in the reserved lung space of Chennai, were dreaded by the then ruling parties. M Chenna Reddy’s run-ins with the fiery Jayalalithaa became part of political folklore. Governor Vidyasagar Rao kept Sasikala waiting as prospective CM until the Supreme Court passed the verdict to send her to jail. There was even a Governor who believed in going into the woods for his morning ablutions, providing the only comic relief from Raj Bhavan.
The senior DMK minister Durai Murugan may have set a record of sorts missing his flight to Dubai, twice on a single day. Having landed up at the VIP room of Chennai airport, the minister realized he had processed his Dubai visa on his old expired passport. He rushed back to the city to rectify the error through back-and-forth calls being made to Dubai. Armed with the rightly secured visa, the minister returned to the airport hours later the same day and, not wishing to waste any more time, advanced his departure by opting for an Air India flight. Seated in the business class and all set to fly, the minister received a call on his mobile from the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s office advising him to cancel his trip. The cockpit door to the pilots’ domain not having closed for departure, the minister was allowed to deplane and go back home to Kotturpuram. The CM’s decision to call off his senior minister’s Dubai trip was partly owing to carping criticism by the opposition AIADMK party that had also found fault with Stalin’s own trip to Dubai earlier with family for which DMK party had paid the charter fare.
Will Stalin Forgive And Forget UPA-2 Tribulations Of DMK And Back PC After Sonia Meet Up On April 2?
Congressmen are keenly awaiting Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on April 2 in Delhi at the inauguration of DMK’s new office. The three- storied DMK office on Deendayal Upadhyay Marg, built as per Supreme Court orders, may well cause much heartburn all the same. The DMK was allotted the land in 2009 and has become the second party, after BJP, to move into its own building. The BJP relocated into its headquarters constructed on the same road in February 2018. The Congress is yet to begin work on its plot. The Sonia-Stalin meeting is expected to settle matters for the Rajya Sabha biennial polls coming up in June in Tamil Nadu. The DMK had offered a RS seat as per the seat sharing pact it entered into with Congress during the 2021 assembly polls. Intense jostling for this one seat is ongoing with former Finance Minister P Chidambaram foremost among aspirants. Currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, Chidambaram’s wishes to get elected from Tamil Nadu. He went out of his way to woo Stalin. Sources, however, say it will be difficult for Stalin to forget the harrowing time the Karunanidhi family faced in 2013 under UPA-2 from various enforcement agencies and still back Chidambaram.
Udhayanidhi Stalin has signed up with Mari Selvaraj for a movie titled Maamannan (Emperor) which could be his final serious film role. Once the movie is completed in the next few months, Stalin’s son will move to politics full time, probably by the end of 2022. His father and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is keen that his line of succession is made amply clear. When Udhaya was first tipped for a cabinet post during Tamil Nadu’s ministry formation in 2021, it did not come about because of his commitment to films, not because Stalin was wary of bringing in his kin into the political mainstream to avoid nepotism charges. With Stalin taking an interest in what happens in national politics for the 2024 general elections, he wants his son to help more with party affairs. Also, the second rung leaders behind senior minister Duraimurugan are not seen as charismatic enough for the family to encourage them to assume party leadership roles. Once he comes into the Cabinet, Udhaya will be the anointed as the successor to take forward the Karunanidhi political legacy in Dravidian Tamil Nadu. His exclusion till now was no concession to niceties as the DMK is very much a family party and, the scion will be expected to take up the responsibility.
The Stalin era in Tamil Nadu’s politics was firmly established, even as the wounded AIADMK tried to make its way back into people’s hearts. Probably, the return of Jayalalithaa’s aide and confidante Sasikala and nephew TTV Dhinakaran are viewed as vital to rebuilding a political challenge in the unending Dravidian narrative of TN politics. So long as former CMs Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam (OPS) stood united, the remnants of Poes Garden rule in Sasi and her nephew were disallowed entry to the party HQ on Lloyd’s Road. Breaking that unity was key to the reunion that Sasikala was dreaming of. She was able to force a crack through her old scheming ways, favouritism and heroine-worship based politics. DMK’s success in the recent state assemblies, came after the 2019 debacle when just one MP, OPS’s son, was elected. AIADMK swept the remaining 38 Lok Sabha seats in the state, then also ruling the roost in the state legislature. In the 2021 assembly polls EPS-OPS were not totally wiped out but, local body polls saw a decisive sweep by the DMK, prompting the need for a united AIADMK. That may, however, mean a big loss for EPS, not so much for OPS, who was Chinamma’s choice for acting CM whenever Jaya had to eschew the gaddi.
It was a landslide victory for DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in recently held corporation, municipality and panchayat elections. AIADMK was decimated. DMK won all the 21 corporations, 130 out of 138 municipalities and, 350 out of 489 town panchayats. AIADMK had won 10 civic corporations in 2011. Flashback to the MGR-led AIADMK, that ruled from 1977to 1987. MGR, the popular star, quit DMK in 1972 frustrated with corruption and the authoritarian culture of the founding family. When terminally ill MGR chose his protégé and film star, J Jayalalithaa, to be his successor. The AIADMK thrived under Amma’s rule. She kept the DMK at bay for 10 years. TN’s electorate is not binary and; savvy enough to punish or reward, in equal measure. Corruption, in-fighting, leadership duels in AIADMK, coupled with the Sasikala factor seems to have done the party in. The BJP, after initially befriending the AIADMK, has seen the writing on the wall and begun distancing itself. Under TN chief K Annamalai the BJP wants to become a political force to reckon with on its own. The fresh poll results clearly indicate Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s model of governance has got the people’s mandate. Stalin also dreams of becoming a deputy PM of India and, is grooming his son Udhayanidhi to take over the mantle from him.
Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister, Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) had many credits to his name when Chief Minister MK Stalin hand-picked him. His exalted background (Harvard, Wall Street, Bespoke political DNA, American wife, the yearning to serve his state). But, his quick temper, sometimes acerbic repartees, and not-so-friendly relations with other party colleagues have come under media focus. The latest news wafting through from the DMK HQ is that PTR has resigned as DMK’s IT Wing Secretary, an important party post, citing his (increased) workload as Finance Minister as well as a member of the GST Council. It may be recalled that a few months back, Dr Mahendran, who quit Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Manram party, was appointed as Deputy to Rajan in DMK’s IT wing by Stalin himself. The DMK ‘s IT arm, though set up as late as 2018, did a commendable job during the 2021 Assembly elections under the guidance of poll strategist Prashant Kishor. But, post-election, there has been a lull in the IT cell since. Now Rajan is being blamed for his touch-me-not attitude. Of course, the first family’s meddling is quite evident with Udhayanidhi Stalin strongly rooting for TRB Rajaa, his candidate from the delta region to take control of the IT wing. Clearly, whoever runs this new platform, social media and optics are crucial for the DMK. Is this a signal for the FM?
Former AIADMK minister KT Rajendra Balaji, who embarrassed his party by a public reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he said, “Modi is our Daddy”, has been on the lam for over a fortnight now. The Tamil Nadu police are on the lookout to arrest Balaji for alleged involvement in a Rs 3 crore recruitment scam reported during his ministerial stint at the helm of the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers’ Federation, which markets products under the brand name Aavin. The fugitive ex-minister, who was hopeful of securing anticipatory bail, was last seen addressing a public meeting in his Virudhunagar constituency. The moment police reached the spot he did a Houdini act and vanished much to their consternation. The TN police formed six special squads to nab him and have gone into overdrive, viewed by many as vendetta politics of the MK Stalin government. The underlying objective of the ruling DMK government is to tarnish the image and name of the AIADMK. Balaji is known to sport a red tilak prominently on his forehead and, mostly attired in bright mustard yellow shirt, is equally colorful in his choice of words. He served as Tamil Nadu’s Milk & Dairy Development Minister between 2016 and 2021. During the last Assembly elections, he tried his best to jump onto the BJP bandwagon but found no takers.
Five years have passed by since the iron lady, Queen of quirk and TN‘s high voltage icon, late J Jayalalithaa died under mysterious circumstances. With all the state machinery and sleuthing strength at its command, this state is still floundering to unravel how and why she died. Claimants to her throne and her party are numerous. Whatever her alleged dark side of corruption, megalomania and unbridled arrogance, Jayalalithaa could not name a successor. On December 5, there were three distinct gatherings wanting to pay homage at her memorial on the Marina Beach, needless to add, each group assuming that they were the true inheritors of her legacy. Knowing the potential for a tinder box confrontation, the DMK government allotted three distinct time slots for each group. The first batch of the conjoined twins EPS and OPS, in different mourning shades of attire paid homage, jostling and elbowing for vantage…optics , optics! Then came the AMMK and Sashikala’s nephew TTV Dinakaran and his followers. And finally, Sashikala, shedding copious tears at the graveside of her beloved Akka. The undercurrents to keeping the party intact is well known, with powerful aspirants pressuring EPS and OPS to nurse the party out of the ICU. After “tearful tribute,” the ruling party floated an unofficial survey — Sasikala had the maximum followers! Talk of setting the cat among the pigeons.
DMK leader Kanimozhi has found her voice again. She upbraided the Centre for inequitable distribution of taxes from the central pool while pointing out that the system was blatantly unfair to southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu. Since share of taxes is linked to State population, the progressive southern States, which promoted family planning and controlled the population for five decades from the 1970s, is suffering, she said. This was an unusual outburst as the DMK has been taking the pragmatic line that it will not be openly antagonistic of the Centre. It has told leaders below the top deck to go easy on political criticism and stick to elaborating any charge with facts and figures. Even in Parliament, the DMK, while being very much part of the UPA alliance led by the Congress, has been playing it soft. During the ruckus that saw Congress take on the ruling party in Parliament in the winter session, the DMK was not unduly demonstrative but joined the walkout whenever the alliance required it. Unlike the TRS MPs who were prominent in the well of the House, DMK members were content to stay seated while scoring debating points. Kani’s criticism does of course follow the release of the findings of the national family survey which proves the point about fertility rate and fall in population in the South.
It is not exactly the House of Windsor with Prince Charles waiting in the wings for a long time to sit on that throne. Worldwide wagers don’t bet on his getting it soon. But hope floats. Compared to this, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s son, heir imminent, Secretary of the DMK Youth Wing, cinema star, and MLA is on velvet… royal maroon, with gold trimmings. And why not? How many political dynastic heirs have the good fortune to inherit a whole ideological political party evolved over 70 years, a huge party apparatus, fan following, and be known as one of the wealthiest political scions? On November 27, he turned 44 and his party functionaries went overboard wishing him, sycophantic greetings dripping with Tamil eloquence. Amidst all this cacophony, silently, mother Durga Stalin has been relentlessly demanding Udhayanidhi’s elevation to the cabinet and an open claim to take over from Stalin, who has evaded a snap decision. There are a few other family claimants to TN leadership; Stalin’s elder brother MK Alagiri, whose talent for stirring up trouble is well known, his half-sister K Kanimozhi, an MP with acknowledged ambitions and acumen; late Karunanidhis, other not so well-known sons and their progeny. What if a palace coup were to upset the status quo, after DMK has managed to wrest TN after 10 long years?
While in Delhi, the newly appointed Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi prefers to stay in his MS Flats at RK Puram than in the Governor’s suite in Tamil Nadu Bhavan in Chanakyapuri — which is part of the diplomatic enclave in the national capital. He had been staying in this flat during his long service in IB and retained it when he was the Governor of Nagaland till he was sent to Chennai. His visit to Delhi a month after taking charge has the ruling DMK worried. This is because he held a lengthy meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and then called on PM Narendra Modi. DMK leaders wonder what may be cooking. Apparently, Chief Minister MK Stalin doesn’t want any confrontation with the Governor nor with PM Modi. Finance Minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) too has piped down his confrontation with the Centre. It may be noted that Governor Ravi’s daughter Prof Shamika Ravi was a member of PM’s Economic Advisory Council.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) has shown that he is not to be messed with. Having hogged media attention from the comeback day of the DMK, he has been in the arc lights for many reasons. Apart from his exalted background (Harvard, Wall Street, Bespoke political DNA, American wife, the yearning to serve his state) this handpicked FM has of late been in the news for some wrong reasons. His quick temper, sometimes acerbic repartees, and not so friendly relations with other party colleagues have also come under media focus. The most recent, a freeze treatment to Dr R Mahendran, who quit Kamal Haasan’s outfit MNM and joined the DMK. Mahendran was appointed Joint Secretary of DMK IT wing and second in command to PTR! Similarly, he chose to make a statement by not participating in the GST Council meeting in Lucknow. Reason given: he was at a community Baby Shower in his constituency, Madurai. For this act, he came in for harsh criticism not only from the opposition parties — AIADMK and BJP – but also from his party colleague TKS Elangovan, a Rajya Sabha MP. The man criticized for public rant on social media has redeemed himself in the most telling way. He has now been inducted by the Union government as member of the Group Of Ministers on GST system reforms! Pouts and protests do have their paybacks.
A few days back, a mega casting coup was announced in Kollywood. Forty-three-year-old Udhayanidhi Stalin signed on for a film to be directed by Pa. Ranjith with AR Rahman scoring the music. So, what’s new about this news? Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and also an elected DMK MLA till date, has acted in 19 films. But the latest movie is being talked about as his swansong. Stalin is said to have told his son “to give up playing this double role of actor and MLA” thereby signalling his plans to hand over the reins to him eventually. Quite understandable. TN and its ruling party, the DMK, is rooted in a strife ridden family of Karunanidhi, the iconic political leader. MK Alagiri, the older son of Karunanidhi and Stalin have a long-standing family feud as blood brothers. Alagiri who is known as the uncrowned king of South TN is biding his time. Add to that the third heir angle – K Kanimozhi, MP, who has kept her distance from both the warring step brothers but also hankering for a leadership role. With too many push and pull within the family it’s easy to see why Stalin wants his son to quickly move centre-stage in politics. The choice before Udhayanidhi is: To be a king or cavort with sizzling sirens?
Ever since DMK galloped to power in Tamil Nadu, some of its policy decisions have shocked and shaken many established institutions. Let’s just take one such incendiary issue. The recent decision of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Ministry (HR & CE) headed by DMK MLA PK Sekhar Babu has stirred a hornet’s nest over reclamation of temple lands from “encroachments”. When the minister announced that Kishkinta Amusement Park, one of the most popular mass attractions theme park and water world is built on 130-acre of temple land belonging to Pappachathiram Kasi Viswanathan temple, he might as well have bunged a Molotov cocktail at the park. This park conceived and promoted by producer-director MC Punnose (aka as Navodaya Appachan) in 1995, gained huge popularity for tourists across TN, and adjacent states. Sekhar Babu claims that his government is focussed on reclaiming all such properties built on temple lands. And till date, he says, they have already reclaimed Rs 900 crore worth of such temple real estate. The popular, 100-year old Mylapore Club has also been impacted as the HR & CE Ministry says it stands on Kapaleeswarar Temple land. Babu’s action has raised a fundamental question as to why only Hindu religious places and their properties are being singled-out. Is there any hidden commercial/ real estate agenda behind this reclamation move? Only time, many PILs hold the answers.
Is actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar who joined BJP in 2020 prior to TN Assembly polls in 2021 looking to go back to DMK which launched her political career? At least that’s what political analysts in Tamil Nadu feel, reading her message on Teacher’s Day. The 51-year Khushbu who lost assembly elections from the Thousand Lights constituency tweeted her immense respect and devotion to DMK Founder, the late Kalaignar Karunanidhi. “I must thank my mentor, my Great Teacher, Dr Kalaignar for teaching me, politics is not about hate or despair, but hope and service.” We can comprehend the hope part about casting your net again in the treacherous political waters and look for yet another comeback chance into the DMK fold. But this service part? What service? Is it self- service? Obviously, the BJP has not recognised her “service“potential” or her political chutzpah. Film stars so addicted to the arc lights and adulations, are on constant comeback mode. So are politicians it appears. But Khushbu has gone the entire merry go round circuit – DMK to Congress to BJP. Time, she hung up her periscope. She is an educated, talented and savvy woman of substance. Surely, there is a variety of creative opportunities out there for her gift of the gab and grab.
Passing his first 100 days in office with the felicity of a seasoned politician destined to hold the highest office in his state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is drawing praise even from his opponents when his regime is long past the honeymoon stage. He showed how he values his dad’s contribution with a Rs 40 crore tribute in a grand memorial on the Marina Beach while retaining the one lesson M Karunanidhi taught him. There is no need to be vituperative in politics; and cordial relations with the Centre are conducive to the State’s welfare because the purse strings are in New Delhi. Stalin backs Opposition unity with the same intent as he did in promoting Rahul Gandhi as his choice for PM if the coalition forces make it but he will not be a street fighter in the Mamata mould. He makes his political points in cool language and devoid of theatricals. The Tamil Nadu CM lets the power of data figure in everything that his government does, which is probably something he has picked up from his finance minister. Statements are laced with facts and figures to support arguments made in sane fashion. He leads the Treasury benches saving most of his talk for the Assembly while delegating powers to his ministers. Stalin is in the running for the CM of the year accolade.
The 2017 Kodanad case is back in the limelight years after J Jayalalithaa died and one of her drivers led a break-in on the tea estate nestling in the Nilgiris. The latest turn in the case may be entirely political with the new regime headed by MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu seeking to put pressure on former CM Edappadi Palaniswami wondering if he could be named a conspirator but the fact remains that a Hitchcockian suspense over events were never satisfactorily explained. Two major gang leaders of the break-in met with road accidents at virtually the same time on the same day. While the prime accused Kanagaraj died in a two-wheeler crash in Salem, the first accused MV Sayan survived a car crash but lost his wife and daughter on a Kerala road when another vehicle bumped suspiciously into his. The key to the mystery lies with Sayan now who is much wanted as the ruling DMK seems very interested in the outcome of reinvestigation. A hunt is on for the main conspirator who may have set a gang of nine to break in and see if they could get into locked rooms of the bungalow which were supposed to contain great treasures including jewels and cash. The CCTVs were conveniently off at the time leading to the suspicion of an inside hand.
Voices of disapproval and social media whining were heard after the grand Centenary celebration of the TN Legislature on August 2. There were murmurs of protest as political leaders felt that the Chief Minister MK Stalin had turned the event into DMK, and first family affair. Five time chief minister M Karunanidhi’s portrait was unveiled by President Ram Nath Kovind. But was this august assembly which had enacted many far-reaching laws and transformed Tamil Nadu was presided over only by Karunanidhi? What about the great Savant C Rajagopalachari or Karmaveer K Kamaraj who brought the highest principles of ethical governance to this assembly? CN Annadurai who inspired Karunanidhi and M Bhaktavatsalam, an erudite politician who was CM? What about MGR, the darling of millions who popularised the concept of mid-day meal schemes in schools? The precursor to this Assembly was the Justice Party, which at least got its due as the new Finance Minister P Thiaga Rajan could bask in the glory of his grandfather PT Rajan, one of the founders of the Justice Party. The least Stalin could have done is to have portraits of these earlier stalwarts also unveiled by the President. When public money is spent on a big event no ruling party should appropriate it. They must cut across party lines and give dues to all leaders who have built Tamil Nadu.
With the DMK returning to Fort St George after a considerable hiatus, expectations are running high among people. After all, it is a dream come true for MK Stalin, the son of former chief minister late M Karunanidhi. Having become the chief minister, Stalin is in an ideal position. In his ascension to the chief minister gaddi, DMK has an opportunity to refurbish itself to play a decisive role in the national politics. If politics is an art, late Karunanidhi proved himself to be a fine artist. When Karunanidhi was around, he had in him an astute Murasoli Maran, his nephew and Member of Parliament for 36 years. The senior Maran was Man Friday for the former chief minister. And he played the perfect communication bridge between the then DMK government and the ruling class in New Delhi. The erstwhile combination in the DMK kept political channels open all the time. This worked well for the welfare of the state of Tamil Nadu time and again. The connecting line appears to be conspicuous by its absence now. That seems to have put the DMK government under Stalin at a disadvantage. And, that is not doing any good for the Stalin regime. You stay connected in politics. That can be done by a mature mind. Well, Stalin has a quick job on hand.
Dravidian politics is hard to comprehend. Often, it is riddled with inconsistencies. How else could one interpret the composition of the just-announced economic advisory council (EAC) for Tamil Nadu? The MK Stalin-led government of the DMK has set up a high-profile EAC comprising Nobel laureate Esther Duflo (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Raghuram Rajan (former Governor of Reserve Bank), Aravind Subramanian (former Chief Economic Advisor to the Centre), Jean Dreze (Development Economist) and S Narayan (former Union Finance Secretary). Who said DMK is anti-Brahmins? Well, the just- formed EAC has three Brahmins – two high-profile ones at that! Rajan and Subramanian, in particular, turned much bigger than the institutions they headed. Narayan is all too well known in the political and bureaucratic circles in Tamil Nadu. If these three have roots in Tamil Nadu, the other two are rank outsiders. Not surprisingly, tongues have started wagging. DMK is a party which has vociferously articulated the cause of reservation in higher educational institutions and government jobs. In the formation of the state’s highest policy-advisory body, the DMK regime of Stalin appears to have quietly overlooked its own relentless demand for reservation for dalits, backward classes and the like. Is there a paucity of talent within Tamil Nadu? Inconsistency is the sign of development, it said. DMK has embarked on a growth path, it appears.
The MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu has just finished a month in office at Fort St George. But it has already come under intense flak from Opposition quarters. The reasons are not far to seek. Escalating cement prices has put the DMK government in a tight spot. The builders’ lobby has turned hyperactive now and accused the cement makers of competitive collusion. Builders have claimed that the retail cement prices have increased by 13% to Rs 520 a bag of 50 kg from Rs 460 in May. Of course, the builders’ lobby have also come down heavily on steel makers for rising prices. Now, the rising cement prices comes as an unsolicited stick to needle the nascent Stalin regime. Put on the defensive, the Stalin government has sort of sought to correct the `recalcitrant cement industry’ through discussions. The builder lobby has always projected itself as the victim in this cement price game. Never once did the builder lobby come out with any explanation for zooming flat cost! Often, politics (read politicians) ignores the hard economics of any business. How to cement this irreconciliation? That is hard to visualise in Dravidian politics.
In Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin is firmly in the saddle but has work cut out for him. So far, he has done everything by the book, keeping to protocols. But, all of a sudden, some DMK “extreme loyalists” targeted Amma canteens, an abiding symbol of J Jayalalithaa’s populist policy. They ransacked one, bringing down the nameboards, smashing the cooking and serving utensils — with a vulgar show of strength, post victory. Since 2013 when JJ’s Government started these Amma Unavagams (eateries), lakhs of the poor and marginalised people have eaten their fill here, all over TN. Idlis at Re 1, curd rice at Rs 3, sambhar rice at Rs 9, a subsidised system where no one was discriminated against. Other states have emulated this model. Stalin reacted immediately and the anti-socials were booked. The DMK cadres have a reputation for violence and unruly behaviour, and Stalin has to reign in such overkill. But the AIADMK too has not been beyond reproach. The people here cannot forget the vindictive response of Jayalalithaa, when AIADMK stormed to power in 2011, and promptly overturned the decision to convert the newly minted legislative and executive complex at Omandurar Estate, a dream project of late DMK chief M Karunanidhi. The charismatic statesman had personally overseen the design of this aesthetic complex. JJ converted this into a super-speciality tertiary hospital, later adding a medical college and retained Fort St George as the seat of Government. An entirely serendipitous, fortunate fallout as taxpayers’ money did not go down the drain. It’s in the interest of the new ruling dispensation to ensure that election triumphalism does not lead to malevolent political actions. But who cares? Taxpayer and his money are soon parted.
Long before the exit polls began pointing universally to DMK storming back to power in Tamil Nadu, the party chief was closeted with his family in the hills when Stalin’s family members discussed in detail which posts would go to whom once the results came. Now, the dilemma facing the Chief Minister designate MK Stalin is whether to accommodate his son Udhayanidhi in his Cabinet. The authenticity of a WhatsApp message on Stalin’s Cabinet which began doing the rounds early on Monday (May 3) — with a post pencilled in for Udhyanidhi (B Com) as Minister for Municipal Administration, Rural Development, etc — is not known, but it does contain a message about the ‘Young Turk’ of DMK. Udhayanidhi was the firebrand campaigner who took on Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of BJP in all his speeches, questioning them and daring them on many issues. He can’t be kept out of the Cabinet now though he is only 44. As a DMK historian said, “His grandfather became CM at the age of 44. Where is the question of him not being in the Cabinet?” That leaves the question of Kanimozhi being asked to join the Cabinet as someone who has become very popular in the south as the MP from Thoothukudi. But, in view of staving off any talk of family bias, Stalin might skip including his half-sister right now. The focus is on first accommodating Udhayanidhi.
For the 43-year-old privileged crown Prince, Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of TN DMK chief MK Stalin, riding two horses simultaneously or wearing multiple hats should not be a problem…the DNA is such. His grandfather, late Kalaignar Karunanidhi, scripted the evolution of the DMK, even as he wrote cinema scripts and thundering dialogues for hit movies, cannily built his political empire into one of the most prosperous family dominated organisations. Son Stalin won his party spurs and long successful years as the heir apparent to the DMK throne, even as he acted in a few movies, won the mayor seat of Chennai, went to jail under MISA, an event frequently dredged up as a horrific reminder of Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. Udhayanidhi aimed directly for hero roles in eight movies, with big time heroines, a few of them box office hits, soaked in that alchemy of Cinema and politics. Now, the TN election scene: Udhyanidhi is the contender from Chennai’s iconic Chepuak constituency. Already the surveys predict that he will breeze through. The grapevine has even decided what his portfolios may be. Now comes the hard part. Udhayanidhi has to choose between Cinema Hero and Party Power, a hard niggling choice. Are you wishing, Kaash mujhe bhi aise chunaav karna pade?
The AIADMK caretaker power centre is no pushover either. Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami found out in good time that at least 15 of his erstwhile MLAs were planning to jump ship. So he called in the Judas team, coolly read out his numbers chart — his party would be neck-and-neck with DMK according to his intelligence wing’s math. So think twice before you kick this ladder, he advised. The lost souls quickly caught on, but they are still marked. Greed can make for a tenuous perch. As they say in Hindi, Na ghar ke, na ghaat ke. One does think, may be Super Swami Jaggi Vasudev’s popular motivational words, athanaikkum aasai padu (desire everything) inspired them. The thrills and chills of an election, and its outcome! Meanwhile, going by the betting market predictions, it is clear that the odds are against the ruling AIADMK.
Super star Rajinikanth cited health reasons and backed out of politics. But stories and innuendos are still doing the rounds. What happened after he went to Hyderabad for that shooting schedule of yet to be released Annaatthe? Just to jog memories, this mega budget movie is a SUN Network production, and it is vital that Maran brothers get the DMK elected — several legal issues are riding on a DMK win for the brothers and the cousins. According to the tongue-in-cheek waggers, if Annaatthe had a Pongal release as originally planned, it would have given huge heft and traction to Rajini’s political entry and indirectly hit the DMK. So why not delay? And what better reason than Covid on the sets. Many think the penny dropped, a bit late for the star. Things were not going to be that simple, that you get a crazy fan following translate into votes, and snowball it into an AIADMK victory with its alliances. What MGR, M Karunanidhi, and J Jayalalithaa had wrought, endured and survived cannot be replicated. These were very special talents, colossuses who could overcome the toughest challenges. Rajini realised that his health issues could not take on the scorching heat and vitriol of election politics. Better to accept the fan frenzy, sustain your superstardom. Politics is a marathon only a few can run.
Cycling his way from Chennai to Mamallapuram in a red and black tracksuit, sporting his party colours, MK Stalin is sending a message of dynamism to the public of Tamil Nadu. Private exit polls run by elements close to political parties seem to suggest he should get ready for his coronation. Even before he hit the campaign trail, Stalin had presented himself to the voting public as a younger man with a complete makeover — hair transplant, dentistry and Botox — to give him greater confidence in front of the camera. He is the quintessential political leader now all geared to take his father’s seat in Fort St George as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. His DMK party’s booth level workers have also injected plenty of confidence in him with confidential reports of how the party may sweep the polls. Looks like the 68-year old Stalin who has been waiting in the wings for a long time will finally find the well-deserved place under the sun.
Once bitten twice shy. After a poor show in the Bihar elections and being publicly insulted by the RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav for spoiling the alliance prospects as Cong could win only 19 seats against 70 contested, the Congress party seems to have gone soft in its seat-sharing talks with the DMK Supremo MK Stalin in Tamil Nadu. Against its original demand for 54 seats, the Congress has quietly settled for 25 legislative seats. And for the by-elections, the party is pleased to get the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat. It is learnt that Rahul Gandhi does not mind playing second fiddle as his only objective is to counter the BJP-AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. Rahul, who has visited Tamil Nadu twice in recent times, enjoys a good equation with Stalin who is very confident of the DMK-Congress win this time. Even poll-strategist Prashant Kishor is talking of DMK winning. What makes the fight interesting is the BJP’s Hindutva appeal while in Tamil Nadu it has always been the Dravidian plank for all parties. Fearing backlash, it is learnt that the BJP’s alliance partner AIADMK has advised it not to push the Hindutva agenda. Rahul is likely to campaign extensively in Tamil Nadu, sharing dais with Stalin and address crucial joint meetings. For Rahul, the idea of playing second fiddle is also to revive Congress in Tamil Nadu. Will his bet pay off? Only time will tell.
Like Alice In Wonderland, the Tamil Nadu politics seems to be getting curiouser and curiouser. It all started with Superstar Rajnikant throwing in the towel thereby dashing BJP’s hopes of making significant impact in the upcoming Assembly polls. For MK Stalin of DMK, this announcement was music to ears. But the news of VK Sasikala or ‘Chinamma’, confidante of the late J Jayalalithaa, former Chief Minister, saw both the ruling party AIADMK and the DMK pull a long face. She came out of Bangalore jail after serving four-year term, and entered the fray .So much so, Chinamma was prevented by the very people who prostrated before her from going anywhere near Jayalalithaa’s Samadhi at Marina Beach. At the same time, to keep her in good humour mediators have been holding talks with her nephew TTV Dinakaran to work out a possible merger of his party AMMK with the AIADMK so that they can fight the common enemy DMK. But in a new political twist, Chinamma dropped a bomb, announcing to stay away from politics. The DMK and the Congress spokespersons on the TV channels are saying she must have been pressurized by the BJP! Apparently, local BJP leaders have welcomed the move. In the fast changing political contours, is it advantage AIADMK? Does DMK stand a better chance minus Chinamma? And where does Kamal Hasaan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam figure?
Since 2014 the BJP has been trying very hard to make inroads into Tamil Nadu but found no takers – perhaps because its rivals have so far been successful at associating it with the Hindi chauvinism. This state, which rotates power between two parties AIADMK and DMK, has had three legendary leaders – M Karunanidhi, MGR and J Jayalalitha – running the State for almost 50 years. Now with no charismatic Dravidian leaders to turn to, the field seems to be open to a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is widely accepted in TN owing to his credentials as a crusader against corruption. Some impact is also being created by the ever-resourceful RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy, who is helping the BJP press the right button in TN. His research came in handy when the Modi government went in for demonetisation. Guru managed to convince the legendary star Rajnikant to enter politics. Thailava as he is popularly known said yes – and was all set to kick off his spiritual-political odyssey but for an unfortunate hospitalization and a health condition that stopped him in his tracks. Thailava has decided not to launch his own party or contest 2021 elections. In a new development, with Sasikala Natrajan, (confidante of the late J Jayalalithaa former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) completing her jail term, the state’s political landscape once again changes.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.