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Even before he was sworn in as Tamil Nadu chief minister, C Joseph Vijay did the unexpected. He landed up at the venue nearly an hour before the oath-taking ceremony. He was perhaps determined to shatter myths that film stars are not punctual. Interestingly, he dropped his trademark white shirt paired with grey trousers— a sartorial idea he had picked up from his close friend and ex-Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy and opted for black suit with crisp white shirt. It is not clear if Vijay was advised by a designer or as it is being said these days, he only listens to his astrologer who has a big influence on him. Like it was on his astrologer’s advice Vijay has been greeting everybody with yellow shawls – TN Governor Rajendra Arlekar to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In his speech after oath-taking ceremony CM Vijay, who enjoys a great bond with Rahul, warmly referred to the Congress leader as “my brother”. He also referred to Rahul’s close aide, Praveen Chakravarty “as my personal friend”. One of the toughest messages of CM Vijay was that he would reach out to anybody—meaning seek Centre’s help — to serve the state’s interest. Shocked by gaping holes in TN’s fiscal management when officials initially briefed him, Vijay is having nightmares about how to implement his poll sops. It is for this reason that as soon as he was sworn-in Vijay made it clear that he would first bring out a white paper on the state’s financial status. DMK has not taken kindly to this swipe. One of the moving images of the swearing in was the picture of Vijay’s parents –filmmaker S Chandrashekhar and singer Shoba Chandrashekhar. Vijay is close to his mother who is a Hindu Mudaliar. He had built a Saibaba temple in Chennai in 2024 for his mother.
Political uncertainty that prevailed in Tamil Nadu over the last few days ended on May 9 evening with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay calling on Governor Rajendra Arlekar and staking claim to form the government with the support of 120 MLAs-elect in the 234-member House. This meeting resulted in the Governor okaying his swearing-in on May 10 at 10 am at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. It was Vijay’s 4th meeting with the Governor spread over four days. The TVK chief met the Governor only after the VCK and IUML extended unconditional support to TVK. Could these former DMK allies not have extended support right at the beginning? Who was holding them back? Did the DMK first family deliberately delay the formation of Vijay’s government? It is quite an irony that Vijay who raved and ranted against – thiya shakti or evil forces of the DMK — has now become a puppet of the Stalin family. Udhayanidhi Stalin, it is being said, had opposed lending help to Vijay; he fears Vijay opening files against him after becoming CM. Only former chief minister M K Stalin and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi K batted for democratic support to TVK. Though all DMK allies have technically extended unconditional support, it is possible Vijay will find his hands tied. Left Parties have been told to protest any action against the Stalins. Which in a way means Vijay’s mandate will eventually be subverted by these do-gooders! They will ensure Vijay becomes a puppet in the hand of DMK. Meanwhile, in a post, M K Stalin noted how the Congress did not care to visit Arivalyam and had rushed to sever ties with DMK. Other allies like the Left Parties and the VCK had at least thanked the DMK for its support.
Known for his penchant for making statements on any subject under the sun, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut added another feather to his cap himself. Raut has achieved this glory by writing an open letter to the U.S. President Donald Trump to take exception to the congratulatory message POTUS has sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP’s victory in the West Bengal Assembly election. Within minutes, Raut became a troll victim. The BJP called him a joker. Several social media posts castigated Raut, with one saying, “If leaders like Sanjay Raut are writing letters to Donald Trump, then rest assured something good has happened in Bengal.” A post recalled Raut’s past, saying “He is an MP who is an accused in a scam. Raut was in jail in this connection and he is still not exonerated.” Raut has asked the Most Powerful Leader on Earth to stay out of India’s internal matters. In a flowery language message, Raut has also appealed to Trump to “emphasise democratic values” instead of celebrating the WB result. In his post on ‘X,’ the MP said he was responding to the U.S. President’s best wishes to Modi following the BJP’s win in West Bengal. He also reminded Trump that “These are state-level elections — an internal matter of India’s federal democracy.”
The Maharashtra power sharing formula will have a deep impact on West Bengal’s cabinet formation, to be headed by firebrand Suvendu Adhikari. Hence, the West Bengal council of ministers can have two deputy chief ministers and one of them could be a woman, like in Maharashtra. Headed by hard core RSS worker Devendra Fadnavis, the two DCMs are from the Shiv Sena (Shinde) and the NCP (Ajit). On the other hand, as the BJP does not need the involvement of any other party in WB to form government, two of its prominent MLAs are likely to be inducted as DCMs. Given the bleak reputation of the Mamata government as far as atrocities against women are concerned, the BJP will try to send out a message by appointing a woman deputy CM that it will implement pro-women policies more intensely. A decision in this regard will be known only after Adhikari is formally elected leader of the legislature party. The second West Bengal deputy CM, significantly, will be an ardent RSS activist. As several advisors have pointed out that Adhikari has risen from TMC cadres, the Sangh Parivar will make it a point to reward one of its veteran members with the other deputy CM slot. However, Adhikari has become a darling of the RSS bigwigs since the second in command under Mamata once, he has trounced her twice in her own backyard and hence is a formidable figure in the national Hindutva spectrum. Just like Himant Biswa Sarma of Assam, another late entrant in the BJP. The coming WB government will also emulate Maharashtra for inviting and housing industrial investment as well as in the infrastructure development sector.
In spite of a clear mandate in Keralam, the Congress has not been able to finalise its CM candidate. It seems to be a problem of plenty where the Congress leadership is struggling with how to impose its choice – K C Venugopal. There was so much distrust between the MLAs and AICC in-charge Deepa Dasmushi that many legislators did not want to air their views about the CM choice in her presence as they feared she would snitch about their preferences to Venugopal. They were not even willing to speak to AICC observers in her presence. In these circumstances, Rahul Gandhi with no genuine feedback may feel free to thrust his closest aide, Venugopal, to become the CM. The UDF won 102 seats in the recently held Kerala assembly elections. The Congress emerged as the single largest party, with 63 seats. Other than Congress, the alliance includes the Indian Union Muslim League, the Kerala Congress (Jacob), the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India, the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithy and others. Rahul is said to have finalised two names. One is Venugopal, the Lok Sabha MP from Alappuzha and also the general secretary of the Congress (for organisation). He has the backing of over 40 MLAs. Venugopal belongs to the Nair community, so do the other 2 contenders—Ramesh Chennithala and V D Satheeshan. Rahul is partial towards Venugopal for revamping the Congress organisation. As for Chennithala, he has served as Kerala’s home minister and also the LoP. Chennithala, who is the Congress’s Maharashtra in-charge, is regarded as an organisation man. However, Venugopal may still edge him out as he can arrange funding easily whenever the Gandhi family or the AICC needs. It is being said that big business groups in Keralam are rooting for him. But party workers are fully with Satheesan who was the LoP in the outgoing Keralam Assembly. A social media campaign credits him as the sole architect of the party’s victory. Can Rahul ignore Satheesan?
Close on the heels of the Congress severing ties with the DMK in Tamil Nadu and extending support to TVK led by Joseph Vijay to form a government, DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi sent a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking for a separate seating arrangement inside the House. In her letter, she said that in view of the changed political circumstances and in view of the fact that our alliance with the Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for us to continue sitting alongside them in the House. She sought separate seating arrangements for her MPs. Kanimozhi’s requests for separate seating arrangement was reposted on X with interest by BJP national secretary BL Santosh; he had predicted that the Congress surely would end up “with egg on its face”. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took to social media to take a veiled swipe at the Congress after the party’s dramatic political shift in Tamil Nadu triggering fresh questions over the stability of the INDIA bloc. Sharing a photograph from his recent meeting with Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and another picture with DMK’s MK Stalin, Yadav posted on social media: “We are not the ones who abandon each other in times of difficulty.” Though he did not name any party, the timing of the remark quickly drew attention in political circles, especially after Congress walked out of its long-standing alliance with the DMK in TN and extended support to actor-politician Vijay’s TVK. Yadav’s post also came just a day after he met Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata following the Trinamool Congress’ setback in West Bengal. The meeting was seen as part of broader opposition efforts to reassess strategy after recent assembly election losses.
Who is behind the violence in Bengal? Since the day election results were declared, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has not conceded defeat. She is apprehensive about her supporters, who might opt to lie low after the debacle. The face of her bhaipo or nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who had challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to come to Bengal after May 4, appeared drained and pale. The Centre has apparently received intelligence reports of TMC supporters donning saffron clothes and ’tilak’, and holding BJP flags while indulging in violence. In some places, some BJP supporters have also indulged in vengeful action. Videos of most of these acts of violence are available, and it is up to the authorities to take corrective action immediately. It is a good sign that the police have swung into action and incidents of violence have declined. For the BJP, it will be a challenge to ensure peace, end fear in the minds of the public and establish the rule of law. Suvendu Adhikari’s personal assistant, Chandranath Rath was shot dead triggering strong political reactions and intensified scrutiny of post-poll violence in West Bengal. Till now, nearly 200 FIRs have been filed and 433 persons have been arrested. Bengal police, along with central paramilitary forces, are raiding hideouts of anti-social elements, and large quantities of arms and ammunition have been seized. In Sandeshkhali of North 24 Parganas district, more than 20 country-made bombs were seized. Bengal police have set up a helpline for people to dial in case of violent incidents. On May 5, a Trinamool Congress temporary office in Kolkata’s Dharmatala locality was demolished by some BJP supporters, using a bulldozer. BJP leaders claimed that the party office was built illegally in the middle of a busy road.
After Bengal, Telangana is the BJP’s next target in the South? Is it laying the ground to flip a Congress-ruled state? The failure and rejection of BRS, and the unfolding saga of Congress’s rule, ridden by corruption and the non-delivery of promises, have paved the way for the BJP to gear up to set a narrative against the rule of both these parties. In this context, Union Minister Bandi Sanjay’s return has not been ruled out. Sanjay, president of the Telangana BJP in 2023, was considered a powerful orator and succeeded in creating an anti-incumbency wave against the ruling BRS in the state. However, it is believed that his abrupt removal from the post cost the BJP a chance at performing better in Telangana. A long-term plan for Telangana that would carry the party forward beyond any individual is in the works. The BJP is hoping to position itself to capitalise on a possible victory in Karnataka, which goes to the polls just six months before Telangana. Sunil Bansal, master strategist and the BJP’s national general secretary, who is among those credited for delivering Bengal for the party, is expected to visit Hyderabad to give the state leaders a blueprint for 2028, sources say. Nearly a month before Prime Minister Modi’s scheduled visit to Hyderabad on May 10, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and national general secretary Tarun Chugh visited Hyderabad in April, just as Tamil Nadu and Kerala were going to polls. The two leaders met with senior party functionaries and the Telangana Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sangathan mantri, Chandrasekhar Tiwari. In his maiden visit to the state after assuming office for a third consecutive term, PM Modi will launch infrastructure and industrial projects worth nearly Rs 9,000 crore. At present, the BJP has eight MLAs in Telangana and the same number of MPs from the state.
Any humble soul who has for the first time been part of Sunil Gavaskar’s annual get together is always keen and eager to receive an invitation for the subsequent years! SMG’s bash — as some would like to describe the coming together of a niche cricketing fraternity — is truly a humbling experience. The Indian batting legend who came up with remarkable defensive skills with the full face of the bat against the World’s best express fast bowlers, actually lets others have a ball for over five hours, but making it a point to receive one and all with happiness and grace. Gavaskar took time off from his IPL duties to mingle with people who have been part of his splendid cricketing journey – from his nascent years to the time he bid adieu to the game and many more from his post retirement career in the media sphere. One inevitably bumps into familiar faces and acquaintances, but it was the first time for former Bombay off spinner Avadhut Zarapkar — he played the full 1979-80 Ranji Trophy season with the legend. “You know I am meeting Sunil for the first time in 24 years,” the Kolhapur based Avadhut surprised one. The presence of Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ajit Agarkar, Karsan Ghavri, Balwinder Sandhu, Raju Kulkarni, Jatin Paranjape, Suru Nayak, Ghulam Parkar, and a number of first-class cricketers made the “do” a star-studded gathering. Then of course there were his Dadar Union teammates and also Chandu Patankar – at 95 the oldest India Test cricketer and the 94-year-old Chandrasekhar Joshi, the leg-break-googly bowler who played from 1951 to 1978 for Rajasthan and Baroda and bagged 288 wickets. And so the SMG bash truly pulsated, Anil Joshi!
Nothing has shocked the DMK first family more than the defeat of former Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin from Kolathur Assembly constituency, a seat he had represented thrice since 2011. He is the fourth sitting Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu to lose an Assembly election. Stalin had lost by 8,795 votes to V S Babu, the TVK candidate. Interestingly Babu was once a close associate of the DMK president. It is being said Stalin and his wife Durga would regularly visit Kolathur. That is why Durga Stain was shocked that her husband had narrowly lost from a seat that the couple had carefully nurtured—particularly by reaching out to women’s groups. When Durga Stalin asked for feedback from Kolathur women why Stalin lost in spite of regular interface with local women’s groups, she was in for a shock. She was told that the Stalins had never actually interacted with local women. Instead, women from other areas were brought in by busloads to interact with Stalins. Stalin had held the seat since its creation in 2011. He had previously secured the seat with margins exceeding 37,000 votes in 2016 and over 70,000 in 2021. In contrast, son Udhayanidhi Stalin retained his Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency for the second time.
Political uncertainty that prevailed in Tamil Nadu over the last few days ended on May 9 evening with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay calling on Governor Rajendra Arlekar and staking claim to form the government with the support of 120 MLAs-elect in the 234-member House. This meeting resulted in the Governor okaying his swearing-in on May 10 at 10 am at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. It was Vijay’s 4th meeting with the Governor spread over four days. The TVK chief met the Governor only after the VCK and IUML extended unconditional support to TVK. Could these former DMK allies not have extended support right at the beginning? Who was holding them back? Did the DMK first family deliberately delay the formation of Vijay’s government? It is quite an irony that Vijay who raved and ranted against – thiya shakti or evil forces of the DMK — has now become a puppet of the Stalin family. Udhayanidhi Stalin, it is being said, had opposed lending help to Vijay; he fears Vijay opening files against him after becoming CM. Only former chief minister M K Stalin and Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi K batted for democratic support to TVK. Though all DMK allies have technically extended unconditional support, it is possible Vijay will find his hands tied. Left Parties have been told to protest any action against the Stalins. Which in a way means Vijay’s mandate will eventually be subverted by these do-gooders! They will ensure Vijay becomes a puppet in the hand of DMK. Meanwhile, in a post, M K Stalin noted how the Congress did not care to visit Arivalyam and had rushed to sever ties with DMK. Other allies like the Left Parties and the VCK had at least thanked the DMK for its support.
Nothing has shocked the DMK first family more than the defeat of former Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin from Kolathur Assembly constituency, a seat he had represented thrice since 2011. He is the fourth sitting Chief Minister in Tamil Nadu to lose an Assembly election. Stalin had lost by 8,795 votes to V S Babu, the TVK candidate. Interestingly Babu was once a close associate of the DMK president. It is being said Stalin and his wife Durga would regularly visit Kolathur. That is why Durga Stain was shocked that her husband had narrowly lost from a seat that the couple had carefully nurtured—particularly by reaching out to women’s groups. When Durga Stalin asked for feedback from Kolathur women why Stalin lost in spite of regular interface with local women’s groups, she was in for a shock. She was told that the Stalins had never actually interacted with local women. Instead, women from other areas were brought in by busloads to interact with Stalins. Stalin had held the seat since its creation in 2011. He had previously secured the seat with margins exceeding 37,000 votes in 2016 and over 70,000 in 2021. In contrast, son Udhayanidhi Stalin retained his Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni Assembly constituency for the second time.
A breaking news on SUN TV flashed the unfolding development — AIADMK ‘s C V Shanmugam is alleged to have convinced 15 of his party colleagues to follow him to a resort in Puducherry for some R& R (Rest and Recreation). They say trouble seldom comes by itself. Is Shanmugam pressurising the party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) that AIADMK must “support” Vijay, the newly elected wonder for the 11 seats he is falling short in getting a majority to claim governance in TN? The quickly called AIADMK meet at the Lloyd’s Road HQ brought together strongmen K P Munusamy, S P Velumani , C Vijaya Bhaskar and the voluble Shanmugam in confrontation mood with EPS. A media meet soon after raised the question is the party ready to give support to Vijay? Munusamy quickly denied such speculations, singing praises of the party’s illustrious leaders MGR and J Jayalalithaa, now standing tall under Edappadi. But the talk about the ginger group only got louder. So this allegation of resorting to keep away from the leadership and raise the flag of dissent appears to be true …after all every party, including the chameleon Congress is in the throes of manoeuvre and machinations to get into the TVK bandwagon at any cost. Old loyalties, party principles and public disdain are not about to stop these aspirers from throwing their hats into that magic ring of 118 MLA s of TVK, needed to claim majority in the Assembly. So much for “serving the people of TN”…principles of loyalty and party discipline rarely stop self-serving politicians.
It may have looked like magic when the Congress rushed its support to the TVK to form the government in Tamil Nadu but allies weren’t happy. In fact, TVK president C Joseph Vijay met Governor Rajendra Arlekar at the Lok Bhavan in Chennai and staked a claim to form the next government only after receiving a letter of support from the Congress. Yet the letter of support of five Congress MLAs was not enough to convince the Governor that Vijay will be able to provide a stable government with support of113 MLAs– five short of the majority figure of 118. Vijay was hoping other secular parties — the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK – part of the DMK alliance who had two seats each would back him. That did not happen. TVK needed 11 seats to reach the majority. The Left parties and the Indian Union Muslim League ruled out their support. TVK had also sought VCK’s support, sources said, even as he destroyed its support base among Dalit Christians. Interestingly top CPI leadership rued the Congress decision to support to Vijay without “even bothering to consult us.” For the Congress somehow joining TVK government was correcting the mistake of not going with Vijay before the TN assembly polls. All that the Congress bothered was to see that AIADMK, allied with the NDA, didn’t join TVK government. Tremendous pressure was exerted on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge via his son Priyank Kharge, to back alliance with DMK. This even after Rahul Gandhi and his close aide Praveen Chakravarty were both rooting for a tie-up with Vijay’s TVK. “If only Congress had a pre-poll tie-up with TVK, Vijay would have easily won 140-148 seats…,” says a TN Congress leader. Interestingly, another superstar Rajnikanth, who was also contemplating to enter politics, chose to call on M K Stalin. Will Vijay’s era in TN be the beginning of the coalition era of Tamil politics?
In Tamil Nadu, the voter’s turnout was massive…a roaring phenomenon never seen before, defying psephologists, political analysts and journalists of every hue, even defiant astrologists. Whichever party is stacked and predicted as the winner, one personality is evading categorisation and classification. The Johnny-come-lately superstar Vijay who managed to cover his Christian calling artfully. Even as vote counting day nears like the apocalypse for many candidates and parties, TVK’s Vijay is the subject of reams of analyses and paralysis of who he really is. One article in a well-known Tamil digital site by Rajan Kurai Krishnan (a PhD in anthropology from Columbia University, NY) is an eye-opener. Enigma or canny pretence to political sagacity? Will the huge crowd pulling translate into a messiah has arrived? Is he fooling the people all the time or is he fooling himself about his draw? Is our politics and governance so simple that any Tom, Dick or Ramaswamy can blow a conch and anoint himself as Lord Krishna. Vijay has cleverly managed to keep off the nosey press and artsy analysts from getting him to talk seriously about his agendas. Does he think he is the second coming of MGR? The DMK and AIADMK powered by the sagacity and wisdom of leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi, parties that have amassed staying power are not to be easily unseated by a greenhorn. But who knows…may be TN is that litmus test to prove all logic wrong, to usher in a showman ….let the show go on, the audience is impatient.
Rahul Gandhi is upset with the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) chief Selvaperunthagai and wants him to resign after polling in the state. From the face of it the TNCC chief is being hauled up for a translation fiasco. That is Selvaperunthagai is supposed to have misrepresented Rahul while translating his speech. At a public rally when Rahul by mistake said AIADMK instead of DMK, the TNCC chief also parroted the same line without correcting it to alliance partner, DMK. When his gaffe became viral, Rahul got livid and asked the TNCC chief to stay put in his Sriperumbudur constituency. Party circles in Tamil Nadu are however not convinced that Rahul has taken a harsh view of Selva for gaffe. The buzz in the TN Congress circles is that Selvaperunthagai is being punished for something bigger — the loss of huge sums of election funds that the TN PCC had received. Party bosses see Selvaperunthagai’s alleged role in “missing” election funds – around Rs 25 crore. In fact, it was this hunt for funds that made Selvaperunthagai fake an Income-tax raid on April 20 morning. When I-T denied it had not raided him, he had nowhere to hide his face. The only person who came in support of his fake I-T raid was chief minister M K Stalin. As for Rahul Gandhi he set off on his own for a rally at Colachel, Kanyakumari without the TNCC chief. It is being said Rahul has come to deeply mistrust the DMK; he has not shared any rally with the ally, nor mentioned DMK’s name in course of his speech. He apparently suspects DMK has purchased Congress men in Tamil Nadu.
The fall of the 131st Constitutional Amendment (Women Reservation Bill) in the Lok Sabha last week and the BJP ratcheting up attack on the Opposition for not helping in its passage — complete with PM Modi’s address to the nation, street protests in Delhi and outside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence – is not helping ordinary BJP karykarta in Bengal fighting the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In fact, BJP sources are quite puzzled as to why PM Modi tried to even bring a women’s quota bill at this juncture in the midst of Bengal polls. That too, when the government was aware it was set to fall? What was the big idea? Atleast in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is able to take pot shots at DMK leader M K Stalin for putting the state at a disadvantage in the delimitation gamble. In Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has gone on a disinformation overdrive. It was as if the defeat of the women’s quota bill had given a new lease of life to the TMC. Her campaign has naturally upset the BJP leaders and workers. Mamata, who was fighting with her back to the wall as she had begun to sense hostilities to the TMC among the Hindus, used the defeat of the Bill to describe it as “beginning of BJP’s downfall”. At a rally in Howrah, Didi went on to portray that the BJP had been “defeated” and was surviving in office only with the support of its allies. She was clearly trying to scare potential BJP voters by portraying that the national party no longer mattered in Delhi. Meanwhile senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot too suggested that the government ought to seek a fresh mandate on the gender issue.
It seems Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been very reluctant to canvas in Tamil Nadu which goes to polls on April 23. Party sources admit that Rahul has been so upset with the few seats – 28 — given by the DMK that he has not been responding to phone calls from the DMK. The DMK leadership has been keen to have Rahul Gandhi participate in a joint rally of leaders of Secular Progressive Alliance in Salem on April 15. DMK picked Salem to showcase secular alliance as PM Modi has visited the place three times and three more visits are in the pipeline. Unfortunately for the DMK, Rahul refuses to take any call from Arivalayam. Keen to solve the imbroglio, DMK bosses have put party MP and actor Kamal Hasan to work on Rahul to attend the Salem rally. So far the only high profile leader who has shared a public forum with DMK Chief M K Stalin is Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar who was in Chennai to release the party manifesto. Both Stalin and DKS had a joint campaign on April 11 in Chengalpattu. It is not just Rahul Gandhi who has not officially endorsed the DMK-Congress alliance. Even his close aide Praveen Chakravarty has been found speaking out against the tie-up and how the Congress deserved more than two dozen seats it had been given. It is being said a section of TN Congress leaders apparently favoured a tie-up with actor Vijay’s TVK. Party sources said Rahul has been so miffed with the DMK that even in Puducherry when both he and Stalin were there in the Union Territory around the same time, they did not deem it fit to either meet up or hold a joint rally. It remains to be seen if Kamal Hasan succeeds in breaking the ice.
It was 2019 when a Karnataka cadre cop waded into the murky waters of Tamil Nadu politics with a dream…to bring the BJP beacon to TN, to get its rightful recognition in this Dravidian stronghold, K Annamalai came in with a vision of Camelot…but today his political survival and special status in the BJP is under a big question mark. The very BJP which nurtured and applauded his strength, is ignoring him. What happened to all that mercurial charisma that made Annamalai, Modi’s favourite (remember he was perhaps the only BJP member who got a one-hour car ride with the PM when Modi drove to the Coimbatore airport). But recently, as the PM was on his way to Kerala, he stopped at Coimbatore airport where a 11-member team was waiting to receive him…BJP’s Women’s Wing leader, Vanathi Srinivasan sounded surprised that Annamalai was not there…did they know that the official list did not have his name! What a profile he had etched in TN… Annamalai was here, there and everywhere …he led padayatras, nursed his Coimbatore constituency and was the inevitable face of the BJP…but in his meteoric rise, he rose in strident speech too … making enemies of the established AIADMK and its chief Edappadi K Palaniswami. The internal warfare and jockeying were in full throttle. So when Annamalai lost the election in 2021, the AIADMK broke the BJP ties. Anticipating the need to keep the alliance going, Nainar Nagendran was made TN Chief. The BJP’s compulsion was to have a respectable presence in TN at any cost. Annamalai had to be downsized to please Edappadi. Now it is learnt BJP is making amends, TN in-charge Piyush Goyal has summoned Annamalai to party office to request him to enter the fray from a constituency of his choice. Will he? Annamalai is fired by the RSS ideology …this Knight is sure to find his place at the Round Table like Lancelot.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has reportedly emerged as a trouble shooter of sorts for the Congress both in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, considering the way he managed to salvage and seal Congress-DMK deal for the Puducherry Assembly elections on the last day of filing nominations on March 23. While the Congress will contest in 16 constituencies, the DMK will fight on 14 seats. The understanding comes after days of hard bargaining by the two parties. Both had even filed nominations for all seats triggering a new level of tension. In the 2021 assembly polls, Congress fought 14 seats but had won only six while its ally, the DMK fought 13 and won 2. The All India N R Congress-BJP alliance had captured power. The fallout of the Puducherry settlement is that there are huge queues of ticket seekers at Chidambaram’s residence in Nungambakkam residence, TN. It is all because he is seen as someone who has the ear of Tamil Nadu CM and DMK chief M K Stalin. This notwithstanding the fact that Rahul Gandhi has never cared much for the senior leader. Party sources said it is another matter TNCC chief Selvaperunthugai is also a Chidambaram pick. However, a section of TN leaders are apparently livid that the Congress sealed an electoral alliance with the DMK. These are pro TVK leaders and have lashed out against Chidambaram for sealing a pact with the DMK. Initially the DMK offered less than Congress’s 2021 tally of 25 seats. The Congress was persistent and often loud in criticism and demanding share in power, leveraging on the possibility of aligning with actor Vijay’s TVK. Ultimately the DMK offered 28 seats, and a Rajya Sabha ticket to the Congress.
The AIADMK finalised its seat-sharing arrangement with allies –the NDA — for the April 23 Assembly elections, by allotting 27 seats to the BJP. Under the pact, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) will contest 18 seats, while the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) 11 seats. The agreement was signed at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai in the presence of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). With merely a week to go for the filing of nominations Tamil Nadu BJP in-charge Goyal arrived in Chennai on March 23 to expedite the process of talks among the constituents of the NDA, headed by the AIADMK in the state. Goyal not only reached Chennai, he also made it a point to visit AIADMK party headquarters where the NDA alliance under EPS’s leadership was announced. The visit of a senior BJP leader to AIADMK headquarters not only sent the “right kind” of message about the NDA alliance, it also busted a few myths. A section of the media was critical about the NDA alliance being worked out in Delhi; it panned EPS’s visit to Delhi to meet and discuss with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to draw a roadmap for the NDA alliance. In his interaction with the media, EPS made it clear that he had no inhibition about interacting with anyone in Delhi. Political analysts in Chennai found EPS being very confident about the way he handled his alliance. In fact, by including every shade of opinion and community like AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran and PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, EPS could be holding the key to a rainbow coalition of OBC castes. As for the DMK led secular alliance, one hears its talks with the CPI (M) have hit a roadblock over one seat.
This half-sister of Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, was seen by many as the favourite of her father. Born in 1968, Kani studied in the elite Chennai school, Presentation Convent Church Park, later did her Masters in Economics from Ethiraj College, turning into a poet, journalist and astute politician by osmosis in the First Family. With all these qualifications, why has her political career become a snakes and ladders game? Currently, the MP from Thoothukudi, Kani has not been handed the true fruits of her effort. For want of trying or a more powerful force that ensures she remains the face of the DMK in Parliament, an honour she should be proud of! Calm waters run deep and Kanimozhi after several attempts to be inducted into TN politics with efforts stymied has this time decided that she must seize her own destiny. Twice meeting Stalin about her role in Delhi she unburdened her ambition to come back to her state and participate in the power paradigm of TN. It is learnt that she wants to stand from Thoothukudi for Assembly and has sounded sitting MLA to move to adjacent place. It is said by senior party watchers that Stalin side-tracked her…to talk of other matters. Obviously her return to TN would jeopardise the status of Udhayanidhi, her nephew who is already perceived as the CM. Conversely, misogynistic party oldies ask, what more does she want? Only she knows that this MP status is only a ceremonial sop. All wheeling-dealings and heavy lifting are actually done by Stalin’s son in law V Sabareesan and old timer T R Baalu who is well entrenched in Delhi politics. An occasional Tamil spat with the FM is the only optics Kani gets. Any wonder that Kani is aching to get home?
With barely a few days left for nominations to close for Puducherry assembly elections (Mar 23), Congress leaders were hoping for a miracle. They were hoping that there would be some electoral arrangement with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the Union Territory. This seemed possible as the party in power — All India N R Congress — sent a message to its partner BJP that it could go alone in the polls. The CM’s Congress colleagues were keen that he break away from the NDA and return to the Congress fold. Jose Charles Martin, the son of lottery tycoon Santiago Martin, had launched his own political party — Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi. But the CM was not keen to include anyone with a lottery background. The CM raised everyone’s hopes in the Congress in TN as he played truant. He had avoided meeting Union Minister Mansukh Mandviya in Puducherry. However, Home Minister Amit Shah ensured all outstanding issues were sorted out and the alliance for 30 seats was finally sealed on March 20. Meanwhile, it is being said Rahul Gandhi has not publicly endorsed the DMK-Congress alliance in TN; it is quite likely that he may not campaign for the alliance. With his close aide Praveen Chakravarty renewing contacts with Vijay, there is a possibility that there could be an informal understanding between the Congress and the TVK in select constituencies in the state. However, more than TN it is the contest in Kerala that is posing a challenge for the Congress. Party sources say return of the Left Front for a record third term is now inevitable with the Congress trailing a good 2% behind. With group clashes coming to the fore, party men feel Kerala can be reclaimed only if the Congress projects a different CM — say a Shashi Tharoor!
TVK supremo Vijay’s consigliere Aadav Arjun is seen to be deranged by the political rank and file, especially after his loose cannon remarks. The one baiting Thalaivar Rajinikanth has raised the hackles of all …fans especially who are waiting to be roused to rise. What did Arjun say? In an extreme attempt to schmooze and schmaltz in his role of deifying Vijay, this indiscreet party member said, “Even Rajinikanth attempted to plunge headlong into politics, aping MGR, assuming he would be worshipped by TN. But what happened? The first family of DMK threatened him. And he withdrew. But our TVK leader Vijay is a rock…cannot be threatened by anyone”. You can imagine the storm raised by this indiscreet and vicious comment especially about Rajini who is worshipped by devoted fans all over the country. Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainaar Nagendran tried to condemn Aadav’s pointless talk, with some meek, assuaging words and the challenge that Aadav should apologise to Rajinikanth. But it is the scathing repartee of journalist Mani that made a big impact. “This man is not just ignorant, but indecent…and he is not even a politician but a lottery ticket vendor. Earlier he tried to latch on to Thirumavalavan, then the DMK’s first family …now he has latched on to Vijay.” Rajini fans have protested but the DMK has brushed off the allegation like a fly. With a consigliere like Aadav who needs enemies?
On Friday the 13th, the residents of Poes Garden heard the deafening sound of bursting crackers, once again. Sasikala, no novice to the game of power in Tamil Nadu politics, waited patiently to get a call from any party to join their alliance. Ever since her return from the confines of Parapana Agrahara (Bengaluru jail), there was much anticipation, talk, and an almost palpable fear of this known unknown who could strategize and motivate the crowd. When no acknowledgement came, when each entity had secured their alliance seats, Sasikala did what she is best at…she has now thrown a gauntlet and challenge backed by her prep of two years. Clad in a teal green saree, she gathered the crowd and the media just a few hundred yards next to JJ’s home…a mansion just as imposing, radiating power. The name of her party Anaithu India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettre Kazhagam…definitely a mouthful, but one can trust the media abbreviators to come up with an alphabet soup of short form. The flag had a Trishul like emblem of Anna, Puratchi Thalaivar and JJ. It was when Sasikala flashed the party election symbol, a grove of coconut trees that she opened up, let her guard down. “I don’t stand here alone …like these coconut trees, I am with a grove and hope to add many more”. Even as she spoke about her trials and tribulations, about her mentors, the tears shed freely. A careful dab with her tissue, Sasikala stood tall like Casablanca…“the boy stood on the burning deck”.
Ever since the DMK and the Congress firmed up their alliance for upcoming the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, the BJP leadership in Delhi is keen that superstar Vijay and his party – the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) — should be part of the NDA in Tamil Nadu. Reportedly, over the weekend, Andhra Pradesh deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, who is also an actor, did share his own experience of ploughing the lonely furrow. Kalyan had gone alone to the polls with Janasena Party in 2019. He impressed upon TVK chief Vijay…what the prospect of the TVK would be if he were to join the NDA alliance. What it could mean for TN politics in this round of assembly elections — Vijay’s dream of routing the DMK would now become achievable. He could become deputy CM like him or achieve the status of what the late DMDK chief Vijaykanth had achieved in 2011. “As of now the AIADMK led BJP already has an edge in the polls. However, if Vijay’s TVK joins the NDA, the alliance will sweep the polls. Maybe it will win 200 out of 234 seats”, said an analyst. Meanwhile, the DMK has got so desperate about a comeback that it has even begun to widely publicise the community — Dalit fisherman — of a Rajya Sabha MP candidate it is going to elect on March 16. While joining NDA may help Vijay to sort out Karur tangle straight away, it is being said there are elements in TVK like his close aide John Arokiyasami who may not like him to team up with the NDA. John is an ex-associate of Prashant Kishor from his I-PAC days.
Even as 90% of Tamil Nadu party outfits have been issued boarding passes for the Election flight “Now Boarding” with the two major blocks, the GOP’s Rahul Gandhi and his entourage is still vacillating over his choice of alliance. The Congress has remained a DMK loyalist for years…from the days of Kalaignar when it needed just a look from Sonia Gandhi for the patriarch to assent. In all fairness Rahul is not responsible for the angry muddle that nearly broke the alliance. TN Congress is a vacuous and vainglorious block that abounds in loose cannon who stir up controversies. Manickam Tagore and Praveen Chakravarty are two such voluble members who insisted that Congress should share in power too…not just seats. This was enough to make the DMK fume and froth. Congress had to deploy two emissaries K C Venugopal and Girish Chodankar to cool the heat. An enraged Stalin is said to have given an ultimatum “we have new allies on board and are already juggling seat sharing, going as far as cutting our own quota …we need to allocate for the other new and existing allies too.” At a juncture where every party wants to squeeze the maximum from the deal, does this dithering have a reason, a fallback? It’s natural to conjecture about actor Vijay’s TVK waiting with open arms to welcome a hardline Congress. But the know all’s say …Vijay is very well aware of the pitfalls of a Congress ‘dosti’. Karur stampede and delayed Jana Nayagan are constant reminders to Vijay to stay in line. Rahul and Kharge are in a huddle mode — to capitulate or challenge?
Friday the 13th contrary to popular belief brought extraordinary luck to ration card holding women of Tamil Nadu… even as TN chief minister M K Stalin walked into the function to give the employment orders for government jobs, he seemed extremely pleased with his strategic generosity. He greeted his electorate “Today it is not just good morning to you all…it is a Super Good Morning to my sisters in TN. Your government has increased the women’s honorarium from Rs 3000 to Rs 5000.” Did people and media see him almost wink when he made the next announcement? “After jumping many obstacle hoops and challenges, I want to be CM for all…not just those who vote for the DMK. This largesse Stalin said would be increased to Rs 10,000 pm if I am voted back to power.” Stalin waxed eloquent about how TN had climbed the development charts to become the #1 state in many indices. Even as the milk sops doles were being announced, the new challenger on the block TVK’s Vijay was presiding over yet another mammoth public meet at Salem. He thundered “Whatever money is given, take from every party, blow the whistle to deafen them. Run and vote for me”! So much for dramatic campaigns and vainglorious speeches and promises. Maridas, a well-known blogger put this whole dole outpouring in perspective. Speaking about the futility of the budget deficit of TN, he said, “I am happy that the poor sisters of TN are getting this generous amount”. But at what cost? Whichever government is elected, the state deficit reality will far outweigh the gains 1.3 crore women got…wait till taxes hit you in the new government’s budget.” The men can drown their sorrows in TASMAC spirits …it is the women who have to work harder to keep the family fires burning.
There is apparently a divergence of views in the DMK about raising a banner of revolt against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla as envisaged by LoP Rahul Gandhi. Many DMK MPs are keen to join the debate on the Union Budget, though some wanted to join Rahul Gandhi to sign no confidence against the Speaker. Apparently, there is a growing pressure on 23 DMK MPs in the Lok Sabha to raise TN issues in the House ahead of state polls. It is being said CM Stalin, who is also DMK Chief is not keen to nominate the seat sharing committee of his party to engage in negotiation with the Congress. Stalin is of the view that early seat-sharing discussions could divert attention from governance and key welfare initiatives of his Govt. Besides, he feels if the Congress wishes to walk out of the alliance, it is all very well. At least, the BJP in Delhi will be kind to the DMK. Tough stand of the DMK has made the Congress quite distraught. The Congress feels the DMK is behaving as if it wants the Congress to go out of the alliance. Meanwhile, it is being said financiers of TVK chief and superstar Vijay’s Jana Nayagan have become restless about the manner in which the film’s release has been held hostage by the CBFC. It is felt that the “political message” of the film has upset the BJP leadership. Sources say one of the financiers got in touch with top BJP leaders in Delhi and assured that Vijay will not “forge an alliance” with the Congress in TN. This only means that the Congress could end up as a pumpkin in TN politics. Ostracised, with no serious political player taking the party seriously!
Tamil superstar Vijay threw his hat in the Tamil Nadu political ring, convinced that he was Moses for whom the sea would split. His party – TVKs — every move, every utterance and strategy created tidal waves. But Vijay has painted himself into a corner, a much-maligned man used and manipulated by the rag tag of TN parties and the two major outfits –DMK and AIADMK. How is he planning to extricate from this Chakravyuh? Vijay is a great entertainer and bankable actor but he underestimated the manoeuvring and manipulations of those scrambling for a perch on the big bandwagons. Take Dr Anbumani Ramadoss who has broken away from the PMK family and fold; he persisted in using Vijay as bargaining chip, till the BJP wheedled him into the NDA. TTV Dinakaran went one step further with his pressure cooker tactics…the media was peppered with snippets of how Vijay was just waiting to open his heart and party. The BJP quickly caught him in their grip with the promise of 33 seats, Rajya Sabha post and a deputy CM post. The Congress too has been twisting DMK arms –using Vijay as bait –pushing for 28 seats. Premalatha, late Vijayakanth’s wife has built up her worth by playing an unmatched trapeze artist, notching up the suspense. Old man Ramadoss for his part says why should only the old parties aspire for TN? Why can’t a young man like Vijay rise? Again these “sympathisers” are not promoting Vijay…they just want to dent the DMK vote bank and then bargain. Maybe Vijay did not foresee so many Trojans he had to counter and contend with. A popular Tamil magazine has summed it up succinctly …Vijay has launched his super market…but no customers so far.
The battle lines have all but been drawn for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls 2026. It is advantage DMK as the polls head for a 3- or 4-cornered contest with actor Vijay the significant new player in the fray. The DMK-Congress alliance is yet to be formalised after seat-sharing talks hit speed bumps, but given the long-term relationship between chief minister MK Stalin and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is only likely to keep its ties with the DMK going. Poll arithmetic in a contest in which the opposition to the regime is divided among the AIADMK-led NDA alliance, Vijay’s TVK which will be on a solo run and Seeman’s NTK, a fringe player who can however play spoilsport by taking away a proportion of the votes, will favour the ruling DMK despite the anti-incumbency factor. With a lack of data and history, no one can gauge Vijay’s advent into politics. But the way the BJP has played the cards against him is certain to bring him such sympathy for the treatment meted out to him and his last movie Jana Nayagan. Repeated questioning by the CBI with regard to the Karur stampede is another good reason why more people will gravitate towards the TVK. Also, people are yearning for change from the tired Dravidian politics. Even so, it will be DMK, with its committed cadre vote, that will come away with less of its vote share diminished even as AIADMK, which got a near equal vote share in 2021, suffers from its association with the northern upper class party BJP. Stalin seems set to emulate Jayalalithaa’s 2016 performance when her AIADMK was re-elected. The alliances are all but set now no matter what conspiracy theories may be floated from here and what pulls and pressures may come up in the last mile to the polls.
It is not hard to decode the confident stance of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in the run up to state assembly elections. Surprisingly, he carefully moved away from the powerful shadow of his father M Karunanidhi to find his own space, emerging as a much talked about CM who could stand his ground. It was not surprising that he used his first Assembly address of 2026 to not just pat himself and his government on the back, but also list its achievements in the face of “daunting challenges”. Stalin was candid enough to admit “when he took over in 2021, there was much trepidation, self-doubt and a sense of fear …could I make TN happy, fulfil poll promises.” The self-congratulatory tone set in fast…“I am a happy man, very satisfied and can claim that we will form government 2.0 and even overtake our success.” This motivated chest thumping had its share of diatribes too…he blamed the previous 10 years of AIADMK rule for bringing down the state in every matrix of development. Stalin’s undiluted harangue and the way he took on the Governor RN Ravi and his running feud with him, added spice. For political watchers, it was an entertaining yet disturbing, unsettling phase when the Centre and State were at loggerheads. Federalism and democratic ecosystems bore the brunt of this clash. Stalin is no doubt a driven man, sure of his ability to pluck the low hanging fruit.
Two days ahead of PM Modi’s public meeting at Madurantakam, Chengalpattu district on January 23, the BJP stepped up its campaign to expand the NDA ahead of the assembly elections. On January 21, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, rejoined the NDA alliance in the presence of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Chennai. He had moved out of the NDA in September 2025. This was six months after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that AIADMK chief Eddapadi K Palaniswami would be the CM face and lead the AIADMK- BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu in April 2025. In a reversal of events early this year, Dhinakaran flew into Delhi, met Amit Shah to pave the way for his return into the NDA fold. It is being said the AMMK commands considerable influence among the Mukkulathor community or Thevars in southern TN. Dhinakaran rejoining the NDA could spell trouble for the ruling DMK. So too the joining of Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK. It is being said Amit Shah was very keen that all anti-DMK votes in the South, particularly the Thevar community votes should not be fragmented. Dhinakaran described the past differences as merely a “family feud”. On his part, AIADMK chief Palaniswami also welcomed Dhinakaran. The only person acting pricey is DMDK leader Premalatha, widow of late actor Vijayakanth. She is bargaining for two Rajya Sabha seats, a ministerial berth for her son in Modi Govt and some 20 assembly seats. It is her demand to accommodate her son in the Central Govt that has spooked Delhi. Meanwhile, it is learnt that DMK has asked Congress to scale down its demand for seats to 28 and has offered instead to bankroll poll expenses of Assam assembly elections. This simply shows how desperately DMK needs Congress — that is why it is trying to keep it away from actor Vijay’s TVK.
A section of the Tamil Nadu BJP leadership is completely disappointed with the line-up of people arranged by Union Minister L Murugan for Pongal festivities organised at his residence and presided over by PM Modi. While it might all be very well for Murugan, who is Minister of State for I&B, to flaunt the presence of makers and cast and crew of the DMK-backed film Parasakthi, some BJP leaders were not comfortable with the presence of producer Akash Baskaran. He is related to late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and his late first son MK Muthu. His wife Dharini is MK Muthu’s granddaughter. Her dad is CK Ranganthan who owns Cavinkare. Her mother is Thenmozhi, Kalignar Karunanidhi’s granddaughter. The issue with Akash Bhaskaran’s presence at PM Modi’s event was that he had briefly figured in the TASMAC scam probe. Of course, the ED had to apologise to Bhaskaran as directed by the Madras High Court. Some TN BJP leaders feel a section of party leaders are always hell bent on bringing “not very desirable characters” into the party and thereby putting off genuine voters. Incidentally, neither PM Modi nor Murugan shared any pics of their interaction with Parasakthi actors on their timeline. It was done by the National Award-winning composer GV Prakash to share a photograph of his interaction with PM Modi as well as reveal the presence of Sivakarthikeyan and Ravi Mohan. Prakash also performed a track from his Tamil pride album Thiruvasagam for the first time at the event. Meanwhile, it is being said the real problem with TVK leader Vijay’s film Jana Nayagan, one hears, is that the protagonist is seen making a direct pitch against “political leadership” that it is communalising politics. Two, he is also seen speaking against “atma nirbhar bharat”. If the Congress has issues with Parasakthi because it is critical of Indira Gandhi, Jana Nayagan has clearly irked powers that be in Delhi.
Tamil Nadu is experiencing a churning of this magnitude for the first time after MGR decoupled his political star with Kalaignar (his mentor and launch pad). The state was shaken, stirred and saturated with the rise of a new hope, an actor legend…a film super star pole vaulting into politics, with his unique generosity and charisma. MGR’s magic and the launch of his AIADMK, followed by the long years of dominance by his protégée J Jayalalithaa is still talked about. Shivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan tried but failed. Vijayakanth did make inroads while Rajinikanth very nearly entered it but backed off at the last moment. This is why everybody is keenly watching the entry of Vijay. He seems to have created some impact going by the huge attendance to his rallies. He has pitched himself and his party TVK as an alternative to DMK and this seems to have shaken the complacence of the DMK’s heir apparent …Udhayanidhi Stalin, another film star who basks in his entitlement. Is this jump from films to power as easy as it seems? Not really as Vijay is finding out. The Karur tragedy, roadblocks of the jittery opposition, the extreme challenges in releasing his swan song Jana Nayagan has hit hard but not shaken his confidence. His farewell film has run into trouble with Censor, then followed court cases as a resulted it will not be released during the Pongal festival. Will the late release work in his favour? Heads or tails, Vijay would have made his mark.
Is the Censor delay for Vijay’s film all aimed to strengthen the TVK chief’s support base and ensure its a superhit? Is the BJP-led Centre actually helping the superstar? As Vijay is facing an uphill task to get his last film Jana Nayagan released on Jan 9 and the Tamil Nadu Congress leaders are already blaming the Home Minister Amit Shah for it. A perception is growing in TN that the BJP is not obstructing the screening of the film but perhaps doing it all to increase his popularity among youth and women. It is being said the whole idea is to ensure that sizable votes of youth and women could now consolidate behind Vijay — that is to move away from the DMK. A strong TVK is bound to weaken the DMK. It is believed a three-way fight in TN will benefit the challenger AIADMK-BJP. Jana Nayagan was postponed two days before release due to a censor certificate delay. While a Madras HC hearing is expected to pave way for its release next week, there is a growing view that Jana Nayagan’s Censor problems were clearly linked to Vijay’s political dalliances with the Congress — Rahul Gandhi had spoken to him post Karur incident. It is in this backdrop that top Congress leaders from AICC in charge Girish Chodankar to Tamil Nadu MPs — Manickam Tagore and Jothimani attacked the Centre for withholding Censor certificate for Vijay’s film. TN Congress sources however feel Vijay may not eventually take up Congress offer of an alliance. “Vijay may finally end up with the AIADMK-BJP. Everyone in TN is heading that way. The DMK will also not take us on board,” pointed out a TN Congress leader.
Union Home minister Amit Shah is quite disappointed with his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu as his efforts to convince AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) to take a leaf out of Bihar polls and follow chief minister Nitish Kumar’s lead of carrying everyone along to fight the assembly elections simply didn’t seem to work in Chennai. Shah held two rounds of meetings with AIADMK functionary SP Velumani, an emissary of EPS, and had conveyed to him that if AIADMK has to defeat the DMK it must learn to carry every one along — from TTV Dhinakaran-O Panneerselvam — to DMDK and the PMK. Just as Nitish Kumar had carried along Chirag Paswan and other NDA allies. Nitish Kumar was seen easily sharing seats with Paswan even though the latter’s LJP had in 2020 assembly polls fielded candidates against JD(U). Reluctant to play ball, EPS conveyed to Shah that at best he was willing to accommodate his former AIADMK colleagues by allotting about 10 seats. He firmly conveyed to Velumani that if EPS remained intransigent about accommodating ex AIADMK leaders such as OPS or TTV then he would only “be strengthening the DMK hands and help it to come back to power”. A prospect of defeat could lead to further erosion in its ranks which the AIADMK must avoid. Or it will see heavyweights leaving the party as it saw the exit of former minister Sengottaiyan. It may be recalled that Sengottaiyan had met with Amit Shah before joining Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagham (TVK) led by superstar Vijay. Shah, who joined pre-Pongal celebrations in Tiruchirappalli under the party’s ‘Namma Ooru Modi Pongal’ programme, did not meet EPS. Things could perhaps be sorted out by his next visit to the state.
Tamil Nadu is on the boil over two cinematic events and the heroes involved…one aspiring to become the next chief minister, the other using his political sinews to hold on. Even as Vijay’s Jana Nayagan announced 9th January to hit cinemas and Red Giant’s distributed Parasakhti starring Sivakarthikeyan was pitched for the 10th January, a jugalbandi that many think is hopelessly one sided…pitched in Vijay’s favour. Add to that the trailer of Jana Nayagan released on 3rd January…testosterone action and rocking music filled with incendiary dialogues of Vijay; it got 20 lakh hits in just half an hour. Vijay’s character is Dalapathi Vettri Kondaan, a double meaning title which means “I am coming to stay. Not going back”. But there are some road bumps too, behind the scenes…delaying announcing booking and screens for Vijay’s film, seen as political pressure from Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant movies. There are those who insist that Jana Nayagan is commercially poised to get 60% of screens, Parasakhti a mere 40%. But, Theatre Owners Association President Thiruppur Subramanian is quick to correct this view of political pressure on the logistics of a film release. “Distributors want 75-80% of vasool. We can give only 70%…in Kerala it is only 60%… but in Coimbatore and Tirunelveli it is almost 80%”. Will Jana Nayagan win or the political Sakti of Parasakhti?.
The South’s famed and amazing temples, their lore and stunning period architecture, overflowing devotion saw yet another strong thrust when the Home Minister came on a two day visit to Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. It is well known that he combines temple visits whenever the campaign whistle stops permit. This time it was to participate in the Modi Pongal event at Tiruchi …even as Shah stirred the brim filled Pongal pot his admirers and party members wished for a vigorous stir of the political pot in the coming election, giving NDA combine the sweet taste of ‘Sakkarai Pongal’ ….redolent with rice in fresh milk, generous ghee, profusion of nuts , cardamom and the newly harvested jaggery stirred to perfection …a ritual not many miss in TN , to celebrate the plentiful harvest. After Shah‘s Srirangam Temple visit, he made a stop at the Thiruvanaikovil Jambukeswarar and Akilandeswari temple on the Northern banks of the Kaveri. This temple is unique as one of the Pancha Bhoota temples (five elements earth, water, fire, air and space…there is an underground perennial spring in which the Lingam is submerged). Shiva’s consort Parvati known as Akhilandeswari is said to have her Thadangams (outsize earrings) gifted by Aadi Sankara. But above all, devotees’ prayers here are granted. Shah just walked out of his security cordon to the lined-up crowd, greeted them, shook hands with some, adding to their happiness.
DMK MP Kanimozhi had an interesting start to her 58th birthday. TVK chief and superstar Vijay wished her. So did Union Home Minister Amit Shah. This has set off a lot of political buzz. Since Vijay personally called Kanimozhi, it gained significant political attention given their roles in different parties ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections this year. Shah, who was in TN for election campaigning, also called Kanimozhi to extend his birthday greetings. Shah has been regularly greeting her on birthdays. As for the birthday girl, Kanimozhi began her day by paying tribute at the memorials of former chief ministers CN Annadurai and her father M Karunanidhi at Marina Beach. What is the reason that TVK chief Vijay, who is vowing to oust the DMK, has begun to court Kanizmozhi? Apparently, it is not without reason. A Lok Sabha MP and DMK’s Deputy General Secretary, Kanimozhi has been increasingly finding herself isolated and limited in party affairs. Her half-brother chief minister MK Stalin along with son and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi recently held a meeting of the DMK Women’s Wing in Tirupur. While the CM talked about launching Bihar style sops to women ahead of the polls, Kanimozhi’s posters were apparently missing at the event. This considering she is in charge of the DMK Women’s Wing. Her pictures were apparently added to the Stalin family posters as an afterthought. It is being said that supporters of Kanimozhi in the DMK do not wish for return of the party to power as it would mean working under Udhayanidhi’s leadership, who is being clearly projected as the heir apparent. For them, the choice would any day be to rally behind Kanimozhi and help TVK chief superstar Vijay.
With the emergence of Tamil Vetri Katchi (TVK) and actor Vijay drawing phenomenal crowds for his meetings, the Congress is no longer sure if it would benefit from sustaining its alliance with the DMK. Aware that it may not be easy to just walk out of the DMK alliance that is nearly two decades old, a section of the Congress is exploring ways to break off and stitch up a pact with Vijay’s TVK. Officially, while AICC managers, dealing with TN are fretting about finalising seat agreement with the DMK before an imaginary deadline. And somewhere out of the blue, Praveen Chakravarty, a close Rahul Gandhi aide and head of All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC), began attacking the DMK government for TN’s rising debt. Praveen’s post on X drew sharp reactions from the DMK. While the BJP enjoyed Praveen’s post, TN Cong MPs were simply not comfortable with Praveen’s attack on the DMK and TN’s debt comparisons with Uttar Pradesh. Sharpest assessment came from former IAS officer turned MP Sasikanth Senthil posted on X “Judging states by absolute debt is like judging fitness by body weight — no height, no muscle, just vibes.” TNCC chief Selvaperunthagai, in a post on X, dubbed Praveen as acting against Congress interest. As for Praveen interacting and negotiating with actor Vijay, AICC managers made it clear that it was neither “official” or authorised. The only AICC leader who is very keen about a tie-up with actor Vijay and TVK it seems is AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal who is fancying himself as the next Kerala CM. Venugopal wants a Congress-TVK tie-up to help sweep Kerala polls. He is not bothered about performance in TN. Looks like Praveen is negotiating with Vijay on behalf of Venugopal. As for TN polls, one hears DMK leader Kanimozhi is also not keen for Stalin’s return to power.
The BJP leadership had to recently redeploy Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal once again for handling Tamil Nadu assembly polls. This was apparently being done on request from the Tamil Nadu BJP unit. Even NDA ally — AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami – had conveyed to top BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah that Goyal should be in charge of the state. Initially, the party had assigned senior leader Baijayant Panda and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol to handle the southern state. Party sources felt Goyal had been a good election manager during the Lok Sabha polls and was quite hands on. TN BJP leaders also found MoS Mohol was too distracted and not taking interest in Chennai affairs. So TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran rushed to Delhi and lobbied with central leadership to deploy Goyal once again so that BJP can give good results in the state. Nainar had cited the experience of state BJP during Lok Sabha polls. Yielding to local demand, the central BJP leadership tweaked its assignments for the poll-bound states. Goyal was given Tamil Nadu charge and Panda was given Assam. The responsibility of winning back Assam assembly elections will anyway largely lie with incumbent CM Himanta Biswas Sarma.
Even a Kollywood super hero takes his vulnerability seriously. TVK chief Vijay’s mega meeting on September 27 at Karur where 41 people died in the stampede must be rankling him. Vijay just pulled the drawbridge across his Panaiyur residential moat, and stayed unavailable, licking his wounds and fearing the worst for his fledgling party. But TN being TN, politics and the election run up are unfolding at a furious pace. Vijay too broke his slumber and planned yet another mega meet…this time in Erode. This time he wasn’t taking any chances. The venue had 40 CCTV cameras, 24 ambulances, 70 doctors on call, supported by 120 nurses, 200 water tanks, with canned water at every point, 3 fire engines and 60 acres as a parking area. Former AIADMK heavyweight points man, AS Sengottaiyan turned Vijay’s GPS and capo di, took over to run the mega event. Having been a confidante of late MGR and JJ, Sengottaiyan is a veteran of political manoeuvring and masterful optics. Is he testing Sengottaiyan’s organisational skills? Even as Vijay was ready to preside over the sea of followers, a bike gang driving rashly crashed headlong …fortunately no loss. The adrenaline run cinema gang escaped with injuries. Vijay, with his confidence boosted, is planning the next meet. Gathering huge crowds is impressive but can this pole-vault him to the top?
The impact of actor-politician TVK chief Vijay, who held his second rally in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district on December 18 afternoon — his first in the state since 41 people died in a stampede in Karur on September 27 — is such that it is already making top DMK leaders rethink their election strategies. With Vijay already setting the tone of his campaign for next year’s Assembly election by borrowing from late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa’s lexicon and calling the ruling DMK as “thiya shakti” or “evil” forces, the top leadership one hears is scouting for safer assembly seats for the 2026 assembly elections. Both his Erode and Puducherry rallies had drawn such massive crowds, that the DMK leadership does not want to take any chance. It is being said that incumbent chief minister MK Stalin, is already toying with the idea of moving to his son Udhayanidhi’s seat– Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. At present, Stalin represents the Kolathur State Assembly seat. It is another matter that he was recently seen visiting the area. It is also one of the six state legislative assembly constituencies that is part of Chennai North Lok Sabha seat. As for deputy CM Udhayanidhi, he is reportedly toying with the idea of contesting the Tiruvarur seat—the legacy seat in Thanjavur that his grandfather Karunanidhi had won in 2016 assembly polls recording his 13th straight victory since 1957.
The lines of communication between Rahul Gandhi and actor Vijay who leads the TVK in Tamil Nadu are open. The Congress leader sent an emissary to meet Vijay and the meeting lasted a good hour even as the talks between Congress and DMK began on a negative note with the Dravidian party saying it was not willing to part with 40 seats like in 2021 because it had so many allies to accommodate. The Congress’ overture to Vijay is, however, not about Tamil Nadu whose politics is too complex now with the arrival of Vijay into full time politics. The party would like to take a dash at gaining power in the Union Territory of Puducherry by joining hands with Vijay and standing together as one front against reigning chief minister N Rangasamy and his alliance with the BJP. The party is confident that it can gain power in the UT with the actor’s popularity and if that materialises it could take a different view of TN politics in the future. Vijay was inclined to talk to Rahul on a political alignment since the leader had called him and spoken at length to him after the terrible stampede took place to disrupt his fledgling political campaign. While TN might not see a big rupture in alliance coming about before 2026, the Congress is not averse to testing the waters in Puducherry and then taking a call in the south.
It was a disinformation war fought on social media to mislead Tamil Nadu voters. DMK leader and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin accused the Union government of “denying” metro rail to Coimbatore and Madurai as part of revenge politics; and his post emphasised how the Centre was favouring BJP-ruled states over non-BJP states in providing metro services. Responding to Stalin’s charge, Union Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in a post on X said Stalin had “chosen to politicise” the issue and had ignored the “magnanimous sanction” made by Central government of Rs 63,246 crore for Chennai Metro Phase II for a route of 119 km, the largest ever such project approved. As for rejection of metro projects for Coimbatore and Madurai, Khattar added that the Detailed Project Reports did not comply with essential norms of the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, mandating a population threshold of two million in the urban agglomeration. The Coimbatore and Madurai proposals apparently contained the following discrepancies: (1) For lesser route length in Coimbatore than in Chennai Metro system, a higher traffic projection as compared to Chennai had been given. On the face of it appeared erroneous. (2) Projected average trip lengths and speed differentials between road traffic and the metro, did not support the expectation of a modal shift of traffic to a metro system. A miffed Stalin however felt that Tier-II cities in BJP ruled states were being favoured while opposition ruled States are deprived, is a disgraceful approach. Asserting that Tamil Nadu, the land of self-respect, will never accept a distortion of federal principles and will ensure that Tier-II cities in the state also get metros. Tamil Nadu BJP leaders like Vanathi Srinivasan asserted that Coimbatore and Madurai would get metros under AIADMK-led government post assembly polls.
The BJP central leadership is watching with interest the tantrums that its former Tamil Nadu state president K Annamalai is throwing. Even as he dismissed reports that he may launch a new party, it seems Annamalai may not last in the BJP for long. He expressed his discontent by saying none can put a gun to one’s head and force a person to remain in a party. Annamalai has been sulking ever since Nainar Nagendran replaced him as TN BJP president in April this year. Sources in BJP headquarters say Annamalai has been working overtime to undermine Nainar and weaken the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Though he officially maintains that “the NDA should win” the 2026 Assembly elections, it is being said he is not comfortable with the idea of AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) clinching a win. He is also known to have played a role in bringing together former AIADMK leaders like VK Sasikala, KA Sengottaiyan and O Panneerselvam. More than these disparate groups of former AIADMK leaders, Annamalai’s real interest is in floating a new party and striking an alliance with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). With Vijay recently declaring that the 2026 Assembly elections would be a contest only between the TVK and the DMK, virtually writing off the AIADMK-BJP alliance, Annamalai may feel more encouraged to float his own outfit. But then the future of leaders who have quit the BJP to launch their own outfit has not been very bright. From late Kalyan Singh (UP) to BS Yediyurappa (Karnataka) to Shankersinh Vaghela (Gujarat). They have all floundered. Meanwhile, the ruling DMK is also welcoming into its fold former AIADMK leaders such as PH Manoj Pandian, son of former Speaker PH Pandian. Pandian charged AIADMK of “functioning as an extension of the BJP.”
Tamil Nadu’s Deepavali is not just about new clothes, sweets and crackers…a new film is a must to add to the festivities. Producers work overtime to ensure the movies are released during Deepavali. This year’s festival releases are three unusually titled films …Dude, Diesel and Bison. October 17 was truly a red-letter day for young Dhruv Vikram, veteran actor Vikram’s son. Coincidentally, Vikram’s first film too was released on October 17. Mari Selvaraj, the King creator of down-to-earth compelling movies like Pari Yerum Perumal, Karnan, Mamannan and Vazhai has again focussed on societal inequalities and caste-based exploitation …Bison is centered on Kabaddi, based on the true life Arjuna Award winner Manathi Ganesan. Selvaraj’s Bison not just holds up a clear mirror to the oppression of the underprivileged…he scores with real life depiction of a player tunnelling his way up in this caste overwhelmed social morass that makes the privileged sit up and take note …not just feel guilty about their conferred birth, but in some ways wanting to right these wrongs to bring more equity to the underdog. Kollywood is fortunate to have a clutch of prescient and compelling creators — directors, producers, script writers who remain faithful to ideologies of social inequality and in some way raise the awareness through their artistic craft of storytelling. Weaving the politics of TN into his hard-hitting film, Selvaraj builds Bison as the angry but aspirational archetype of an oppressed young man, determined to win. Even sports are not out of the clutch of caste oppression.
Copper is a high-utility commodity. Its use cuts across activities. To be sure, copper finds application in an array of functionalities in a household — be it a traditional one or a modern house. India held a pride of place in the international sphere in terms of copper production. So much so, India was a net exporter of copper. That was a few years ago. Things have got tipsy-turvy now. Ever since the closure of the Sterlite’s copper plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, the domestic supply shortage has increased. That the closure of the Sterlite plant was more due to politics than economics was, however, a different matter. The fact is that the country is experiencing a huge copper shortage. The unfolding geo-politics has added a new dimension to the copper story. The supply restrictions by China have only compounded the problem. So much so, copper theft has risen these days. There are reports of copper wire being stolen from AC compressors in residential terraces. This does not augur well. Who is to be blamed? The blame game won’t address the issue. A practical outlook to issues is what we need. Not the game of one-upmanship, to be sure.
Garlands For Vijay’s Campaign Vehicles, But No Candles For 41 Dead? This year’s Ayudha Pooja in Tamil Nadu was overcast by the heart -rending death toll of 41 lives, including a 2-year old child and a 60 year’s elder at Karur, when the grandstanding campaign presence of TVK Vijay turned into a massive stampede. The country was still reading about this serious death toll and the Tamilian craze to catch a glimpse of a film star. The usual claims of “heart broken”, “I am too numb to process this” and the blame game of who or what caused the human tragedy, flew thick and fast. But wait, who said the Ayudha Pooja celebrations had been cancelled, so this party could pay homage to the dead, even light candles (Vijay is of the Christian faith and even candle were not lit to mourn the dead) . Instead, the pictures of his campaign vehicles fully decorated with Banana saplings and garlands went viral, but not a word of condolence, even as a one man commission of retired Judge Aruna Jagadeesan had been set up to probe the tragedy. Are campaign vehicles and their sanctity more important than human lives? Time and again such death tolls and heart wrenching tragedies happen. Soon, more campaigns and political aspirant pied-pipers will spring up …the star struck public will be wooed to come in large numbers, supplicants and suppliants, blind faith and mindless following just ripe for more such disasters.
With at least 41 people getting killed in a stampede at a political rally in Karur organised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor Vijay, a lot has changed in Tamil Nadu politics. The tragedy has completely rewritten the way Vijay can do politics in the state. It seems he cannot afford to go solo and needs to hitch his bandwagon to an alliance. May be the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Or some third alliance. Or else he may find crushed by the DMK. At least, three days after the stampede Vijay conceded that the stampede was a conspiracy that should have never happened. It is being said the stampede has so shattered the confidence of his followers and his workers that in a video message to CM MK Stalin, Vijay sought to know if the ruling party was seeking revenge. Clearly the DMK was unsettled by the kind of response he was getting from people. With a huge fan following, Vijay was not willing to have an alliance with the AIADMK. During his initial talks with AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) he had demanded that he be projected as CM. After the Karur incident, Vijay knows he needs friends desperately. To be fair, EPS promptly came out in his support. Former TN BJP chief K Annamalai pointed out that the presence of 400 cops at Vijay’s rally was inadequate. With Vijay seeking a CBI probe into the incident via petition in Madras High Court, it is important that he builds bridges with the Centre. It is learnt that Home Minister Amit Shah also reached out to Vijay. Meanwhile, TN Congress leaders are puzzled that Rahul Gandhi should even call up Vijay. That too when nine Cong MPs had met CM Stalin to discuss their constituency work only last week. Was the Congress deliberately misleading people about TN alliances?
“My heart has broken, I am in unbearable, inexplicable pain and grief,” actor-politician Vijay said in his first reaction after tragedy had struck hours earlier in the form of a stampede that took 41 lives at TVK’s rally. Meanwhile, a campaign had taken off in Tamil Nadu to place the blame entirely on the actor whose political movement is attracting so many people on his weekend visits to various places in the state that it has become quite a political phenomenon not seen in the cinema-crazed state for decades now. The government put out an immediate message to journalists about inexperienced organisers not following rules or instructions, how Vijay came seven hours late to the venue leading to restlessness and the actor not taking any responsibility and running away from the spot. Be that as it may, this avoidable tragedy was everyone’s fault, including that of Vijay’s unruly fans of whom much has been said in the two weeks since he began his political campaign. The administration has been placing 25 restrictions on his meetings and even if he faithfully follows all of them, there is no saying when a mad following will burst the controls and surge towards the magnetic star as they did that night in Karur when the stampede that everyone had feared took place. Police control over the crowds in his rally have been very lax too. His political foray having snowballed into a GenZ phenomenon, Vijay will have to be cautious on how he can control the crowds that he is attracting, and which is drawing political envy and fear as well.
Ahead of assembly elections in Bihar, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the BJP has deployed several Union ministers to take charge of these states’ elections. For Bihar, the BJP has appointed Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as its election in-charge. Alongside him, Union Minister CR Paatil and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya have also been named as co-in charges. Significantly, Pradhan and Maurya are prominent OBC leaders. With the Congress trying to play catch up with the NDA in OBC politics by releasing a resolution for Most Backward Classes or Atipichda Nyay Sankalp at its recent Patna CWC meeting, it is interesting that the BJP managers are prominent OBC leaders. The Bihar Legislative Assembly election for all 243 seats is scheduled for October–November 2025. The previous polls were held in October–November 2020, after which the NDA formed the government with Nitish Kumar as chief minister. In August 2022, JD(U) broke ties with the NDA and joined the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, only to return to the BJP-led NDA in January 2024, once again installing Nitish Kumar as CM. For West Bengal, the BJP has appointed Union Minister Bhupender Yadav as its election in-charge. Former Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb has been named as co-incharge. It is important to note that the BJP has appointed senior leader Baijayant Panda as election in-charge for Tamil Nadu, while Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol has been named as co-incharge. Party sources feel the choice of Panda for TN assumes significance as he was credited for turning around BJP’s fortune’s in Delhi and wresting the state from AAP this year. It is quite possible that the party leadership has similar expectations from him in the southern state too.
Actor-politician is getting more daring by the day even as crowds keep flocking to his Saturday meetings in district towns of Tamil Nadu. The latest salvo he fired at Stalin was to challenge him to cut the audio system or the power when the Prime Minister, the Home Minister or the RSS chief comes to Tamil Nadu. It is a fact that whatever caused these disruptions, they did take place at Vijay’s meeting in Trichy when the audio of his speech did not carry to the several lakh people who gathered at his rally and mysterious power cuts took place. Try imposing the conditions – about 25 are thrust upon his meetings before permission is granted by the police – when the PM and the HM come calling, says Vijay. For all the lofty liberal principles of respecting political opponents that the ruling DMK may profess, it is clear they are rattled by the momentum Vijay is gaining. The imposing of strict conditions – including that he speaks only for 30 minutes at any rally – is a clear sign that the ruling DMK will do its best to disrupt Vijay’s campaign as he poses the biggest threat to Stalin emulating his father in getting re-elected. That may still happen as the DMK is still ahead in the race, but their image will have taken a beating as they are doing exactly what ruling parties tend to do in trying to rein in rivals to power.
The BJP leadership is all geared up to putting its Tamil Nadu house in order. With AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) meeting Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday (Sep 16) evening to firm up alliance in the state, ground was laid in TN to ensure smooth working within various groups and leaders. For a start, a coordination meeting of various state-level leaders within the state BJP was held in Chennai. The meeting was held in the presence of senior BJP functionary BL Santosh. The effect of the meeting was such that former TN BJP chief K Annamalai who was so far playing truant appeared mellowed down. For the first time, Annamalai conceded that EPS was drawing crowds in the state. Party sources said he had praised EPS in the party’s internal meeting too. This means Annamalai has come a long way; from initially opposing BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK to now agreeing to campaign with EPS. This would not only consolidate Gounder community votes in favour of the alliance but also consolidate victory. With Santosh in the chair along with TN BJP chief Nainar Nagendran it was decided that Nainar, Annamalai and EPS would now jointly campaign from Oct 1. It is not clear if Annanmalai had toned down his anti- AIADMK position because of a personal compulsion He is now compelled to answer queries over purchase of around six acres agricultural land in Coimbatore worth several crores of rupees. Annamalai said he had purchased it using a loan, his personal savings and that of his wife Akila. He had paid Rs 40 lakh in stamp duty and registration charges. Of course, no one in the BJP believes it.
In the run up to Tamil Nadu assembly elections early next year, Governor RN Ravi has announced to celebrate “Navratri Kolu” at the Raj Bhavan beginning from Sep 22-Oct 1. Kolu is a traditional way of celebrating Navratri in TN and across Tamil homes. It is interesting that Ravi, a Kerala cadre IPS officer who belongs to Bihar and has spent several years in the Intelligence Bureau before taking up gubernatorial assignments first in the North East (Nagaland) and now in TN, is popularising a Tamil tradition in the Raj Bhavan. He has thrown open doors of the Raj Bhavan to members of the public — inviting students, individuals and general public — to join the daily puja between 4-5 pm,and subsequently for an hour-long cultural programme. Interested members have been asked to register with an X handle specially created for the specific purpose by the Raj Bhavan. With ruling DMK leaders like deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin openly issuing statements against sanatana dharma, it will be nice to see the kind of interest the invite generates among ordinary Chennai residents.
The BJP central leadership is apparently running out of patience with former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai. He was among a handful of leaders — nearly all past party chiefs of Tamil Nadu — who were asked to reach Delhi for a meeting this week with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda for a discussion on TN assembly elections next year. Barring Vice-President candidate CP Radhakrishnan, who was also TN BJP chief, all were expected to join the meeting. Nadda had apparently phoned Annamalai to ensure he attended the meeting. However, Annamalai, who has been sulking since the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, seemed to have other plans. Not only did he fail to show up, but also shared on X how he was preoccupied with some wedding receptions rather than attending party work. During a recent visit to TN, Shah had advised him to focus on party work. So had FM Nirmala Sitharaman, who had suggested that he give up factionalism and take everyone along. Annamalai had resented Nirmala’s suggestion so much that he had even launched a campaign against her for poking her nose in TN affairs. Delhi leaders were shocked as the FM had no stake in TN and had acted only on Shah’s behalf. BJP sources now feel Annamalai is so upset with the AIADMK-BJP pact, he will now do anything to emerge as a spoiler, halting the AIADMK-BJP in its tracks. Annamalai is aware that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami’s tours are a big draw now and can’t tolerate a fellow Gounder (a OBC caste) doing so politically well. BJP feels he may try to bail out the DMK or Vijay’s TVK as a vote spoiler.
Tamil Nadu Congress MP Sudha Ramakrishnan is much relieved to have got back the chain that was snatched from her during morning walk in Chanakyapuri’s diplomatic enclave early August. It took the Delhi Police two days to crack the case and nab the culprit. However, the process of recovering the stolen ornament via Patiala court was a bit long drawn. Reminiscing about the special place the chain had in her life she said she always wore it only because of the Tirupati Balaji pendant. She had bought it with her hard-earned money when she started out as a lawyer “I hold the pendant very close to my heart. I bought it from Vummidi Bangaru in Chennai.” It is the same place from where the Modi government had got Sengol for the Lok Sabha in 2023. “In fact, soon after I lost it, friends were telling me that I will never find it as the chain-snatchers normally melt the ornaments. I was so disheartened that I had promised myself never to bother praying to Balaji if I didn’t get my pendant back. Next day, I received a call from Delhi Police, asking me to reach the court.” In Patiala House she was apparently shown an array of different gold chains and pendants. “That’s when I realised, I was probably blessed as an MP.” As per Delhi Police data, 2,503 cases of snatching occurred in the Capital in the first six months of this year.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is currently the man for all reasons of political strategy …dumping an invitation for an Ayyappa event in Kerala, he winged his way to Bihar on August 27, to participate in Rahul Gandhi led Voter Rights Yatra to protest against the sudden deletion of 65 lakh “fake” voters from Bihar electorate. Stalin’s party heavyweights wondered about this trip, even as Stalin was scheduled to visit London and Germany on August 30. Meanwhile, despite his huge show of power, actor Vijay knows that a nascent party like TVK at best can divert votes, what he really needs is a sinewy party to really break the incumbent. And his Chanakyas, Aadav Arjun and John Arogyasami have marketed a Congress alliance like the Holy Grail. Vijay has already sought an appointment with Rahul Gandhi, a play that Rahul is said to have nimbly avoided being lured by the sound and fury of a cinematic organisation. Surely, Rahul and his party are well aware of the 360-degree strategic strength of the DMK. Why rock the boat when this Opposition alliance has gained respectable traction? But the Judas in every party will try their to open trap doors or pull up drawbridges . Established leaders like Thirunavukkarasu, Manikam Tagore, Selvakumar are enticing the party with claims that aligning with Vijay will fetch them 60 to 70 seats, and TVK will share power with Congress.
Growing up is a process. But it isn’t an easy task. It involves quite a challenge. How to navigate the growth challenges? That thought is exercising the minds of the top honchos (read the promoters) of this organisation. This iconic enterprise stood as a shining star in the industrial landscape of Tamil Nadu. Somewhere along, however, it fell into bad times and almost went into oblivion. But the arrival of a new promoter changed the fortunes of this Chennai-based Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd completely. New promoter J Rafiq Ahmed got KICL relisted, helped the company become debt-free, brought investment from a Qatar firm connected to the ruling family, got the organisation to quickly move into areas such as non-leather footwear, drones, publishing, food, waste management et al. Well-meaning Ahmed is a man in a hurry. The man lays much store by empowering women in rural areas. Alert to time sense, he feels that his organisation has to move into the fast lane not just to catch up what it has lost but also to move ahead of others. A robust system is critical as the organisation glides into higher growth orbit. Not surprisingly, he has drafted the service of a top-notch global consultant to put in place an organisational structure which absorbs and addresses the growth challenges. A robust organisation is essential to its sustainability in the long run. The focus is now on putting the systems in place so that the organisation runs without let or hindrance and sans individual bias.
Even as established parties struggle for superiority among the voters and ideological battle formations, a Johnny-come-lately, just trapezes from his cinema stardom to an iconic leader with solutions to every issue in Tamil Nadu. The second, mega public podium of Vijay in Madurai drew huge crowds that saw National news TV covering it live. At the venue, a 100 feet flagpole to hoist the TVK flag broke and collapsed …superstitious Tamils tut tutted. But Vijay brushed it off and kicked off his super self-projecting show with elan…and arrogance. His ramp walk’s style braved by the fan crowd in 102 degree heat could be seen as his total hold over the audience (fans), notwithstanding fainting kids and adults, first aid in ambulances and the expected melee of crowd behaviour. But what needed to address issues of omission and commission of the incumbent party, quickly turned into an arrogant slugfest. Established superstars Rajini and Kamal were baited, unconcealed. But the Tamil Nadu chief minister addressed as Uncle Stalin raised eyebrows. Is Vijay pointing out his youth or Stalin’s old age? He referred to the AIADMK as MGR’s party and challenged PM Modi and the BJP…in cinematic style with an MGR song. The late Vijayakanth was remembered as my “dear brother”. Even as huge grease drums were placed to prevent the incited crowds to come near him, Vijay cited a Lion’s exclusivity…lions come only to kill and eat the prey. Never to stand and watch. But throughout this harangue, not once did Vijay offer his electorate concrete suggestions. Throwback to Aesop’s Lion and the Mouse parable…invincibility is better underpinned by humility.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Is Here To Stay…
Time, they say, flies—and how true that is. Here we are celebrating our 5th Anniversary. Five years ago, when Covid-19 was wreaking havoc across the globe, I took a leap of faith and launched Short Post, India’s first website for Authentic Gossip. That was on January 31, 2021. I was convinced there was a clear gap in the market for gossip that was credible, sharp, and impactful—especially if told in just 250 words.
In this, I was fortunate. Scores of senior editors across diverse verticals bought into the idea and, in the process, gave wings to my dream. Quite honestly, Short Post could not have crossed these milestones without the unflinching support of its contributing editors. Like all start-ups, we have seen our share of ups and downs, but these editors have stood by us like a rock. I take this opportunity to doff my hat to them.
Thanks to their commitment, we have published close to 5,000 stories spanning politics, business, entertainment, and sports. I say this with pride: we made our mark as people who matter read us. “Small packs, big impact” truly captures the essence of Short Post.
We all know that Covid-19 has reset businesses worldwide, and the media sector is no exception. In the post-Covid era, investors have become more cautious and selective—and advertisers too. To compound matters, the entry of AI has disrupted the media landscape in equal measure. So far, we have managed to hold our ground, hopeful that some angel investors will take a shine to us.
What gives me confidence is this: AI cannot smell news—especially the gossipy kind. In other words, AI cannot churn out Short Post-type stories, no matter the prompt. That puts us in a safe zone. As someone rightly said, “AI is a co-pilot, not a pilot.”