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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.
Call it election fervour or a pilgrim’s progress, PM Narendra Modi has single-handedly opened up the Temple Parikrama to India’s devotion driven pilgrims. It’s a debatable point to talk about our country being more aware of the Himalayan Shrines and Kasi sacred spots, even the Buddhist temple trails. Has the same importance not been given to the Southern edifices of stunning and amazing temple architecture, the sagacity of the Royal lineage of Cholas and other kings who designed and built temples as the focal point of all cultural, artistic and socioeconomic aspects of life? Every visit of the PM has now showcased these divine wonders. The media has carried the visuals not just pan India but globally. This focus has indirectly enhanced tourism. After multiple visits, Modi is expected to visit Tamil Nadu again on August 28-29 to go to Thiruvannamalai and the majestic Arunachaleswarar Temple. This holy site holds great importance for the Ashram of Saint Ramana Maharshi. Modi is expected to host his Mann Ki Baat from the Chidambaram Temple (the astonishing rock sculptures here portray the 108 Karanas of Bharata Natyam. The Navagraha (nine planets) circuit is perhaps the most inspiring and informative …from Suryanar Koil to Saturn’s abode at Thirunallar (the only Navagriha place which is on the outskirts of TN). There are numerous myths and scientific lores…for example, the Sun’s rays resplendently light up the inner sanctum of Suryanar Koil on Makar Sankranti day …like the SUN temple at Konarak. The mythology and significance of the pantheons is not explained to the tourists. The Vatican has developed audio wearables for every sanctum for guiding the tourist. Maybe our PM can intervene and make it a truly spiritual and fulfilling visit to the Navagraha circuit.
In an interesting twist to politics in Tamil Nadu and Kerala ahead of assembly elections in the two states next year, it is being said a section of Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu are keen on sealing an electoral alliance with popular film star Vijay who has floated Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Party MPs like ManickamTagore are reportedly sending delegations from the state to lobby with the AICC leadership on advantages of dumping its traditional ally, the DMK and opt for a political newbie like actor Vijay’s TVK. While the 2026 election would be actor Vijay’s first political foray into electoral politics, what is giving the Congress’s confidence to invest in him is his popularity rating among the Tamil Nadu youth and his ability to reach out to young and depressed classes. Congress leaders also feel the DMK is not in a good shape and is facing a lot of political headwinds as of now. Of course, a Congress tie-up with TVK is not being pushed by Manickam Tagore alone. It is being said that AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who hails from Kerala, also feels having a tie-up with the TVK would boost Congress prospects in neighbouring Kerala assembly polls. He feels Vijay’s campaign in Kerala could boost UDF prospects as his films are popular in Kerala too. As of now in TN, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is an early starter and his campaign tours have begun to draw huge response. With BJP making right organisational change by appointing Nainar Nagendran to head its state unit, AIADMK-BJP tie-up does pose a strong challenge to the incumbent DMK.
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam has set the political cat among the pigeons. His meetings with chief minister MK Stalin, the first in a morning walk that was said to be coincidental and the second a formal meeting at the CM’s residence, may have opened a whole new avenue before the 2026 polls. There is a likelihood that Stalin will welcome OPS and his rump element from the AIADMK into the DMK+ fold because he believes in all forces joining a larger alliance like the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In political terms, OPS may have very little to offer in terms of vote catching abilities, but his coming into the alliance would deliver an anti-AIADMK and anti-BJP message that may resonate with voters. Before ‘walking’ towards a DMK embrace just after he was refused a meeting with the PM on his recent visit to TN, OPS flirted with the idea of joining actor-politico Vijay if only to irritate the AIADMK+ combine. What Stalin sees in all this is an opportunity to gather all the forces he can so that he will be in a stronger bargaining position against the VCK, which has of late been showing some signs of hitching its fortunes to Vijay as a rising star. There is a possibility of DMK inviting Dr Ramadoss and his Vanniyar vote base into the fold in case VCK gets too ambitious in seat-sharing. And in all this, Stalin is dealing from a position of strength as he has the state machinery behind him to ward off what little anti-incumbency that may have gathered so far in his 50 months in office.
Senthil Balaji, the TN ex minister out on bail continues to make headlines going by the caustic questions posed by the Madras HC: “We need a cricket stadium to accommodate 2000 accused and many more involved in the jobs for money scam in which Senthil Balaji, a confidante of the DMK was jailed. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi of the Supreme Court went hammer and tongs at the government lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi. If every case has over1000 persons as criminally accused and over 500 witnesses, this case can never end during the lifetime of the main perpetrators. Is this a dilatory manoeuvre? The Cash-for-Jobs scam is of a scale not often heard …the special court has yet to serve summons to the accused from far flung areas of TN, a task that won’t get done by December 2025. The next mammoth protocol will be serving copies of all documents and charge-sheets filed by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Each accused will have to be served 3207 documents (covering one lakh pages). But what is even more challenging is the fact that these very accused are also the ones who have lost their money …a pathetic status, though bribing is illegal. According to Gopal Sankara Narayanan, the lawyer appearing for the accused, it is heart wrenching when “even grandmothers who pawned jewellery to get jobs for their grandchildren have been pulled into this scam ring”. Those who collected the money should be brought to justice. But as the Bench remarked “this whole investigation is like a rudderless ship”. Justice Kant suggests that clubbing of cases against both accused and witnesses may, just may find light at the end of the tunnel.
PM Narendra Modi who was on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu was apparently under tremendous pressure from DMK leaders to extend “best wishes” for chief minister MK Stalin’s health and his recovery– in his public meetings–this was one thing he had skipped. It is another matter that Stalin was discharged from Apollo Hospital on July 27 evening a week after he was admitted to the hospital. It was probably around the same time that Modi had left for Delhi. As per protocol DMK MP Kanimozhi was present at Dindigul function of PM Modi so were DMK ministers and state chief secretary present at functions near Trichy. Within the State BJP, Modi had encouraging words for new chief Nainar Nagendran, in what is being interpreted as a snub to former president K Annamalai. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) received PM Modi at the Tiruchirappalli airport. The meeting sealed doubts over AIADMK and BJP, particularly after the way the EPS has been asserting that his party is going to get a majority on its own. EPS and PM Modi were meeting for the first time since the AIADMK and BJP renewed their alliance. The meeting came amid the war of words between the allies ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Earlier, EPS ruled out a coalition government with the BJP and said, “Our alliance would achieve a grand success in 2026. AIADMK will be victorious and will form a government on its own.” This statement contradicts Amit Shah’s interview where he said that the NDA led by the AIADMK will form a coalition government in TN.
PM Narendra Modi on his return from the UK and Maldives will be spending two days in Tamil Nadu; he will be directly reaching Tuticorin. On July 26 he will unveil a series of landmark projects worth over Rs4,800 crore across multiple sectors which will significantly enhance regional connectivity, boost logistics efficiency, strengthen clean energy infrastructure, and improve the quality of life for citizens across the state. The PM will inaugurate the New Terminal Building at Tuticorin Airport developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore, designed to meet the growing aviation demands of the southern region. Spread across 17,340 square meters, the terminal will be equipped to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and 20 lakh passengers annually. On July 27, he will participate in the celebration of the birth anniversary of the great Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola I with the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at around 12 noon at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Tiruchirappalli. He will release a commemorative coin honouring one of the greatest emperors of India, Rajendra Chola I. This special celebration also commemorates 1,000 years of the legendary maritime expedition of Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia and commencement of the construction of the iconic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a magnificent example of Chola architecture. Further strengthening the state’s power infrastructure, Modi will lay the foundation stone for a major power transmission project — the Inter-State Transmission System for evacuation of electricity from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (2×1000 MW). This project, developed at a cost of around Rs 550 crore, will include a 400 kV (quad) double-circuit transmission line from Kudankulam to the Tuticorin-II GIS substation and associated terminal equipment. It will play a pivotal role in strengthening the national grid..
In an unusual break from noisy disruptions and hurried adjournments that have marked the Monsoon Session in the past few days, the Rajya Sabha briefly paused to bid goodbye to 6 MPs who were retiring. Incidentally, all MPs were from Tamil Nadu — MDMK veteran Vaiko, PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss and DMK leader MM Abdulla and three others. It was great to hear the way leaders of other political parties — particularly John Brittas of the CPI(M) or Manoj Jha of RJD — were paying tributes to octogenarian Vaiko for inspiring them to raise issues on the floor of the House. Recalling Vaiko’s commitment to Sri Lankan Tamils’ cause, Brittas mentioned how Vaiko would always be remembered for his daring and courageous journey to Sri Lanka some half-century ago to meet with the (now eliminated) LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. “He had then dodged watchful eyes of the Indian Navy as well the Sri Lankan Navy. More than Prabhakaran, it was Vaiko whose daring journey to LTTE hide-out and back made him a hero.” Brittas also shared how FM Nirmala Sitharaman had in a chat recalled Vaiko’s fiery oratory in his younger days. Barring lawyer P Wilson, DMK had not renominated any of its retiring MPs. Vaiko, who entered the RS with the help of DMK, could not have expected TN chief minister MK Stalin to back him as he had left the DMK protesting against late Karunanidhi promoting Stalin as his heir apparent. Ironically, Vaiko is now promoting his own son Durai Vaiko, who is Trichy Lok Sabha MP, at the cost of other MDMK leaders. AAP MP Sanjay Singh was amazed that DMK member MM Abdulla in his farewell speech raised an issue of connectivity for Hindu pilgrims on a busy route in Dindigul district– that too visiting a temple dedicated to a religious man who had passed away recently.
Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is now a busy leader of the AIADMK, the prime opposition of Tamil Nadu. The challenges he faces in the run up to the 2026 TN Assembly Elections seem insurmountable; at last, the BJP alliance is a fait accompli….yet K Annamalai, the firebrand former TN BJP head has just bowled a googly …whether the alliance will acknowledge the AIADMK as the unilateral face of the government or if a coalition would steer it. EPS has coined his own slogan, “Makkalai kaappom, Thamizhagathai meetpom” (protect the people, reclaim TN). In contrast the DMK under MK Stalin has already eased into the limelight with Stalin’s slogan “Oraniyil TN” (TN in one Formation) with his people outreach programmes already in motion. Recently, EPS set the cat among pigeons when he said “a huge party is about to join us”. Now, the guessing game is on which is the huge party in TN that will join the AIADMK-BJP alliance. “Our party will roll out the red carpet for any outfit wanting to join us” says EPS. The BJP and AIADMK are going hammer and tongs to dethrone the DMK, even as actor-politician Vijay and his TVK claim that they would not need any props to call the shots …TVK has even passed a resolution about having no truck with BJP and AIADMK. Congress leader Karthi Chidambaram has had the last laugh with his own witty and sarcastic take on the identity of this huge party waiting to tread the red carpet. “Is it Trump and his party waiting to join the alliance”?
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has proved his worth and weight on numerous fronts in these past four years. Even though it is easy to pass it off as osmosis by being trained by the political Machiavelli, dad Karunanidhi, he has honed his skills and political instincts by using every trick in the trade. Most significantly, he has been able to stand up to a powerful central government and find his own resolutions to problems. Not that charges of corruption, dynastic polity and Tamil isolationist fervour have not been thrown at him. But he has developed into a powerful leader who projects his state at every chance …and of course showcases himself. So when he showed up in the higher middle class neighbourhood of Chennai’s Alwarpet on July 3 with a clarion call “Oranyil Tamil Nadu” (TN in one formation), people were impressed. All the more when he asked leading questions …do you think the doles of my government should be continued? How is our government, what did you gain? Should we protect our “Mann, Mozhi, Manam” (our land, language, identity) at any cost? The speed brakes on our educational system, unjustified delimitation, our share of the country’s finances …should we protect our rights or blindly accept? His ministerial colleagues and all regional functionaries have been instructed to do this door-to-door feedback/survey for 45 days. Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are still getting their alliance act together. Will it be the hare and tortoise race or the early bird gets the worm case?
Hindu Munnani, a right-wing outfit close to BJP, organised a Lord Murugan (or Kartikeya) Devotees Conference on June 22 and passed a resolution for ‘Hindu unity’ and protection of Hindus in the temple town of Tirupurakundram in Tamil Nadu. An interesting aspect of the Murugan Meet of devotees was that it was attended by Andhra Minister Pawan Kalyan and BJP office-bearers of Tamil Nadu. The conference adopted a number of pro-Hindu resolutions to protect the rights of Hindus. The Murugan Meet seemed like the first of steps to rally Hindu votes ahead of 2026 assembly polls. It not only suggested that the DMK government should “stop treating temples as a revenue source and use temple funds to only benefit devotees”. A highlight of the Murugan Meet was the record-breaking mass recital of “Skanda Sashti Kavacham”( a popular Tamil hymn in praise of Lord Murugan) by an estimated 5 lakh Murugan devotees. It was also resolved to have such recitals of Skanda Sashti Kavacham regularly. The political message of the meet was a clarion call to Hindus to vote en bloc. Pawan Kalyan, who had been encouraged by the RSS to take active interest in TN politics, spoke in Tamil. He hit out at ‘secularists’ and atheists for targeting Hindu gods and temples. In a grand gesture Pawan Kalyan also sought to bring together former TN BJP chief K Annamalai and present incumbent Nainar Nagendran as he made them hold hands on the stage. As for the AIADMK, former CM Edappadi K Palanisamy made it a point to send four MLAs for the meet. Meanwhile RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was in Coimbatore where he praised the spiritual tradition of adheenams in TN.
Shares of Sun TV Network crashed over 5% on June 19 after a family feud came to light. Dayanidhi Maran accused elder brother Kalanithi Maran of taking control of the Rs23,000 crore Sun TV through fraudulent practices soon after their father Murasoli Maran’s death in 2003. Now, there are reports that the legal battle over Sun TV ahead of Tamil Nadu assembly elections has begun to worry the ruling DMK. DMK leaders have begun to worry how they would face the polls without media, muscle and money. They are not only feeling caught between feuding Maran brothers but also feel they have no answer for the TASMAC liquor scam involving close aides of Deputy CM Udhaynidhi Stalin. Sources close to DMK say Dayanidhi’s revelation is bound to please chief minister MK Stalin’s son-in-law V Sabareesan as well as be music to ears of his sister DMK Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who also runs a TV media network Kalaignar. Both Sabareesan and Kani have been in cold and watched Udhaynidhi flex his muscles. In his notice, Dayanidhi sought to restore the Sun TV’s shareholding structure to its pre-September 2003 status. This implies that Dayanidhi and his sister, Anbukarasi Maran, along with MK Stalin, and his two brothers and sister, would be the owners of Sun TV, as Kalanithi did not own any shares in the company 22 years ago. Dayanidhi says that after their father’s death, Kalanithi took over more than 75% of the company, while the shares held by their parents were reduced from 50% to just one single share. He claims Kalanithi used none of his own money to do this. He has threatened to request a government investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office if Kalanithi does not agree to fix the issue. The notice says that when Sun TV was founded in 1985, the only shareholders were MK Dayalu (Karunanidhi’s second wife) and Mallika (Murasoli Maran’s wife).
RSS Ideologue S Gurumurthy who has facilitated many alliances and peace talks in Tamil Nadu is in the news once again. This time, the ambassador-at-large, has been called upon by the PMK party founder Dr S Ramadoss to find a solution between him and his son Dr Anbumani. The meeting between Gurumurthy was a personal one and the BJP had nothing to do with it, said BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran. With 2026 Assembly Elections ahead, brokering a rapprochement between the patriarch and his son was the number one need when all parties in Tamil Nadu are circling and calculating to shore up alliances. Earlier Gurumurthy had met Dr Ramadoss at his Thailapuram residence, the party headquarters. There is a power struggle between father and son over the control of the party. Clearly, Dr Anbumani, who was a Union health minister in the first UPA government, is no novice at power play. He has challenged his father on a number of issues: party funds, choice of his nephew, Mukundan being appointed as the leader of the Youth Wing. A sudden trip to Chennai by senior Ramadoss set off the grapevine bells clanging. Sure enough, Ramadoss headed to Mukundan’s residence in Poes Garden. Gurumurthy along with former Chennai Corporation Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy met Ramadoss. Obviously, bringing this Mango (the party symbol) on a platter will certainly help the NDA. It may be recalled that Gururmurthy was also closely involved in trying to patch up the differences between EPS and OPS.
In an interesting move, the Tamil Nadu government decided to lend a hand to residents of ‘Madrasi Camp’ in New Delhi, whose unauthorised houses on the bank of the Barapullah drain were demolished by the Delhi Development Authority. An official release said the State government, as directed by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, would help the residents return to their native districts, if they chose to do so. They would be given comprehensive support, including assistance for livelihood, through the Collectors, it said.. ‘Madrasi Camp’ is an informal habitation along the bank of the Barapullah Jangpura drain, near Nizamuddin Railway Station in South Delhi. It had 370 slum dwelling units. The settlement was predominantly inhabited by persons of Tamil Nadu origin. The Delhi High Court had noted that ‘Madrasi Camp’ was an “unauthorized construction/encroachment” that had led to the obstruction and blockage of the Barapullah drain, “causing significant waterlogging in the surrounding areas, especially during the monsoon”. It had directed that eligible residents be rehabilitated and relocated under the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board Act (DUSIB). The DUSIB determined that 215 out of the 370 residents were eligible for allotment of residential units under the economically weaker section category at Narela. On May 9 all petitions filed by the residents were disposed of by the Delhi High Court, which ordered the commencement of demolition at ‘Madrasi Camp’ from June 1.While nearly half of the residents were offered alternate accommodation — most residents didn’t quite warm up to the idea of moving back to TN. At least one resident lamented over the lack of opportunities in TN. “They should give first jobs to those already in Chennai and then they should call us,” was the general refrain.
Kamal Haasan, Ulaga Nayagan (world hero) for his drooling fans turned Ularal Nayagan (Blabbermouth) by his Kannada was born from Tamil comment. The timing of his comment made the film trade nervous. His movie Thug Life is all set to hit cinemas in the South on June 5. Already Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are at loggerheads over sharing of Cauvery waters. This misplaced claim could jeopardise the film’s showing in Karnataka, a big market for Tamil films. Legendary director Mani Rathnam was presiding over the razzmatazz promos with his marquee cast on stage when a pap asked Rathnam, “You have teamed up with Kamal after 38 years. Would Thalapathy Rajini also get a film from you after 35 years?” Rathnam, as his wont, did not wade into this “intellectual” research. With great care he said “we have to consider his market, availability and most important a script equal to his magnetism, a long list of conditions”. Such diplomacy and discretion were scattered in the winds when Kamal turned Ularal Nayakan by his declaration that Kannada was the offspring of Tamil. Threats of Thug Life boycott and angry protests erupted just as quickly …but Kamal being Kamal refused to apologise. Kamal who has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha with the backing from MK Stalin was perhaps keen to prove his loyalty to Tamil and Stalin, stuck to his stand. Kamal was scorched by critics who alleged that his party MNM was pledged like Panchali in the gamble of the Mahabharat. Thug Life needed just one more embellishment, the cherry on the I scream…K Krishnaswamy, founder of Puthiya Tamizhagam said “The title Thug Life is not acceptable…as Thuggery has a very bad connotation. Why don’t you change the title to a more positive one?
This is a common evolution in India. The Mahabharata has chronicled numerous such succession feuds as the forerunner of family groups. The latest feud is in the party of Dr S Ramadoss, founder of the Vanniyar caste party, PMK in 1989. His son Dr Anbumani’s action has made the patriarch lament in Shivaji Ganesan style “…the very son whom I loved and groomed is now kicking me on my chest”. Thanks to his father Dr Anbumani became the youngest Health Minister in Dr Manmohan Singh’s cabinet in 2004. But, in the past one year the internecine strife in PMK has come out in the open. The bone of contention seems be to Dr Ramadoss succession plan. He appointed his grandson (daughter’s progeny) Mukundan as the Youth Wing General Secretary. But Anbumani had other plans; he wanted to take over the party in toto and call the shots. It’s the same old story …a father wanting undiluted power over the progeny, and a son wanting to inherit the party which he has grown with his network. Of late, Anbumani (who has perennially ached for TN CMship) has become restive and influenced many cadres to not attend formal party meets called by the father. Add to this his wife Sowmya’s proximity to BJP and the political alchemy has turned explosive. The final nail in the coffin, Ramadoss senior alleges that in one of the family fights, the son hurled a bottle at his mother. The PMK has held sway in North Tamil Nadu and as a force cannot be ignored by any political parties for alliances. But could this family discord dismantle it. Will Dr Anbumani make amends with his father to salvage PMK? Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra.
With the Election Commission announcing elections for six Rajya Sabha seats in the MLA quota from Tamil Nadu to be held on June 19, the race for bagging party nominations has apparently heated up in Chennai. Though the DMK and AIADMK alliances are expected to retain the same number of seats they currently hold in the Rajya Sabha, political circles are abuzz with speculation about who will succeed the outgoing members. Sources claim that since DMK had promised actor Kamal Haasan a Rajya Sabha seat before Lok Sabha elections, it may accommodate him this year. No official announcement has been made so far but the only hitch seems to be a race of sorts between Kamal Haasan and former editor of The Hindu N Ram for one of the four seats the DMK alliance is guaranteed to win. With Ram emerging as the contender, it is being said, things could be tricky as both are Iyengar Brahmins. In an election year the DMK can’t be seen giving RS seats to Brahmins. Ram is viewed as being very close to the chief minister MK Stalin. Ram is seen walking with him in the morning. As for the remaining two DMK-alliance seats, sources indicate that the DMK may continue to allot Vaiko’s seat to either Vaiko himself or another senior leader from the party. For the last seat, currently held by R Shanmugam, who represents the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation, sources say it might again be given to a trade union representative. It will also be interesting to know who will get nominated from the PMK seat given the internal rift between PMK Chief S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss, political observers say the chances of Anbumani being renominated are slim.
An unstated factor in the electoral alliances of Tamil Nadu is that of funding. It is well-known in political circles that the Dravidian parties are a bit more evolved in the sense they are prepared to fund the election campaigns of smaller allies. This may be the reason why TN parties are keener on allying with the DMK or the AIADMK that are flush with party funds and do not mind spending some of it on campaigns whereas the national ruling party BJP is known to be reluctant to do so. Another unstated number is the amount per seat that the Dravidian majors are prepared to spend to give their alliances a better chance. The cash-for-vote is a far more refined process here than in other states even if it started very late, in 2009, in a bypoll that became famous as the “Thiumangalam Formula” whereby individual voters were given money or gifts. A WikiLeaks document of 2011 read, “From paying to dig a community well to slipping cash into an envelope delivered inside the morning newspaper, politicians and their operatives admitted to violating election rules to influence voters.” The money gets spread over 234 constituencies in assembly elections, making it tougher for the EC to catch loads of it, as they do in bypolls. The contests for key seats in assembly polls are known for the generosity of candidates in showering voters with cash and gifts. If some minor parties are yet to declare their alliances for the 2026 polls, it can be assumed that they are merely waiting to know how much they can expect or extract from the majors.
The unbearable summer heat and humidity quotient in Tamil Nadu were further intensified by the fierce exchange between chief minister MK Stalin and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), even as Stalin took off to participate in the NITI Aayog meet. Viral watchers had a field time lapping up this internecine exchange. EPS reminded his bête noire about how Stalin had thundered about boycotting NITI Aayog for not giving TN its dues in funds. What turned the wheels now? EPS scorched …this sudden urge to fly to Delhi is not for TN but saving his family. Remember his late father and the 2G rescue mission? Stalin is all set to open a white truce umbrella for the family rescue. Stalin is talking about a mystery Thambi (younger brother). Who is this Thambi he wants to save? The CM, no novice at cutting edge filmi dialogue, gave it back. Edappadi has not changed from his fabled ambulatory mode …crawling and creeping to clasp feet. So why carp and crow about my visit? It took just one raid for his party to strike an alliance with BJP and float the white flag manoeuvre. Stalin’s repartee, this hand which has waved the Red and Black DMK flag, a super emblem of scholars and statesmen, Arignar Anna and Kalaignar, will never creep and crawl for favours. His dialogue could be straight out of the cult classic Parasakti which took both Karunanidhi and Shivaji Ganesan to dizzying heights of artistic popularity. Meanwhile EPS is still asking the question “Who is this shadow superman…the charismatic Thambi hailed by you and your son? Has he flown the coop? If you have guts and integrity reveal Thambi’s identity”. The people of TN want to know.
In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), is already in poll mode with the leader and his election analysis team hard at work taking stock constituency by constituency to shape the party’s strategy. The rest of the Opposition appears to be in disarray with the PMK sharply divided between the founding father and stalwart politician Dr S Ramadoss and his son Anbumani. Their division came out in the open when Dr Ramadoss convened a meeting at his residence but only 10 of 110 district presidents attended it. Son and 4 party MLAs also boycotted the event. Jayalalithaa’s confidante and aide Sasikala, her protégé and former CM O Panneerselvam and her nephew TTV Dhinakaran are striving to get back into AIADMK, but EPS is adamant that none will be allowed back in. Meanwhile, OPS claims that his rump element of the main party is still very much a part of the NDA, and the BJP has been supporting this. It is likely that the BJP will fork out some seats to the Sasi-OPS-TTV faction because EPS will not permit them from his party’s share of seats. The DMDK has always been a minor player after the spectacular debut that it had under the late Vijayakanth. With TVK, the fledgling party of actor-turned politician Vijay, intent on contesting on its own, it is only the AIADMK that has shown some stability a year out before the polls are due in the summer of 2026. Even so, the DMK has already cranked up its political work at the grassroots level to be prepared to take on the Opposition in whatever shape it may be next summer.
TVK chief Vijay is a confused man these days. He is also a man in a hurry. Add to this his confidence in his ability to draw and hold filmi crowds …the mix is overpowering. So, he pulls out all the rabbits from his magical hat …the annual 10th, 12th toppers prize giving event is making his cadres scramble like headless chickens. Of course, this year’s event is extra special, just like the Booth Committee organization event for which he has zeroed in on Cuddalore as the location as his followers have impressed on him that he has much popularity in North Tamil Nadu to show muscle. The choice of city for his mega public meet is next on his anvil. This time Vijay has set his sights on a 1000-acre site and his team is super busy scoping out sites that meet police, public and security regulations. Siruganoor is a popular choice. But overriding all these issues his immediate concerns is choosing an alliance partner. Some psephologists have predicted a TVK win and formation of government. Prashant Kishor has already told him to fight the 2026 poll alone. Now, his right hand and general secretary Bussy N Anand is of the view that no alliance is needed; he could opt for a rotating CMship with the partner. Aadav Arjun mildly says go for AIADMK but bargain for more seats. John Arogyasamy, yet another influencer says no need for alliance. But through all this back and forth, Vijay is hesitant about BJP leading an alliance. But inwardly Vijay is sceptical though happy and has bumped up the survey results to both DMK and AIADMK. Whistling in the dark?
Recently when DMK MP Kanimozhi took a meeting of party workers in her Thoothukudi Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency to ask them for things to be done in the area by the state government ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections next year, she was quite surprised by the feedback that she got from her team. Her party workers reportedly told her that there wasn’t much she would have to mobilise from her brother MK Stalin government. That is because the newly appointed state BJP President Nainar Nagendran, who is an MLA from Tirunelveli, which is part of adjacent Parliament constituency, more than ensures fulfilment of local area needs. Nagendran has such good equations with Tamil Nadu chief minister Stalin — for that matter with all leaders cutting across party lines — that DMK workers wanted to know from Kanimozhi what was his status vis a vis the DMK. After all, as soon as he took over as BJP chief, Stalin had wished him on X. Such friendly messaging naturally confused the party cadres. The DMK cadres wanted to know from Kanimozhi whether they oppose him or treat him well? These questions surprised Kanimozhi who asked the cadres to focus on strengthening the party. BJP sources admit that the forever pleasant Nagendran has always been a helpful leader. Ever since he took charge as BJP chief he has been renewing contacts with all old and senior BJP leaders from TN. He has been calling on them with the trademark Tirunelveli halwa and traditional sweets from the state. He has certainly been making waves winning friends.
When the newly appointed Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran met with PM Modi he apparently gifted him a statue of jallikattu, the popular bull taming event in Tamil Nadu which the Modi Govt in 2016 had restored by first issuing an ordinance to overcome the Supreme Court ban. Nainar also presented him the famous Tirunelveli halwa and Srivilliputhur’s palgova (a traditional sweet dish). He was accompanied by his son Nainar Balaji. Modi advised Nagendran to focus on revitalising the state unit and prepare for next year’s elections. A number of Modi visits are likely through the year in the poll-bound state. Nagendran also held discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah and FM Nirmala Sitharaman. On X, Nagendran shared how PM Modi “in every word and gesture” conveyed ” his deep love for the people of Tamil Nadu, and his reverence for our ancient and glorious Tamil language”. Meanwhile, contrary to speculation the BJP nominated an old RSS leader and OBC face Pakka Venkata Satyanarayana for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh instead of K Annamalai, former TN BJP chief. Why did Annamalai lose out? It was believed that at this juncture no point would be served by bringing him into the Rajya Sabha with a limited tenure of three years. The party would use him fully in Tamil Nadu until the state elections.
Organising “Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rallies for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge across states has become sort of a political hazard in the Congress. Asked to convene such rallies, Congressmen are literally shivering in their pants considering what happened with Buxar District Congress President Manoj Pandey who was sacked for not organising enough crowds. A livid Kharge had stripped Pandey of his post in an election year in Bihar when he confronted empty chairs on a Sunday afternoon mid-April. No Congress leader is willing to risk the wrath of Kharge. That is why Tamil Nadu Congress leaders recently held a meeting to draw up a plan to organise a meeting on May 4 to be held in Teynampet area in Chennai addressed by Kharge. It was decided that the target to mobilise crowds would be shared by various leaders at different levels. That is eight Lok Sabha MPs from the state would be given the responsibility of bringing a crowd of 5000 people each and 17 party MLAs were given the target of bringing about 1000 people each. Party office bearers from 76 districts were tasked to bring 500 people each. In all the ballpark crowd size of 95,000 to 1 lakh. Some office bearers even suggested raising funds from ally DMK ministers to organise the event. It wasn’t just to bowl over Kharge. The general argument was an impressive show by the Congress that could even make the DMK concede more seats in the TN assembly elections next year. Explaining the lack of crowd at Buxar, Manoj Pandey blamed it on the scorching heat. If Bihar couldn’t withstand the heat in April, will Chennai put up with searing heat in May just to make a political point?
The AIADMK-BJP alliance is not the only cause of anxiety for DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Senior ministers in his cabinet are as much of a headache for the chief honcho. While trusted lieutenant and money handler V Senthil Balaji put in his resignation on April 27 after strictures from the top court, so too the education minister K Ponmudy quit on the same day as he was also under fire for needlessly disparaging comments that drew the ire of a High Court judge who called for a suo motu FIR against him. Did he really need to joke about Brahmin sects and sexual positions and denigrating the whole of womanhood? Brahmin baiting may be fair game for the DMK that evolved out of the Justice Party, but vilifying women outraged a senior woman party leader in Kanimozhi who spoke out. The most senior minister among Stalin’s cabinet colleagues, Duraimurugan, who was just emerging from the woods after a tasteless description of physically challenged people — whom he called ‘nondis’ using an old Tamil term for lame people — when an old case came out of the woodwork to haunt him. A DA case has re-emerged to trouble the minister as the Madras High Court cancelled his acquittal by a lower court. Even the highly regarded IT minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) was pulled up by the Speaker for saying in the Assembly that his ministry had no funds to create new IT parks. He was told there must be a better way to approach the government for funds.
Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR), Tamil Nadu IT minister was seen as a wunderkind when came back from the U.S. to revive his political and family connections in Madurai. He joined the DMK and was quickly rewarded by chief minister MK Stalin with a cabinet post. But it didn’t take long for the awestruck scales to drop…his unique talent and standalone abilities created a rift with those who swore by “Dravidian” versus his hybrid talents, swung from Gesellschaft to Gemeinschaft. Not just unique, he was unequivocal too in expressing his views fearlessly, shocking entrenched party loyalists. His recent speech in the TN Assembly was the flashpoint for Stalin’s anger. The fuse was lit when someone from his party asked about his earlier projects and new ones. He apparently grumbled about the lack of adequate funding for the IT Ministry…“even as Rs 20, 000 crore allocation is sanctioned, the IT ministry got only 200 crore, now cut to Rs150 crore. Even then we used the funds prudently but faced several deficits in projects. Like other states, all IT parks don’t come under this ministry, excepting the small ELCOT …whereas TIDEL and other mega parks are under the Industries Ministry.” Was PTR holding a grudge against Rajaa? The fallout of this frankness was immediate. When PTR invited Stalin to release a book on his grandfather…after some hesitation Stalin agreed but only to pull the carpet from under PTR at the event. In his speech Stalin said: “PTR has excellent communication and strong debating talent. But these abilities often turn into weaknesses by excessive open talk” leaving PTR squirming. Talk is rife that PTR may be sent to Delhi via the Rajya Sabha. When you are inconvenient, you become convenient…to be deputed.
In an interesting move, Vice-President JP Dhankar reached Ooty to preside over as chief guest at a high-level conference of Vice-Chancellors at the Raj Bhavan with representatives from 32 universities taking part in the event. Since Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi assumed office, he has been organizing annual conferences involving V-Cs of both government and private universities. This year marks the fourth consecutive edition of the conference. Dhankar’s presence at the conference assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court order that gave Tamil Nadu government powers to appoint V-Cs. Official sources say that Dhankar could have possibly agreed to preside over the event only after some kind of suggestion from the Centre to consent to his presence. It remains to be seen what message the V-P delivers at the event. Local media reports suggested that there was pressure on several V-Cs from the DMK government to stay away from the two-day event. The main agenda of the event was to foster dialogue and collaboration among academic leaders to enhance the quality and reach of higher education in the state and across the country. Invitations were extended to 21 V-Cs from state universities, 25 from private universities, and three from central universities. Only representatives from 32 institutions had confirmed their participation. Dhankar, who is on a three-day visit to TN, will also be visiting the Muthanad Mund Toda Temple in Ooty. He will also be addressing the students and faculty members of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on April 27.
The AIADMK supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) could not have asked for more. Every wish of his was granted by the BJP that was seeking an alliance in Tamil Nadu with a major party at any cost. The first concession that EPS made in return was in withdrawing the case against Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran that he had filed at the height of the battle for the party and its ‘Two Leaves’ legacy symbol. This is the first sign that some sort of rapprochement might come about between EPS and his bete noire O Panneerselvam, who has stood by Sasikala. It is, however, unlikely that any of the Sasikala clan and cronies will be allowed back into the party. At most, they may be accommodated in the seats that the BJP gets from AIADMK. Earlier, the BJP had empowered EPS after it became known that Vijay was bent upon going into his poll debut on his own with his fledgling TVK. EPS and his party have been named the leaders of the grand coalition that the BJP was desperate to cobble together to take on the DMK that has further entrenched its position by being a fierce voice of opposing the ruling national party. Former BJP TN chief Annamalai may have fought tooth and nail to improve the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha polls but BJP had to ditch him to get EPS on its side. Today, EPS is bold enough to state that there will be no coalition government in TN even if the alliance wins a majority even though Amit Shah had hinted at a sharing of power in the state.
PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Look South’ policy may see former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai’s induction as Union cabinet minister (Rajya Sabha) or general secretary of southern states (TN, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala) like Hemanta Biswa Sarma took charge of North Eastern states. Three-time MLA, N Narendran, elected as AIAIDMK MLA twice under Amma’s tenure, turned BJP president of TN playing a crucial role for fostering improved coalition relationship with his former party. Similarly, four to five state BJP presidents are likely to be replaced before BJP announces its national president by the end of this month. Manoharlal Khattar, Bhupinder Yadav are still front-runners for post, even as Manoj Sinha, Dharmendra Pradhan candidatures were seriously considered. Consultations with RSS next week will finalise the name of the next incumbent. An open secret in BJP that Shah effectively was backseat driving BJP’s politics even while JP Nadda held the post, adding grist to rumour mills over his candidature for presidential responsibility. His holding crucial ministries (Home and Cooperation) is the only hitch. Next incumbent will lead BJP’s election juggernaut at the 2029 general elections so appointment will require persuasion of the Hindutva brigade. Pertinent to note here, Nadda was RSS prerogative in 2014 when PM Modi imposed Shah as national president. Shah’s heightened activity of addressing Parliament, visits to Maharashtra, Kashmir and West Bengal on a single day exposed the fact that he runs BJP’s national politics as de facto president. The May-June cabinet reshuffle may see BJP leaders from Bihar elevated with an eye on the forthcoming state assembly elections.
Karma has its own way of catching up with transgressions and calculated hurt strategies. Nearly 10 days have passed since K Ponmudy, senior DMK leader made his kamasutra speech insulting not just women but a religious sect and devotional symbols of the so-called majority. Hindus, especially Brahmins have been silently suffering this outrage as they lack unity and as always expect the state law and order machinery to come to their rescue. They were lucky. A Madras High Court Judge was not going to watch this hate attitude passively. Even as Ponmudy’s disproportionate wealth case came up for hearing, this HC Judge took up this “lewd comment” issue which went viral. A weak apology was tendered…“it happened without thinking, it won’t happen again,” said Ponmudy. The HC Judge said, “it is like an arrow that has already left the bow…but no action taken so far…that is worrying.” Such talk by any other person would have erupted into a rash of cases, and he put the video on view for all to see. If action is not taken immediately, officers shall face contempt. Interestingly, the Tamil Nadu DGP did not appear but Advocate General PS Raman was in his place. Even as opposition and political leaders protested and thundered at this bias, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin who stripped him of all his powers and suspended him, is said to have called Ponmudy to his room at the Assembly and warned him to lie low, and see this storm through. As you sow, you shall reap.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin is a “stated atheist” though his wife Durga is an entrenched devotee of the Hindu pantheon. Even those who cluck at this family dichotomy admit that right now the stars, satellites, Gods and The Economist are all smiling at him. The UK-based news magazine, The Economist in its April 4 edition has posted a very objective piece on the “delimitation” plan of the Centre after the census. For those who are yet to catch up with this constitutional upheaval, if this delimitation is implemented, TN and the four peninsular states except AP along with Punjab may lose representation in Parliament due to the success of their family planning efforts. And the overpopulated Hindi heartland states with their bursting demography and low living standards may benefit by getting an increased number of MPs in the Lok Sabha. Stalin was the first off the block to form a Joint Action Committee to vociferously protest this plan…a move that has earned him the admiration of the Southern states. As it is he is battling the “imposition” of Hindi in TN. Even Home Minister Amit Shah’s reassurance “Southern states will get a fair share” has been dubbed by Stalin as vague and not substantial. The icing on the cake came with the Supreme Court’s verdict questioning the Governor’s role …stymying and stalling bills passed in the Assembly. TN is currently on top in many growth indices, a key contributor to the national economy, its share being 9.21% to the country’s GDP in 23-24. After being elected in 2021 with a significant majority, Stalin has often voiced his dream of making TN a $1 trillion economy by 2030… but has he laid a strong foundation?
It was clearly a day of hard work and some tough negotiations. Success came at the end of hours of backroom negotiations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has networked and negotiated several alliances on behalf of the BJP, may have never spent more than a day to finalise the agreement, has been working on the fine details of the pact with AIADMK for nearly two days. Initially there was anxiety that Shah’s presser that was originally scheduled to be held by noon got delayed by a few hours. He held a wide range of consultations with Thuglak editor S Gurumurthy. He was determined to secure an alliance with AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) before he left Chennai; his tenacity paid off. He wanted to make sure that the AIADMK and the BJP contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as part of the NDA alliance. He also ensured that when he announced the AIADMK-BJP pact, both the Gounder leaders — EPS and Annamalai — were present with him. “This election will be led nationally by Narendra Modi and in Tamil Nadu by EPS and AIADMK,” Shah said. Shah also made it clear that EPS had not made any pre-conditions. He pointed out that the AIADMK has been part of the NDA since 1998, and that PM Modi and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had worked together in the past. Even though he didn’t specify, Shah made it clear that EPS would be the Chief Ministerial candidate for the alliance. Avoiding any question on Annamalai’s future role, Shah made it clear that he did not want any speculation about it now. “As of now he is by my side.” Whatever may be the details of the alliance, at the end of the day a happy EPS was hosting dinner for Amit Shah.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah are looking South now to replicate their winning ‘Look East’ political gambit from North East India. BJP leader K Annamalai, their go to man for the job, may be appointed Chief of four southern states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana just like Assam CM Hemanta Biswa was entrusted seven sisters (states) comprising the NE region of India. Annamalai, while securing 4 lakh votes lost Coimbatore’s Lok Sabha seat in 2024, tendered resignation as BJP Tamil Nadu president after Shah’s TN visit stitched up political alliance encompassing AIADMK factions, rival Shashikala grouping (including former CM J Jayalalitaa’s adopted, then disowned son VN Sudhakaran). Amma’s medically unfit companion Shashikala endorsed nephew Sudhakaran as her party’s face even as BJP broadens its voter base by emphasizing politically influential ‘Thevar’ community. BJP went with Annamalai’s political ‘going solo’ advisory to register 11% of TN’s voter preference while DMK secured 40% to storm the state assembly. BJP now seeks to leverage its voter base alongside the 20% voter preference for AIADMK factions and Shashikala’s ‘Thevar’ community that had elevated late GK Moopanar in TN’s Congress ruled dispensation of the 90s. Superstar Vijay’s new political party TVK will eat into DMK’s vote-bank helping BJP. Senior BJP leader Mahendra Jain says, “Annamalai’s political elevation, like Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s, is a given although he may personally be unaware of the dynamic political development within the party just like ‘Mamaji’ was, till appointment to head all development projects by PM Modi for India. Annamalai’s name also figures now in the list of potential National BJP Presidential candidates.”
On the penultimate day of the Budget Session, the MPs belonging to the DMK were spotted in the Parliament wearing black shirts. It was not clear what they were protesting about. One of their MPs — P Wilson — who is on the panel to preside over Rajya Sabha could be seen sporting a black shirt and presiding over the House. In the past few weeks the DMK MPs have been protesting Centre’s approach to the state, particularly over New Education Policy and denial of funds to it. schools. In the state assembly chief minister MK Stalin sported a black badge and even got a resolution moved against the Waqf Bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha. This must be added to the state’s tally of assembly resolutions denouncing the Centre’s moves. First one was on the NEET. Meanwhile, it is learnt Sivaganga Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram managed to get a quiet word with PM Modi last week over the menace of stray dogs. He pointed out how India was home to one of the largest stray dog populations — 6.2 crore – globally. The meeting with Modi must have boosted Karti’s stock among TN leaders and also surprised Rahul Gandhi who has always cold shouldered him. In a post on X, Karti explained how India was endemic for rabies, responsible for 36% of the world’s rabies-related deaths. “I raised concerns about the inadequacy of the current system, where local bodies lack the resources, funding, and technology to tackle this issue effectively. It’s clear that urgent action is required. I suggested establishing a National Task Force to provide a holistic, humane, and scientific solution while working closely with local bodies.”
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin learnt much at his father’s political nursery — watching, waiting and willing to learn. That seems to have paid off. Today, Stalin is a Southern leader who cannot be brushed off as irrelevant. In fact, after winning the 2021 assembly elections with a thumping majority he has projected himself as a leader of substance. Of course, his Dravidam, North South polarity and unfettered opposition to Hindi have irked and irritated his opponents. But which politician would willingly dilute his party’s ideology for temporary gains? Even as the anti-Tamil slogan is fanned by Stalin as the major foothold for the 2026 assembly elections, he has now taken on strongly the delimitation demand and has been successful in herding the to-be-affected states and their leaders into a common corral. Stalin has seamlessly moved in as leader of this group — Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, AP, Orissa and Punjab. On March 21, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan was given a warm welcome as the first of the group when he landed in Chennai for a crucial strategy meet at the ITC Grand Chola. Senior DMK leaders Dr P Thiaga Rajan and Thamizhachi Thangapandian received him. Stalin referred to March 5 as a “Historic Day for Indian federalism” even as he projected his Joint Action Committee for fair delimitation. Stalin clearly knows which buttons are to be pushed at the right time.
The Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar put the Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai in his place, dubbing him an unimportant person who had no knowledge of the threat that delimitation could pose to the southern states. The local BJP had arranged for black flags to be shown at all major cities in Tamil Nadu on the day that Stalin held his summit against delimitation at a deluxe hotel in Chennai. It was the local BJP’s point that Shivakumar, whose state refuses to give Tamil Nadu a just share of Cauvery water, and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan who does not talk to Tamil Nadu on important issues like the Mullaperiyar dam, its maintenance and permissible height, should not be state guests in Chennai. Shivakumar made the point about Annamalai’s view of delimitation as an irrelevant subject being unimportant because what counts is what the Prime Minister and the Home Minister think of it. DKS said he could understand Annamalai being loyal to his party, but he seems not to understand what could happen to his own state of Tamil Nadu if the delimitation proposal goes through. If proportional representation according to population is done after the next census, UP could have as many as 137 seats in the Lok Sabha compared to 80 now whereas Tamil Nadu may end up getting four more seats than its current 39.
For all of us who may have watched with much shock and awe the tense moments in the Parliament between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and DMK MPs battling over New Education Policy 2020 and Tamil Nadu government’s “flip-flop” over Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) schools, it should come as some relief that an year-long effort to preserve and promote the Kamba Ramayanam, one of the most significant works in Tamil literature is kicking off on March 18 under the aegis of the South Zone Cultural Centre of the Ministry of Culture . Interestingly, the initiative aimed at reviving the oral tradition of Kamba Ramayanam recitals ceremony is being inaugurated by the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in coordination with the TN government from the temple town Trichy. The ambitious programme is taking place at the historic Srirangam Temple with participation from Kamba Ramayanam Mandali (cultural troupes) from across the state. It may be recalled that PM Modi had listened to Kamba Ramayanam in the very same Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in January 2024. It is possible that Shekhawat was only doing a follow up act. Post the inaugural event, performances will be followed by events at several temples across the state. A week-long festival will be held at Kambar Medu (Mar 30-Apr 6), the birthplace of Kambar in Therazhundur, near Kumbakonam. Between (Jul-Oct) schools are being encouraged to engage with Kamba Ramayanam to culminate in a grand finale at Kambar Medu during the Dussehra celebrations. Plans are afoot to set up a museum at Kambar Medu dedicated to the life and works of Kambar, and his version of the Ramayana, composed in the 12th-13th century CE.
The BJP and AIADMK have agreed informally to have an alliance for the Tamil Nadu polls of 2026. K. Annamalai, who heads the TN BJP and Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) of AIADMK have agreed to come together again after the AIADMK broke the alliance because it believed it lost more from the association with a party that propagates Hindutva. The two have also agreed to keep their alliance intentions under wraps for now lest the many influences around the TN political scene try to disrupt the coming together of parties that can dent the DMK’s chances of winning the polls. EPS is not interested at the moment in bringing back the former CM O Panneerselvam and his mentor Sasikala, but he may have to compromise if the national BJP insists on everyone coming together to take on the DMK. The BJP would like an even bigger alliance with Vijay’s debutante party TVK in it, but the actor has taken such a strong line against all other Tamil Nadu parties that he may have no option but to go it alone. The Opposition parties are aware that their best chance to take advantage of the building anti-incumbency and feelings running against the DMK’s family rule is to unite. Whether that would be possible with Vijay being the X factor in the coming elections is moot. With a little over a year to go, no development on the alliance front is to be ruled out but the AIADMK-BJP alliance is already sealed.
A year ahead of Tamil Nadu elections, every statement or utterance by political leaders is being micro analysed to see the impact on alliances on the ground. Well that is what happened when Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)’s special political advisor Prashant Kishor stated that the party will contest the Tamil Nadu 2026 Assembly elections independently and will not form an alliance with the AIADMK, Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition party. Kishor, who had shared the dais with actor Vijay at a TVK event, also claimed that Vijay’s on-screen popularity would ensure the party’s victory in the Assembly polls. Kishor’s remarks came amidst reports that AIADMK and TVK talks for a potential alliance to challenge the DMK in the crucial 2026 elections seemed headed in a deadlock. That was because AIADMK refused to give any edge to the new party and insisted on contesting a majority of the 234 assembly seats. TVK’s general secretary (election campaign management) Aadhav Arjuna clarified that Vijay didn’t launch the new party just to settle for 40 or 45 seats. Did actor Vijay enter politics — on behalf of the DMK only to divide anti-incumbency votes against it? Kishor has had a history of working with the DMK. On his part, Kishor has been trying to keep himself away from the anti-Hindi politics of TVK. Like a grounded Bihari leader he had refused to sign a petition against the New Education Policy of the Centre) at the TVK event. Elaborating on Vijay’s potential to go alone in TN, Kishor said that “…If he goes alone, he stands a very good chance.” Left without an ally, AIADMK is once again looking to fall back on holding hands with BJP which along with its allies had polled 18% votes in 2024 Lok Sabha polls going alone.
Fast food and instant gratification are the mainstays of the millennium. Experience, long gestations and political staying power are now passé. That is if you believe South’s hero in a hurry. Superstar Vijay put his party’s (TVK) second anniversary celebrations in cheeky overdrive and stupendous overconfidence. The event held at a resort in Pooncheri near Mahaabs had all the film features of a runaway hit film…pageantry, crowds of party cadres, money spent unstintingly and of course undiluted devotion to Vijay. If TVK had their way, Vijay was already TN’s CM-designate. With so much intoxication of electoral popularity stemming from film star power, Prashant Kishor who seamlessly moved in as poll Bhishma, had to perforce prop himself and his invincibility. So, what was PK’s role? In his own words, “I have come here as Vijay’s friend …TVK’s victory need not be attributed to me. I see this new star on the horizon zooming to his goal”. Soon, many of you may be in positions of power. But TN badly needs a striking change from its 35-year history, even though it is the leader in many development indices. But it also leads to corruption, could face religious and culture conflicts if this dynastic succession goes on. The PK punch came now…Just watch, I may be more celebrated than Dhoni when TVK comes to power. TN has to wait and watch for the hustings.
Tamil Nadu’s father and son duo of MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin have embarked on a fight to the finish with the Centre on all issues. They know well that this confrontation is not going to get the state anywhere in terms of funding from the Union in important areas like education, but they are convinced that they will have the Tamil people more on their side if they continually oppose PM Narendra Modi, the BJP and the Centre. Their latest battle has lain in the third language formula domain in which the state will get more than Rs 2,100 crore funding if they adopt the New Education Policy. It is known that the third language need not necessarily be Hindi and can be any official language of India that a school offers, including the mother tongue of students who are from outside the state. But that has not stopped the father-son from ignoring the fact that the third language is not necessarily pro-Hindi nor Hindi imposition. It is the Tamil psyche shaped by the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s that the duo is exploiting along with their party that came to power because of the language agitation that began nearly a century ago when C Rajagopalachari oversaw the Madras Presidency in the 1930s. They are playing to the gallery and getting under the skin of New Delhi. Tamil pride and Tamil angst are what they are depending on as they plan to keep power.
There was that brief break when Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai was in the UK for about three months. During that period, the internecine war between the DMK and Annamalai paused, only to start again, this time with overt threats and challenges. As it is the DMK is seeing bright red as BJP is withholding the education funds for TN, demanding the three-language formula be introduced in the state. Views are strongly divided on this daunting issue — a consensus compromise has to be reached. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin has thrown the gauntlet; the DMK is openly saying that it will no longer be “Go back Modi” but a more virulent “Get out Modi”. Annamalai, just waiting for a chance to retaliate, has issued a fresh challenge with a prickly hashtag, “Get out Stalin” and has thrown the gauntlet “let’s see which hashtag gets the most hits”. In terms of dignified and grace filled political exchange, this appears totally immature. Minister for Health, Ma.Subramanian says, “Annamalai should control his speech”. For his part, Sekhar Babu, (minister for HR & CE), His Masters Voice for Stalin Sr and Jr is optimistic that the more hits DMK gets from BJP, the more DMK will bounce higher like a ball. “Let Annamalai stand against our lowest level DMK cadre in the Assembly election. Its victory for the DMK”. Juggernauts are ready for the Colosseum.
Change is the only constant in the world. It also signals a move forward. In this instance, however, this change has ushered in a complete break from the past. No doubt, the ownership of Kothari Industrial Corporation (KICL), a company founded very many summers ago by the late DC Kothari, has moved on to Rafiq Ahmed a while ago. But there was a sense of continuity with Pradip D Kothari, son of DC, remaining as the Chairman of KICL. A few days ago, however, he stepped down to pave the way for Rafiq Ahmed to become the Executive Chairman of the company. With this, the break is complete. From now onwards, KICL will run on its own sans the DC Kothari family members. Indeed, KICL has padded up for a new innings. Having given a new lease of life to KICL, Rafiq Ahmed is focussing on the way forward. He continues to carry on the legacy of the late DC Kothari. At the same time, he is charting out his own plan to bring the glory of former times back to the Kothari, a celebrated brand once upon a time. The DC Kothari Group, in fact, had grown with the blessings of illustrious names such as R Venkatraman (former President of India), K Kamaraj (chief minister of Tamil Nadu) and the like. Not surprisingly, Rafiq Ahmed has chosen to continue the legacy of the vision envisioned by DC Kothari. Well, the newly-anointed Executive Chairman is on a mission mode. He has put on a blinker to push brand Kothari to its original glory.
The labour impasse at the Samsung’s Sriperumbudur facility in Tamil Nadu is attracting increasing attention as both sides aren’t ready to yield from their stated positions. The trigger for the latest industrial dispute was the suspension of three workers of the union which was registered under a court order but has not been recognised by the Samsung management. As the fracas continues, the union leader has alleged that the management has suspended more workers. The suspension of the three union workers, the management claims, was forced as a section of the workers led by these three assembled unannounced and gate crashed to have an audience with officials of the company. The union leader — an outsider belonging to CPI(M)-affiliated CITU, wanted the suspension removed and demanded the management to forthwith stop using contracts labour. This sounds funny. If Samsung can’t use contract labour, how can the union have an outsider as its leader! An oxymoron position by the union leader, it appears! As the stalemate prolongs at Samsung facility, questions have risen over its fallout on the effort of the DMK government in attracting global investment. In the emerging era of artificial intelligence one is unable to fathom the larger implications of such strident position articulated by an outsider-leader.
The Union Home Ministry’s decision to grant actor-politician Vijay, the chief of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), ‘Y’ category security in Tamil Nadu has stirred the political pot. Sources said while the security was accorded after an internal security audit by the Intelligence Bureau, it has prompted a sharp reaction from the AIADMK, which suspected that the BJP would use the security cover to get the newbie politician to its side at a time when it is planning a grand alliance with TVK and the Congress for next year’s assembly elections. It may seem the Centre’s security decision is being over analysed. But sources say the Congress is already under pressure from AIADMK to change its TN president ahead of the assembly polls as he is being viewed as too close to the DMK, post Erode assembly by-elections. Meanwhile, it is felt Vijay may accept the security cover as it will be helpful in managing the crowd during his public engagement as a politician. AIADMK functionaries however are unconvinced that the Centre’s decision was merely a security decision. Strongly backing the Centre’s decision to give Vijay ‘Y’ security cover, TN BJP chief K Annamalai pointed out that the Central government had given CRPF security to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, regardless of whether the AIADMK was in alliance with the BJP or not. He pointed out that similarly the central government had given ‘Y’ security to Vijay. “The reason that Vijay is not able to meet the public is because of the huge crowds.” He also wanted to know why the DMK government in the state had not come forward to give Vijay this sort of security.
In Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian major AIADMK is going through a minor crisis of confidence with a senior member in Sengottaiyan staying away from an event that felicitated the party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). The former minister explained it away saying he was told there would be no portraits of party founder MGR and his protégé J Jayalalithaa at the venue and the party explained it away by saying the event was by a federation of farmers. The minor misunderstanding alone is not, however, what the leader and former chief minister EPS is facing. He is deprecated as the ‘dubbing voice’ of the BJP by TN chief minister MK Stalin and assailed every day by those who he had forced out of the party like TTV Dhinakaran of the Sasikala clan. While Palaniswami may be forced to accept that to go with the BJP in the Assembly elections of 2026 could be the only option given the scattered vote share of the Opposition, he is being offered an olive branch by the ousted former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) who now senses an opportunity to call for unifying all forces so the party may regain the strength of old and be a force to be reckoned with in the state. OPS is now saying he is willing to patch up and return even with EPS as chief. provided fair elections are held soon with all party members allowed to vote for their chief. Meanwhile, word has come in that political advisers are saying that only a front against the ruling DMK with AIADMK, BJP and Vijay’s fledgling TVK could fancy its chances of downing the ruling party.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reportedly accepted an invitation of the Tamil Nadu BJP to inaugurate the newly constructed party office in southern most part of the state — Ramanathapuram on February 26. From there he will be travelling to Coimbatore. Around the same time PM Narendra Modi will also be in the state to relaunch the new railway bridge connecting mainland India to Pamban Island at the south western tip of Tamil Nadu; it is expected to open for train traffic on February 28. Built over nearly six years at a cost of Rs 531 crore, the 2.1-km structure has been hailed as an engineering marvel. It is India’s first vertical lift bridge, featuring a navigational span that can be raised up to 17 metres to allow floating pontoons. The decision to construct a new bridge was taken in 2019 after the old cantilever bridge — opened on February 24, 1914 — became structurally weak due to corrosion. Train movements on it stopped in December 2022. The old bridge was a historic engineering marvel until India’s longest sea bridge — Bandra-Worli Sea Link opened in Mumbai in 2010. Besides, it also had several limitations. Its Scherzer rolling lift span had to be operated manually by 16 people, and the process took 45 minutes. The old bridge had only a single, unelectrified track. In contrast the new bridge has been designed for a speed of 80 kmph due to the presence of a 2.65-degree curve. The old bridge had a speed limit of 10 km. As many as 130 trains can operate on the bridge per week. Currently, trains terminate at Mandapam, 17 km northwest of the temple town of Rameswaram.
Big parties like the AIADMK and BJP have boycotted the February 5 Erode East bypoll to the Tamil Nadu assembly, leaving the Opposition space for the rabble rouser Seeman who heads his Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). And he has enjoyed his moment in the sun by taking potshots at the DMK and its ideological patriarch EVR Periyar, the social reformer who stood up for the classes oppressed in the old Hindu caste system. Known as much for his atheist views, EVR had left himself open to criticism for his Brahmin-baiting ways that denigrated Hindu gods. No one in Tamil Nadu, a major portion of whose people deify Periyar as an ideologue who showed the path to political power for the Dravidian classes even though he himself was not for electoral politics, would like to see their idol’s ideas and actions challenged thus. Seeman has continuously sniped at Periyar’s ideas while promoting his brand of Tamil nationalism that deifies the terrorist Marxist Prabhkaran of the LTTE who was gunned down by Sri Lankan armed forces after 30 years of civil strife in 2009. Seeman’s tactics may not improve his vote share but since his candidate is certain to finish second to the DMK, he is having fun mocking Dravidian claims. The ruling DMK’s cadre were told to ignore him as Seeman will become politically insignificant again when the State goes to the polls and there will be two or three major fronts with the DMK+, BJP+, AIADMK and actor-politician Vijay’s TVK in the fray.
On Republic Day, Vijay’s last film’s title and first look were announced — Jana Nayagan (hero of the masses) cracking a whip with the tagline Naan Aanai Ittal. Besotted MGR fans, even 37 years later were intended to be captivated hook, line and sinker by this iconic song and MGR’s cult charisma. TN’s DNA is conjoined twins — cinema and politics, a predictable, popular combo that has enthralled the cinema hungry and politics punched denizens of this state. Vijay who floated his party TVK in 2024 to harvest the votes in 2026 has it all planned. Or so it seems. This popular actor was launched by his father S A Chandrasekhar in 1984. After 68 films, Vijay now considers himself worthy of the crossover to TN’s throne, a charismatic Lord of the rings. There was a time when Vijay cannily shifted his MGR style to clone superstar Rajinikanth … .action, style and mass appeal, of course with a watchful eye on the box office take. If imitation is the best form of flattery, then it has to be acknowledged that Vijay reaped rich rewards in terms of fan following. So his last film is planned to carry a significant payload…MGR’s legacy as the cult Samaritan, forever ready to wipe the tears of the poor and pull them up from mired poverty. For which Vijay needs power, endorsement and legitimacy. He has carefully trained his virulent guns on the DMK so far, not pricking the AIADMK. Soothsayers say, at best he can divide and divert votes from both the behemoths. Can Vijay take an MGR incarnation?
Signing on poll advisers is not new to Tamil Nadu politics, but there have been some changes of late as the parties are getting serious about the 2026 Assembly polls that are nearly 15 to 16 months away. TN’s Dravidian parties may have entered into agreements with poll consulting firms later than other regional parties though Prashant Kishor was the first to take on a TN party when he signed up with the DMK. Now that he has started a political party of his own, the DMK has signed on Robbin Sharma’s Showtime Consultancy for the consulting and poll strategy role for 2026. Sunil Kanugolu has been advising the AIADMK party on poll matters and he continues in that role. One of the new political personalities on the TN horizon is Aadhav Arjuna, son-in-law of the lottery king Martin, who is now signing on with Vijay’s party as consultant even as TVK prepares for its electoral debut in 2026. He will also be formally joining the party on February 2. After falling out with the VCK, Aadhav has shown keen interest in Vijay’s party, and he will be on hand as poll adviser as well with his company to do data crunching and other tasks. An intriguing feature of the 2026 polls is that all the major parties are already gearing up for it well in advance with strategy sessions, preparation for booth-level presence and the regular matter of organising rallies and tours of their leaders. Party confabulations are already heavy over what are seen as very important elections coming up.
Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi has never spared a moment to corner TN chief minister M K Stalin and his government on their shortcomings. He has been regularly sending reports to Home Minister Amit Shah on the state of affairs in TN, much to the irritation of the ruling DMK. With the assembly polls next year, his Republic Day eve address has upset Stalin. Without mincing words, Ravi raised several critical concerns regarding TN’s socio-economic and administrative challenges. He expressed concern over the declining autonomy of universities, alleging that the state secretariat exerts significant control over university operations, including academic councils and vice chancellors’ appointments. He also criticised the curriculum and syllabus management, stating they are now heavily influenced by the State Government Council for Higher Education. Ravi highlighted the rising menace of drug syndicates in the state, frequent reports of caste-based discrimination and violence against Dalits, including their denial of access to public spaces. The Governor stated that TN is no longer a leading destination for private investment, trailing behind states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. He attributed this decline to dwindling foreign direct investment. Ravi further pointed to the state’s high suicide rate, at over 26 per lakh population — more than double the national average. He referred to Tamil Nadu as the “suicide capital of India”. He also raised concerns about national security, citing the National Investigation Agency’s discovery of terrorist modules and sleeper cells linked to international terror networks operating within the state. Notably, the Tamil Nadu government boycotted the tea party hosted by the Governor on Republic Day in response to these statements.
The revolving doors of Tamil Nadu political parties have started moving furiously with faster entries and exits. Recently, the DMK welcomed 3,000 quitters from grandstanding Seeman’s Naam Thamizhar Katchi, a defection that left him speechless. A rare event for Seeman. Even as AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami held a grand meet to kick off his election prep, party managers were under pressure to bring huge crowds in all his pit stops as he undertook a whirlwind tour of 234 Assembly segments. Apart from his mega plans, he had a few tricks and turns to display even as his tour itinerary unfolded. The big story was former VCK Deputy Secretary and ThirumaValavan’s shotgun speaker, Aadav Arjuna joining the AIADMK. Just a few months back Aadav was in the news for taking on the DMK, its dynastic culture and the automatic elevation of Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy CM. “We need to end this born to entitlement of the top slot just because the party founder happened to be your grandfather,” said Arjuna. Arjuna’s arrows made Thiruma squirm, and he suspended his protégée for six months. Rumour mills were on overdrive asking, will it be Vijay or Edappadi whose outfit would welcome Aadav. He also earned brownie points to gently nudge poll strategist Prashant Kishor to “agree” to be the AIADMK’s Dronacharya, a deal said to have cost the party Rs 200 crore.
TRENDS & VIEWS
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.”