Explore Business Standard
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population. "The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview. "Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added. The Union Cabinet recently cleared the draft bill for the amendments to the law, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, more commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, that will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 with 273 reserved for women, and its implementation in t
The ECI on Saturday ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu Home Secretary Dheeraj Kumar and appointed K Manivasan in his place. The 1993 batch IAS officer Manivasan has been directed to join immediately. Further, the release from the Election Commission of India said Kumar should not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections. Earlier, the ECI ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam and appointed senior IAS officer M Sai Kumar in his place. Similarly, the ECI ordered the transfer of Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun, replacing him with the 1997 batch IPS officer Abhin Dinesh.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population. "The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview. "Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added. Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K ...
Senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal on Saturday released a document titled "Tamil Nadu Government Financial Crisis - comprehensive multi-perspective whitepaper," prepared by his party's Professional Cell in the state, and sought to know where the money received as GST compensation and the state's borrowings have gone. He sought to know how the state treasury could be empty despite receiving over Rs 80,000 crore in GST collections from the Centre and accused the DMK government of causing a financial crisis. With a debt-to-GSDP ratio of 26.4 per cent - just below the Finance Commission's 28.7 per cent ceiling - the state's fiscal health is deteriorating rapidly due to persistent revenue deficits, skyrocketing interest payments, and systemic payment defaults, the paper said. "The DMK's mismanagement has exacerbated structural imbalances, with off-budget borrowings and bleeding public sector undertakings (PSUs) masking the true extent of liabilities. GST has been a boon to TN finances with t
TVK chief Vijay on Saturday termed the DMK-Congress combine a "confused alliance" and the NR Congress-BJP tie-up an "exhausted one" in Puducherry. Addressing a rally here for the April 9 polls, Vijay criticised both national parties for failing to grant statehood to Puducherry despite holding power at the Centre for years. He urged voters to support the party's "whistle" symbol in the Union Territory to usher in a "one-finger revolution", an apparent reference to a dialogue from one of his movies. He promised that a TVK government would make a "100 per cent effort" to secure full statehood legally, free from the interference of the Lieutenant Governor. Presenting his party's candidates as those who "stand with the people", Vijay outlined a series of populist welfare measures. He promised that local body elections would be conducted within six months of TVK assuming power. The party's agenda includes providing Rs 25 lakh medical insurance to every family and 200 units of free ...
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday appealed to the people to defeat the Delhi team as it was "hostile" to the needs or development of the state. Addressing a poll campaign in support of the DMK candidate and state Cooperation Minister K R Periyakaruppan in Singampunari in the district, Udhayanidhi, who is the DMK youth wing secretary, said the April 23 Assembly election is very crucial as it is a contest to extend the development and good work done by the DMK and the Delhi team which is "hostile" to the needs or development of Tamil Nadu. "So, we must defeat the Delhi team, the Sanghi group, and prove that they have no space in Tamil Nadu. Ensure Dravidian model 2.0 regime for more development and welfare initiatives," Udhayanidhi said, highlighting the numerous schemes, including free bus travel for women, the monthly grant for women heads of families, and free laptops to college students. "Just as you made Periyakaruppan win for four consecutive terms,
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday termed the Centre's proposed FCRA Amendment Bill 2026 "draconian", and alleged it targeted minorities, especially Christian organisations and demanded that it be dropped. Addressing a rally here, Stalin alleged that the BJP-led Centre failed to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen and it has failed in its foreign policy. Furthermore, the Dravidian party chief alleged that PM Modi has created a situation of no influence for India, even among smaller neighbouring countries. The FCRA Amendment Bill is tantamount to taking away rights provided by the Constitution and it was a serious assault on the freedom of religion and also on the people who wish to do social service, he said.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, referring to the CBSE's recently unveiled curriculum framework, on Saturday alleged the "so-called three-language formula" is in reality a "covert" mechanism to expand Hindi into non-Hindi speaking regions. Stalin, also the president of the ruling DMK, alleged the curriculum framework by the CBSE, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, was not an innocent academic reform. It was a calculated and deeply concerning attempt at linguistic imposition that vindicates our long-standing apprehensions. The chief minister alleged that under the guise of promoting "Indian languages", the BJP-led NDA government was aggressively advancing a centralising agenda that privileges Hindi while systematically marginalising India's rich and diverse linguistic heritage. "The so-called three-language formula is, in reality, a covert mechanism to expand Hindi into non-Hindi speaking regions," he alleged in a statement. For students in southern states, this .
Tamil Nadu-born Rini Sampath has become the first South Asian candidate to be on the ballot for the primary for the election for the mayor of Washington DC. The 31-year-old government contractor from the Democratic Party has based her election campaign on the theme 'Fix the Basics' and the promise of "A new DC". "I'm not a politician. I don't owe any special interest groups. It's time for an outsider who is relentlessly focused on fixing our basic city services," Samapth says on her campaign website. Born in Theni in Tamil Nadu, she came to the US as a seven-year-old and has been a resident of Washington DC for more than a decade. "It's clear we have a real path to victory. In just four weeks, we made the mayoral ballot as the first South Asian candidate in DC history to do it. That's what a lean, people-powered campaign can accomplish. Imagine what we could do with the resources to reach every voter across the city," she said. Washington DC is dominated overwhelmingly by Democrat
Discrepancies have surfaced in two separate election affidavits submitted by actor and TVK founder Vijay, potentially inviting legal and political scrutiny ahead of the assembly elections. The contrasting documents, prepared for the Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, reveal contradictory declarations regarding his pending criminal cases and designated election bank accounts. The affidavit prepared for the Perambur Assembly constituency, which was notarised in Chennai on March 30, explicitly claims that the political leader has no pending criminal cases against him. Conversely, a subsequent affidavit drafted for the Tiruchirappalli East constituency, notarised three days later in Tiruchirapalli, declares two pending First Information Reports (FIRs). According to the Tiruchirapalli document, the disclosed cases include an FIR registered at the Koodakovil Police Station in Madurai district, and another at the Peravallur Police Station in Chennai. The latter involves ...
The BJP on Friday released a list of 27 candidates for the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, fielding Union minister L Murugan from Avanashi seat and former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan from Mylapore. BJP Mahila Morcha national president Vanathi Srinivasan will enter the fray from Coimbatore (North), according to a list issued by the party. The party has named Kirthika Shivkumar as its candidate from Modakkurichi, S Vijayadharani from Vilavancode and Nagesh Kumar from Thalli seat. Polling for the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly is slated to be held on April 23.
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday said political parties aligning with the BJP face a bleak future, labelling the AIADMK's ties with the saffron party a "betrayal alliance" that deceives both the state and its own cadre. Campaigning in the Nilakottai Assembly constituency for DMK candidate Nagajyothi, Kanimozhi dismissed allegations from the AIADMK-BJP combine that the DMK is anti-Hindu. She countered the claim by highlighting the state government's initiatives in this regard, noting that consecration ceremonies (Kudamuzhukku) have been performed for over 4,000 temples under the current administration. Addressing local economic concerns, the Thoothukudi MP promised the establishment of industrial clusters for the renowned Dindigul lock industry to bolster local manufacturing. She maintained that the AIADMK's political choices have compromised Tamil Nadu's interests, reiterating that history shows no party thrives after partnering with the BJP. Kanimozhi urged voters to suppor
TVK chief Vijay on Thursday filed his nomination for the Tiruchirappalli East constituency for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The actor arrived at the Ariyamangalam Zonal Office in the Palakkarai area at approximately at 12.30 pm and submitted his papers to Assistant Returning Officer. He has already filed his nomination from Perambur in Chennai. Prior to the formal submission, Vijay led a massive roadshow from the city airport that brought several parts of Tiruchi to a standstill as thousands of supporters and party cadres gathered to catch a glimpse of the leader. During the procession near Melapudur, the TVK chief briefly halted his convoy and stepped down from his vehicle to assist a two-wheeler rider who had met with a minor accident. The TVK leader is set to face a high-stakes contest in Tiruchirappalli East against incumbent DMK MLA Inigo Irudayaraj and AIADMK's K Rajasekaran. Due to the ongoing Class 10 board examinations in a nearby school, party organisers
TVK chief Vijay on Thursday alleged joint machination and conspiracy in the tragic stampede in Karur and also in the release of his final film 'Jananayagan,' and said that he too wanted justice in the Karur incident. The tragic stampede left 41 people dead and several injured at a rally addressed by the actor-politician on September 27, 2025. Addressing an election rally after filing his nomination papers from Tiruchirappalli East Assembly constituency, Vijay said, as many have been insisting, the Karur incident was "a joint machination." "I, who have come to ask justice for you, also want justice," the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam chief said and also claimed a conspiracy over the release of his last film Jananayagan. He flayed both the Centre and the state governments on the LPG cylinder shortage and said both the governments could have averted the crisis had they planned ahead and regulated. "Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin air dashes to Delhi if there's a raid or some issue in
The dedicated rare earth corridors proposed in Odisha, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu aim to reduce import dependence and enhance domestic capability in the strategic sector, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the minister said the corridors would focus on mining, processing, research, and manufacturing and help align these initiatives with national priorities, such as becoming self-reliant and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. "India's import reliance on key minerals used for the production of items in strategic sectors such as electronics, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and defence manufacturing can be regulated through the RE corridor by boosting local sourcing enhancing strategic self-reliance," Singh said. The minister also stated that a joint working group (JWG) consisting of members representing all stakeholders had been constituted for formulation of guidelines (SOP) to establish dedicated rare ..
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday alleged that several "B teams" were formed and many tried to "break" the AIADMK by filing cases in court, but all that has been smashed and shattered into pieces. Without naming expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami, while garnering votes in North Chennai for the April 23 Assembly polls, here, said, "Several internal problems were created in the party and now see where they (Panneerselvam) have gone." "The true face (of Panneerselvam) has come out. The cat is out of the bag. After Amma's (As Jayalalithaa is fondly called, meaning mother) demise, many tried to capture this movement intentionally. But with the help of you all and party supporters, we stopped and have proven that AIADMK is a strong movement," he said. "After Amma passed away (on December 5, 2016) they thought the party would break. They tried so much to break this party by creating some B teams. But, along with the support of the people and party
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday completed the seat-sharing process with its allies for the April 23 Assembly polls, identifying the constituencies to be contested by the Congress, Left parties, VCK and DMDK, among others. DMK leads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state. According to the understanding reached, DMK's principal ally Congress' 28 seats include Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi. DMDK, led by Premalatha Vijayakanth has already been allotted 10 seats, and they include Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram. Thol Thirumavalvan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will contest from, among the allotted eight seats, Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti and Tindivanam. The allocations to CPI (M) include Padmanabhapuram and Palani, while CPI will face the polls from Thalli and Bhavanisagar (SC), among others. Both Left parties have been given five seats each. The DMK also identified seats for other allies, including the Vaiko-led MDMK, which will