Page 2 - Tamil Nadu Elections

Poll promises set to test Tamil Nadu's finances over welfare race

Tamil Nadu polls see fierce welfare pitch targeting women and youth, even as strong growth contrasts with rising fiscal pressures

Can Thalapathy Vijay turn celebrity appeal into votes in Tamil Nadu polls?

Actor Vijay's political debut may disrupt Tamil Nadu's two-party system, but analysts say converting popularity into votes remains a key challenge ahead of 2026 polls

Sitharaman accuses Stalin of creating 'false narrative' over paddy bonus

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said that the Centre had asked the state to review its existing bonus policy and consider discontinuing it on paddy and asked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman whether she was willing to place the letter in this regard in public domain. Sitharaman, however, said the chief minister's allegation that the union government directed Tamil Nadu not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation "is factually baseless, politically motivated, and a deliberate distortion designed to mislead the farmers of Tamil Nadu." What was communicated to all state Chief Secretaries - not just Tamil Nadu - was a suggestion to align state bonus policies with national priorities, she said in a post on 'X' citing the letter dated January 9, 2026, asking the states to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds and millets, in line with the national priorities for nutritional security, Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and sustainable agriculture. "Th

How delimitation debate puts federalism at centre of Tamil Nadu polls

In Tamil Nadu, delimitation is becoming a major poll issue, with concerns over fairness, representation, and whether southern states will lose political weight

Govt rushing delimitation, women's quota for political gain: Sonia Gandhi

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday asserted the real issue with the government's move to bring bills in a special sitting of Parliament this week is delimitation, not women's reservation, and claimed that the reported delimitation proposal is "extremely dangerous" as well as an "assault on the Constitution itself". Gandhi stressed that any delimitation involving an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha must be politically, and not just arithmetically, equitable. In an article published in The Hindu, she also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's real intention now is to further "delay and derail" the caste census. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making appeals to opposition parties to support bills that the government wants to bulldoze through Parliament in a special session when the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be at its peak, she said. "There can be only one reason for the extraordinary hurry, which is to derive ...

The Vanniyars and the vote: A key factor in 70-75 Tamil Nadu seats

The Vanniyars are a "backward class" community largely in north Tamil Nadu, engaged mostly in agriculture. A large section comprises landless labourers

Will Vijay's TVK disrupt Tamil Nadu's Assembly election arithmetic?

Actor-politician's poll debut is most likely going to split votes. It remains to be seen if DMK or AIADMK benefits

PM Modi to interact with party workers on Apr 13 ahead of Tamil Nadu polls

PM Modi said that he will interact with party 'Karyakartas' in 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot Samvad' on April 13 to further strengthen the party's reach from the grassroots for the elections

DMK promises ₹2k aid for women, free laptops for students in poll campaign

Addressing a large gathering, Udhayanidhi Stalin outlined a series of welfare promises aimed at strengthening social support systems and boosting educational access in the state

Stalin accuses Centre of 'using' women's quota, slams EPS over delimitation

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 ...

Tamil Nadu polls: A contest shaped by welfare politics, shifting alliances

As Tamil Nadu heads to polls on April 23, the Assembly election will test Dravidian politics, alliance cohesion, and the enduring impact of welfare-driven governance across regions

State Assembly elections test Modi's handling of war-driven shortages

While Modi's BJP seeks to expand its foothold in states dominated by regional parties, the elections come as India faces an uncertain growth outlook after a surge in oil prices following West Asia war

TVK chief Vijay calls DMK-Congress 'confused', BJP alliance 'exhausted'

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 ...

Defeat hostile Delhi team, ensure Dravidian 2.0 model regime: Udhayanidhi

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,

FCRA Bill 'draconian', takes away Constitutional rights: TN CM Stalin

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.

Stalin calls Centre's 3-language formula 'covert' mechanism to impose Hindi

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 .

Discrepancies emerge in Vijay's election affidavits for two constituencies

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 ...

BJP releases list of 27 candidates for Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

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.

No one who formed alliance with BJP ever had future: DMK MP Kanimozhi

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 files nomination for Tiruchirapalli East ahead of polls

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