Page 3 - Tamil Nadu

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

Vijay alleges conspiracy in Karur tragedy, says he too wants 'justice'

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

Rare earth corridors will reduce import dependence: Jitendra Singh

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 ..

Several 'B teams' tried to break AIADMK but failed, says chief Palaniswami

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

DMK finalises seat-sharing pact with allies ahead of Assembly polls

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

Puducherry's search for political identity as new parties split votes

If new parties nibble away even 4-5 per cent of the vote, the outcome in Union Territoy could be unpredictable

Sterlite row sparks livelihood concerns in TN's Thoothukudi ahead of polls

The debate over industrial development versus livelihood protection and environmental safety has intensified in Tamil Nadu's coastal district of Thoothukudi ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, with the lingering Sterlite Copper Plant controversy continuing to cast a long shadow. Home to the V.O. Chidambaranar Port, the district has seen steady industrial and trade growth over the years, driven largely by port-led infrastructure and logistics activities. However, fishing communities, which form a significant part of the local population, have expressed serious apprehensions that unchecked expansion is threatening their traditional livelihoods and the marine ecosystem. "Development linked to the port should not come at the cost of destroying traditional fishing. Industrial growth must happen while protecting fishermen's livelihoods," R. Russell, Secretary of the Water Transport Workers' Federation of India, told PTI Videos. According to local estimates, over two lakh fishing ..

Tamil Nadu: Moving on from good to great with growth push, $1 trillion goal

The turnaround is the result of TN's faster growth following the 1991 reforms, with its per capita GDP growing at 5.8 per cent per annum, compared to 4.7 per cent for India as a whole (1994-2023)

TN Assembly polls: Battle lines drawn, AIADMK switches to campaign mode

With a month to go for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the battle lines are clearly drawn and the AIADMK camp is making apparent efforts to get a headstart ahead of the ruling DMK bloc by quickly finalising the seat-sharing deal, identifying constituencies for itself and allies and switching on to the campaign mode. The Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, which leads the NDA in Tamil Nadu will take on the DMK in certain urban centres considered to be the ruling party's stronghold. The assembly polls will be held on April 23 and counting of votes taken up on May 4. Determined to win over 210 out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state, the AIADMK has announced that it would contest from 169 seats, leaving the rest to allies, while the DMK has readied its poll battle machinery in as many as 175 constituencies. For its part, the Stalin-led party has set a target to secure over 200 seats. DMK has announced that 'Rising Sun' will be in fray from 175 Assembly segments, indicating it wo

AIADMK releases first list of 23 candidates for Tamil Nadu Assembly polls

Tamil Nadu's main opposition party AIADMK, leading the NDA in the state, on Wednesday released its first list of 23 candidates for the April 23 Assembly polls and renominated its chief K Palaniswami from his home turf of Edappadi constituency in Salem district. The AIADMK retained in its first list top leaders including K P Munusamy, Dindigul C Sreenivasan and Natham R Viswanathan and it named western region's star leaders SP Velumani, P Thangamani from Thondamuthur and Kumarapalayam. Although Tamil nationalist NTK had already released its list of candidates for all the 234 seats, AIADMK is the first major party in the state to release its list of candidates, albeit in part.

AIADMK, if voted to power, will give free fridges to ration cardholders

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced free refrigerators for all rice ration cardholders if his party is voted to power in the 2026 Assembly election. Also, he assured to provide one kilo dal and one litre of cooking oil for free to rice category ration cardholders in Tamil Nadu. His announcements toe the line of the party leader and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who had announced the populist scheme to provide free fans, mixies, and grinders as part of the AIADMK election manifesto ahead of the 2011 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. After coming to power, she launched the distribution of these freebies on September 15, 2011, coinciding with former Chief Minister C N Annadurai's birth anniversary. Releasing the party's poll manifesto for the April 23 election, at the AIADMK state headquarters here, Palaniswami said, "The free fridge is meant to reduce the household workload of homemakers.

BJP's rise faces Tamil Nadu wall despite gains across poll-bound states

The BJP has expanded steadily across eastern and north-eastern India, but southern strongholds like Tamil Nadu and Kerala continue to resist its rise

Food prices set to rise as hotels switch fuels; biryani hit during Eid

The LPG crisis-forced migration to firewood in Tamil Nadu's hotel industry is going to soon lead to a rise in prices of food commodities but what has taken the fizz off in the festival season is Biryani getting dear. Muslim faithfuls rue the fact that family gatherings have shrunken during the Ramzan season, thanks to the LPG situation triggered by the ared conflict in West Asia. Tamil Nadu Hotels Association President M Venkadasubbu said, this time the hoteliers preferred to prepare even the accompaniments of biryani using firewood. "Whatever side dish people order it will be available since this time hotels have started to prepare those items also using firewood along with biryani. But the cost has increased since the price of firewood also increased. However, hotels have stopped selling those items that are deep fried," he said. Due to the sudden commercial LPG cylinder crisis, 90 per cent of the hotels are not running on profits and there has been 30 per cent drop in business f

AIADMK to retain lion share of seats, BJP to get many to contest TN poll

With nine days left for the filing of nominations for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election to commence, the seat-sharing parleys in the AIADMK-led NDA has entered a crucial phase and the lead party of the bloc is likely to retain about 170 seats, party sources said on Saturday. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's New Delhi visit on March 19 has finalised the numbers and the party is likely to retain about 160 to 170 seats out of the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state. "This is to ensure that the AIADMK obtained a majority on its own to form the government," a senior party leader said. The party requires a simple majority of 118 MLAs to form the government on its own. Palaniswami, who heads the NDA in the state, has already set a target to win 210 seats and is being projected as the chief ministerial face of the bloc. The BJP is likely to be allocated 30 seats, up by 10 than the number it contested in the 2021 Assembly election, while the PMK (Anbumani) is likely to

Tamil Nadu Assembly sits for the lowest for a full-term Assembly since 1952

Governor's inaction on Bills triggers legal battle

Tamil Nadu surpasses Gujarat, Maharashtra to become top textile exporter

Tamil Nadu has emerged as India's top state in textile exports, recording shipments worth USD 7,997.17 million for the fiscal year 2024-25, which is an increase of 29.12 per cent over the last four years, the government said. The state has witnessed a 29 per cent increase in export value in the last four years, an official release said. In 2020-21, Tamil Nadu's textile exports stood at USD 6,193 million. Chief Minister M K Stalin said Tamil Nadu has successfully outpaced competitors like Gujarat and Maharashtra to secure the first position. "Tamil Nadu's export volume of textiles, which was USD 6,193.39 million in 2020-21 due to the planned actions of the Dravidian Model government, rose to USD 7,997.17 million in the next four years. Overall, in India's exports, Tamil Nadu accounts for 21.84 per cent," he wrote in a social media post. As per the National-Import-Export Record for Yearly Analysis of Trade data, the value of textile goods shipped from India was USD 36,610 million, o

Senthil Balaji appears before CBI for questioning in Karur stampede case

V Senthil Balaji, the DMK MLA from Karur, appeared before the CBI on Tuesday for questioning over a stampede during a political rally of TVK chief Vijay in the Tamil Nadu town last year, officials said. The CBI took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order. TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally in Karur on September 27, 2025, resulted in a massive stampede that claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 people injured. In October last year, the apex court asked the CBI director to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation, besides constituting a supervisory committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the probe. A top court bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria had said that the stampede left an imprint in the minds of the citizens throughout the country. It had wide ramifications with respect to the lives of citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kin is of utmost importance,

Tamil Nadu govt to invest ₹25 crore in space startup Agnikul Cosmos

The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) will invest Rs 25 crore in Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos under the TIDCO Startup Investment Policy 2025. Established in 1965, TIDCO is a premier industrial development agency of the Tamil Nadu government, and undertakes joint ventures and facilitates big industrial and infrastructure projects in the state. The latest investment would help accelerate Agnikul's operational readiness, supporting the scaling of its aerospace manufacturing capabilities, advancing its stage recovery program, and strengthening the development of its integrated space campus on the 300 acres allocated by the Tamil Nadu government near Kulasekharapatnam. In a statement, Moin SPM, co-founder and COO of the company, said, "This investment from the state government is a strong motivation for all of us to build and give back to the local community." Agnikul is currently scaling its first orbital launch with Agnibaan, a small satellite launch vehicle capabl