Page 44 - Tamil Nadu

Swearing-in of senior DMK MLA K Ponmudy as minister likely on Friday

The swearing-in of senior DMK MLA K Ponmudy as a minister was likely on Friday, a day after the Supreme Court pulled up Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi over the matter, sources indicated. While there was no immediate official word on the matter, sources said the swearing-in of Ponmudy was likely to be held this afternoon. On Thursday, the apex Court had voiced "serious concern" over the conduct of Ravi for his refusal to reinduct Ponmudy as a minister in the state cabinet even after it suspended his earlier conviction. The SC had directed the Governor to decide on the issue within 24 hours. The Governor had refused to reinduct Ponmudy, whose conviction and three-year sentence in a disproportionate assets case the apex court stayed recently, despite Chief Minister M K Stalin's recommendation.

LS elections 2024: TN CM Stalin to launch campaign from Trichy on Friday

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin will launch his party's campaign for the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, from this central district on Friday. Stalin, a key leader of the opposition INDIA bloc, will canvass votes for the party-led bloc's Tiruchirappalli candidate, MDMK leader Durai Vaiko and the DMK's Arun Nehru in nearby Perambalur, according to the tour schedule of the ruling party chief. The DMK leads the multi-party Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which had swept the 2019 elections. It had won 38 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu then, besides the neighbouring Puducherry segment. Durai is the son of MDMK founder Vaiko and the Tiruchirappalli constituency has been allotted to the party by the DMK as part of the poll pact. Congress' Su Thirunavukkarasar represents the segment in the outgoing House. After launching his poll campaign from here, Stalin will embark on a state-wide tour, covering all 39 LS seats in the state, besides Puducherry, in the comin

LS polls: BJP releases third list, former Telangana guv among candidates

The BJP plans to contest 20 of Tamil Nadu's 39 seats. Its allies such as GK Vasan's Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), is likely to contest three seats, the Pattali Makkal Katchi will contest 10 seats

V.O. Chidambaranar port sets sight on mega investments like VinFast

This project includes the construction of two container terminals, involving preparatory work such as dredging and building a breakwater at the port

SC pulls up TN Guv RN Ravi for refusal to reinduct K Ponmudi as minister

Voicing "serious concern" over the conduct of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi for his refusal to reinduct senior DMK leader K Ponmudi as a minister in the state cabinet, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed him to decide the issue within 24 hours. It said Ravi was defying the Supreme Court. The governor has refused to re-induct Ponmudi, whose conviction and three- year sentence in a disproportionate assets case the apex court stayed recently, despite Chief Minister M K Stalin's recommendation. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud wondered how can the governor say that Ponmudi's reinduction will be against constitutional morality. "Mr Attorney General, we are seriously concerned about the conduct of the governor. We did not want to say it out loud in court but he is defying the Supreme Court of India. Those who have advised him have not advised him properly. Now the Governor has to be informed that when the Supreme Court stays a conviction, it stays a conviction,

AIADMK names nominees for all 32 LS seats, set to fight in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's main opposition AIADMK on Thursday released its final list of 16 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and also named its candidate for the lone Puducherry Parliamentary constituency. The AIADMK has completed the exercise of naming nominees and allotting seats to allies, and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is all set to launch his election campaign from Tiruchirappalli on March 24. In total, the AIADMK will contest in 32 segments and it has allotted seven constituencies to allies, the DMDK, Puthiya Tamizhagam and SDPI. Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha constituencies. For the Tirunelveli LS seat, Palaniswami announced Simla Muthuchozhan who was formerly with the DMK. She had unsuccessfully contested in 2016 against late AIADMK matriarch J Jayalalithaa from the RK Nagar Assembly constituency. Daughter-in-law of former DMK leader SP Sarguna Pandian, Muthuchozhan joined the AIADMK recently. An advocate, she is also the only woman candidate announced by the AIADMK for the Lok Sa

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK vows to repeal CAA if INDIA bloc is voted to power

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, a key constituent of the INDIA bloc, in its manifesto released on Wednesday promised to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 if the opposition alliance wins the Lok Sabha polls. Restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and holding polls there, scrapping the New Education Policy 2020, slashing fuel prices, annulling Article 361 of the Constitution that provides protection to governors from legal action and appointment of Governors following consultation with Chief Ministers, were among the key promises made by the DMK. The recommendations of the M S Swaminathan committee will be adopted to ensure that MSP for agricultural products "is set at total production cost plus 50 per cent," the DMK said. Also, it announced that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc will withdraw the Agnipath scheme and reintroduce "permanent recruitment service" in the Indian Armed forces. "From now on, population census, including caste-wise census and census concerning people

Lok Sabha polls: Meta plans election centre, UPSC exam postponed. 10 points

Lok Sabha elections preparations have firmed up with the stakeholders announcing their progress. In view of the polls, UPSC and CA exams schedule have been revised to avoid clashes with polling days

PM Modi doesn't care about TN, did not visit during cyclone Michaung: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that while he has been visiting Tamil Nadu frequently in the last few weeks, he has "historically paid little attention" to the state. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh posed questions for the prime minister ahead of his visit to Tamil Nadu's Salem and Kerala's Palakkad on Tuesday. "The prime minister is visiting Salem, Tamil Nadu and Palakkad, Kerala today. Some important questions that he must address: While the prime minister has been visiting Tamil Nadu frequently in the last few weeks, he has historically paid little attention to the state," Ramesh said. For instance, he did not set foot there during the Cyclone Michaung crisis in December 2023, he claimed. The chief minister of Tamil Nadu has repeatedly urged for the release of Rs 37,907 crore from the Modi government for rehabilitation and reconstruction after the cyclone, he noted. Does the prime minister plan to

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress, DMK finalise seat-sharing in Tamil Nadu

DMK will contest in 22 seats; Congress 9 seats; VC, CPI and CPIM will contest 2 seats each, while MDMK and IUML will contest 1 seat each

Governor's refusal to re-appoint Ponmudi as minister: SC to hear TN's plea

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a plea of the Tamil Nadu government against the refusal of Governor RN Ravi to appoint senior DMK leader K Ponmudi as a minister in the state cabinet. The governor has recently refused to re-induct the senior DMK leader and former Higher Education Minister into the state cabinet, saying it would be against constitutional morality. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state government, there was some urgency in the matter which should be listed for hearing. Please send an email. I will look into the email, the CJI said. The governor, in a letter to Chief Minister MK Stalin, said the apex court only suspended the conviction Ponmudi by way of an interim order. The governor refused to appoint the leader in the Stalin cabinet. Recently, the state government reinstated Ponmudi as a legislator after the ..

After Madras HC's nod, PM Modi to hold roadshow in TN's Coimbatore today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a roadshow here on Monday, days after Madras High Court green-flagged the event, asking the police to allow it with reasonable conditions. The PM will take out the roadshow in the city's Mettupalayam Road and is likely to end it at RS Puram later today. This will be his first political engagement in the state after the announcement of the seven-phase schedule of the Lok Sabha polls. The district BJP unit had on Friday moved the HC against the local police denying permission to the PM event, citing, among others, the "communally sensitive" nature of the area, and the ongoing public exams. However, the court had dismissed the contentions and asked the police to allow the roadshow with "reasonable conditions", such as erecting no flex boards by the organisers. The BJP, with a newfound vigour under its aggressive state unit president K Annamalai, is making all efforts to make significant inroads into Tamil Nadu, the Dravidian heartland that has ..

21 fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka, TN parties tell Centre to seek action

The Tamil Nadu unit of BJP and the PMK on Sunday flagged the arrest of 21 more fishermen by Sri Lanka and urged the Centre to swiftly secure the release of fishers and their boats. Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and PMK top leader Anbumani Ramadoss said 21 fishermen have been arrested by the island nation. Also, their two boats have been seized. The fishermen were arrested on the night of March 16 by Lankan authorities. Writing to External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, Annamalai said: "We bring to your kind attention the detention of 21 fishermen from Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy and 2 fishing boats belonging to these fishermen were also apprehended. We request the intervention of our External affairs ministry to facilitate the early repatriation of the detainees and the release of their fishing boats." Annamalai posted a copy of his letter to the minister on 'X'. In a post on 'X', Anbumani, also a Rajya Sabha MP, said during the past one week, as many as 58

Muslim organisations to move ECI seeking change in poll date in 2 states

A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll dates for the 18th Lok Sabha elections, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), on Sunday said it will move the poll panel seeking to change the polling dates in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as they fall on Friday. For Tamil Nadu, the polls will be held on April 19 and in Kerala on April 26. Both dates fall on a Friday. The IUML, a major ally of the Opposition Congress party in the UDF, said it will approach the ECI to change the dates of elections in Kerala and Tamil Nadu as it causes inconvenience to voters, officials, and candidates as Friday is important day for Muslims. Talking to PTI, P M A Salam, state general secretary of IUML, said Fridays are an important day for the Muslims who gather in mosques for prayer. "The announcement of polling on Friday will cause inconvenience to voters, candidates, polling agents, and officials assigned to election duty. We will move the ECI," he said. Other Muslim organisations ar

PV or CV at TN plant? Tata Motors will take a call based on market trend

Tata Motors and the Tamil Nadu government signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to set up a manufacturing unit in Ranipet near Vellore with an investment of Rs 9,000 crore

Tata Motors to set up manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu, invest Rs 9,000 cr

Automaker's plan spreads over 5 years, expected to create more than 5,000 jobs

TANCET 2024: Answer key of MBA, MCA entrance test to be announced soon

The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test answer key 2024 will be out on March 13. Applicants who showed up for the TANCET test can get access the key on the official site at tancet.annauniv.edu

Will not release single drop of water to TN: K'taka CM amid water shortage

According to local reports, water sources in many villages across the state have dried up. The problem has been further compounded by the depletion of groundwater

BSNL installs 3,500 4G towers in 5 northern states: CMD Pravin Kumar Purwar

Tower installations to begin in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh soon

PM has changed nation's outlook, policy towards women, says TN Governor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the nation's outlook and policy towards women from empty slogans of empowerment to women-led development and governance, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi said on Friday. The PM thus fulfilled nationalist poet Subramania Bharati's dream on women's liberation, he said, while speaking on the occasion of International Women's Day at the Raj Bhavan here. I pay tributes to our mothers and sisters and we reaffirm our commitment to create an inclusive, equitable and secure environment for women, Ravi said. Paying floral tributes to Sangam-era Tamil saint-poetess Avvaiyar, he said that she was more appropriate as an example of women leadership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed the nation's outlook and policy towards women from empty slogans of women empowerment to women-led development, and women-led governance, the Governor told reporters. Major initiatives like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and building toilets in every school, college and every ...