PTR reaches out to opposition after war of words

PTR reaches out to opposition after war of words

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.08.2021

Taking a leaf out of his leader’s book to embrace all, finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Tuesday went to the opposition benches and was seen interacting cheerfully with former minister and MLA K P Munusamy and some AIADMK colleagues. This comes a day after a war of words broke out between them over the DMK’s unkept poll promises and the remarks that were subsequently expunged by the assembly speaker.

Minutes before the day’s proceedings commenced in the assembly, the finance minister made a dash for the opposition benches, leaving the media, the assembly marshals and the MLAs perplexed. Then Thiaga Rajan was seen searching for someone. “He is there,” a staff member politely told the minister, pointing to Munusamy, seated in the last row of the opposition benches. The minister rushed to Munsamy, who is also deputy coordinator of the AIADMK, and greeted the former minister with folded palms and interacted with him for a few minutes.

Soon after certain remarks against the member triggered a debate on Monday, with leader of opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami expressing strong objections, chief minister M K Stalin expressed regret and requested speaker M Appavu to expunge it. Munusamy rose to say the minister sought apology days ago to another AIADMK legislator for his remarks, proving his magnanimity and maturity. Only certain words used by Thiaga Rajan proved wrong at times, Munusamy said.

On Tuesday, sources said Thiaga Rajan sought to explain his remarks. “He thanked Munusamy for appreciating his magnanimity and maturity,” said a leader. The AIADMK MLAs, including former electricity minister P Thangamani, came around and greeted Thiaga Rajan, before appreciating his “work” as a first-time minister. They were all smiles.

AIADMK meets guv with plaint on DMK’s ‘corruption, collection’

AIADMK meets guv with plaint on DMK’s ‘corruption, collection’

Says Govt Shows ‘Undue Interest’ In Kodanad Case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.08.2021

A day after a war of words between the ruling DMK and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu assembly over cases relating to burglary and suspicious deaths at late chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s Kodanad estate, an AIADMK delegation led by party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami called on governor Banwarilal Purohit at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday and submitted a memorandum alleging “corruption and collection” by the DMK. The party charged the ruling DMK with “pursuing vendetta politics and showing undue interest in Kodanad estate cases.”

Questioning the way tender rules are being flouted by the government, the memorandum also said that “ultra-constitutional powers”, comprising chief minister M K Stalin’s family members, were controlling the government.

“When the Kodanad case is in court, how can CM Stalin say conducting reinvestigation is part of his party’s poll promise?” asked Palaniswami.

POINT BY POINT: Former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam in Chennai on Thursday

EPS: DMK showing undue interest in protecting accused

Palaniswami said, “All the witnesses in the Kodanad case have been examined and only the final hearing is pending in court. But the DMK is showing undue interest in protecting the accused and maligning the AIADMK.”

He was speaking to reporters after the party delegation met governor Purohit. Former AIADMK ministers S P Velumani, P Thangamani, C Ve Shanmugham and D Jayakumar, besides AIADMK deputy coordinators K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam were part of the delegation.

The AIADMK delegation’s visit comes against the backdrop of a series of searches carried out by the DVAC on the premises of former ministers S P Velumani and M R Vijayabhaskar and renewed focus on investigation into the Kodanad heist and death cases. Questioning the motive of the DMK government, the AIADMK members had announced boycott of assembly proceedings for two days from Wednesday.

Palaniswami charged that cases were being foisted on former AIADMK ministers. He said the DMK government had sought to divert attention of the people after its white paper failed to cut much ice. “DMK had promised to abolish NEET soon after coming to power. While the parents of students are waiting anxiously, the DMK government has constituted a committee to decide further course of action on NEET,” Palaniswami said.

EPS alleged that the DMK government was under-reporting Covid numbers but going overboard on the Kodanad case. “Instead of focusing on containing the Covid pandemic, when the state is still reporting cases above 1,800 per day and with the threat of a third wave, the DMK government is focusing its attention on vendetta politics,” he said.

PM giving same speech for 7 yrs, but no impact on ground: Cong

PM giving same speech for 7 yrs, but no impact on ground: Cong

New Delhi:  16.08.2021

Congress on Sunday accused PM Narendra Modi of using his Independence Day speech to make announcements without ever following through on them.

Leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said for seven years India has listened to the “same speeches” by the PM with nothing being done for any aggrieved section, including small farmers.

“He announces new schemes, but these are never implemented or seen on the ground. And now, by bringing the three new farm laws, he has spelled doom for the farmers,” he said.

Kharge also took exception to the PM targeting previous regimes on the issues of small farmers and development, saying the country will not progress by criticising Congress from the ramparts of the Red Fort again and again.

“Congress has done a lot of work like providing irrigation systems for the farmers. Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi waived farmers’ debt when the UPA was in power,” he said.

CPM chief Sitaram Yechury said the PM failed to offer an assurance on the Covid situation or the shortage of vaccines.

Congress’s communication chief Randeep Surjewala also took a swipe at the PM over his announcement of Rs 100 lakh crore investment in the infrastructure sector, saying this was merely a repeat of what was announced in 2019. TNN

Independence Day: When differences between Periyar, Annadurai came to fore

Independence Day: When differences between Periyar, Annadurai came to fore

Most people only remember August 15, 1947 as Independence Day. But it also marked an important shift in Tamil Nadu’s political history.

Published: 15th August 2021 05:11 AM 

File photo of CN Annadurai with Periyar | Express

By S Kumaresan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Most people only remember August 15, 1947 as Independence Day. But it also marked an important shift in Tamil Nadu’s political history. It was the first time differences between Dravida Kazhagam (DK) leader Periyar and his trusted lieutenant CN Annadurai were displayed publicly. Their differences culminated in the formation of the DMK, which now runs the State government.

Archives of various news reports say Periyar, the icon of the Dravidian movement, didn’t want to celebrate Independence Day in 1947 since he believed it would pave the way for permanent domination by the influential Brahmin-Baniya community. The British didn’t heed his demand to create a separate country in the south named ‘Dravida Nadu’, and he appealed to his followers to observe it as a day of mourning.

Annadurai, who was then the general secretary of the DK, openly aired his difference of opinion and appealed for the day to instead be celebrated as ‘Inba Naal, Iniya Naal’. In an article in his magazine Dravida Nadu, he said the aim of the Dravidian movement is to overthrow both the British and the dominance of Brahmins. Since Independence Day means attaining one of the two objectives, it must be celebrated.

He wrote that the Dravidian movement sought freedom from foreign rule, but the Congress was trying to overthrow the British and establish Brahmin rule, and hence, the Congress was to be opposed. He said opposition to the Congress wouldn’t mean support to the British, and reasoned that if the DK didn’t celebrate Independence Day, Congressmen would portray the DK as supporters of the British and hence against independence.

When a large section of DK cadre publicly celebrated the first Independence Day, it became clear that Anna held so much influence among them that they even went against party supremo Periyar’s dictum. The day also helped bring to the roads all Anna’s strong supporters within the DK, and served as a massive public display of his support base.

In the next few months, it appeared that the strain in Periyar and Anna’s relationship had ended, as Anna took part in an anti-Hindi-imposition conference of the DK in Erode in 1948. But Periyar’s decision to marry Maniyammai was the breaking point, and in 1949, Anna formed the DMK, and subsequently in 1956, the party entered electoral politics despite Periyar’s avowed stance against this.

It was widely believed that the large number of DK cadre celebrating the first Independence Day based on Anna’s call gave him the confidence to launch a new party. Suba Veerapandian, general secretary of the Dravida Iyakka Tamilar Peravai, said that both Periyar and Anna opposed the British rule, and while Periyar boycotted the Independence Day celebrations, it wasn’t just him, but even the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Jayaprakash Narayan.

DMK turns right to targeted subsidies

POLITICS OF THE BUDGET

DMK turns right to targeted subsidies

Moves Away From Universal Welfare To Fix Economy

Shaik.Abdullah@timesgroup.com

14.08.2021

No more free lunches for all: That is the essence of the Tamil Nadu revised Budget 2021-22 presented on Friday in the assembly. As it slammed the AIADMK regime for “half-baked projects” that pushed TN into an economic crisis, it turned to the right for an escape route.

“What cannot be measured cannot be improved. Hence, a major initiative for smart metering for all public utilities in the state will be launched,” said finance minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, articulating his intention to target people for subsidies — something that resonated more with the policy of his party’s ideological nemesis, the BJP. The man who sports ‘kumkum’ on his forehead in a party of non-believers declared that his government will follow a data-centric governance.

“We welcome it. It’s a step the DMK must take. Sooner or later they must follow in the footsteps of the Centre. When the Union government asked the states to make power meters compulsory for agricultural bore-wells two years ago, they opposed it. Now the DMK is forced to do it. This shows their duplicity and contradiction,” said R Srinivasan of the BJP, giving the DMK bouquets and brickbats in equal measure.

The state’s first paperless Budget was also the DMK’s first in 10 years. But the state’s financial situation didn’t suit its plans. Subsidies are being enjoyed by people from all economic backgrounds, the finance minister had complained in the white paper on the state’s finances released on Monday.

Those who use more electricity get more subsidies. At least ₹18,000 crore in electricity bills were under-recovered in 2020-21, he said. He also faulted unmetered water supply in Chennai.

“This was unfair and regressive as most of these connections were enjoyed by huge houses and mansions,” the minister said.

In the guise of boosting capital expenditure to provide economic stimulus during the pandemic, the previous government had sanctioned several “half-baked and ill thought out projects in the last minute” in the highways and irrigation sectors and for urban local bodies, Rajan said in his Budget presentation.

“We have made a careful analysis of such projects. Only genuinely beneficial projects justified based on detailed cost benefit analysis will be implemented,” he said”

Numbers told the story: TN’s fiscal deficit for 2020-21 was ₹92,305 crore (4.43% of GSDP). Each family had a public debt of ₹2,63,976. The average revenue deficit for all states and UTs was 0.1% of GDP in 2017-18 and 2018-19. It was 1.5% and 1.4% of GSDP in Tamil Nadu.

DMK MP T K S Elangovan called it a temporary measure. “We still believe in subsidy for all. The party will not deviate from its ideology. It’s only a short-term diversion, a temporary phenomenon because of the challenging economic circumstances created by the pandemic. We may revert to universalisation of benefits even in the next Budget if the situation improves,” Elangovan said.

The party’s friends on the Left seem to agree.

“The difference is in the intention. The BJP’s approach is to help corporates profit more. They want to reduce subsidies and help corporates get a bigger share of the public money. But the DMK’s egalitarian social ideology is to give subsidies to all those who deserve it. It’s a path-breaking Budget as it would increase the allocation for the poor based on data. The Budget would expand the scope of the schemes and take them to more people,” CPI leader C Mahendran said.

Longest serving Maharashtra MLA passes away at 94

Longest serving Maharashtra MLA passes away at 94

Kolhapur:31.07.2021 

Ganpatrao Deshmukh, the longest serving MLA in Maharashtra, passed away on Friday. He was 94.

Deshmukh, fondly known as 'Aba,' was admitted to a private hospital in Solapur a few days ago for gallstones treatment. He is survived by two sons, one of them is active in politics.

Deshmukh contested from Sangola first in 1962 and won 11 times, successively.

He was minister of state twice during the Sharad Pawar-led Progressive Democractic Front government in 1978, and in 1999 when the newly formed Nationalist Congress Party and Congress came into power.

His party Shetkari Kamgar Paksha (Peasants and Workers Party) had supported the government. TNN

PMK slams Leoni’s appointment

PMK slams Leoni’s appointment

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Villupuram:09.07.2021

The appointment of orator and staunch DMK supporter Dindigul Leoni as the chairman of Tamil Nadu textbook and educational services corporation by the DMK government has drawn flak from various quarters. Leoni has been accused of making derogatory remarks against women while campaigning for DMK candidates ahead of April 2021 assembly polls. PMK youth wing president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss demanded the government revoke Leoni's appointment as the chairman of the corporation immediately. Anbumani took to Twitter to condemn the government's decision to appoint a person “with the habit of making misogynist remarks” as the chairman of the corporation and termed his appointment an insult to the position. The PMK leader expressed serious concerns over the future of the students, who must follow the syllabus derived by the corporation headed by a person known for “making derogatory remarks on women”.

Murugan’s induction into Union ministry could energise TN BJP

Murugan’s induction into Union ministry could energise TN BJP

Formulated Big-Ticket Entries Ahead Of Elections

Jayaraj Sivan and Shanmughasundaram.J TNN

Chennai:08.07.2021

To strengthen the party in Tamil Nadu before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP on Wednesday inducted party state president L Murugan into the Union ministry as a minister of state. He was given the portfolio of information and broadcasting, and fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy. Tamil Nadu had not had any representation in the Union ministry after minister of state for shipping Pon Radhakrishnan’s term ended in 2019. With Murugan’s shift to Delhi, the party central leadership will have to select a new chief for Tamil Nadu BJP. Probable candidates are former IPS officer K Annamalai and former minister and sitting MLA Nainar Nagendran.

Despite having one Lok Sabha member and five Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu and one RS member from Puducherry, the AIADMK once again missed out on the opportunity to join the Union ministry owing to infighting in the party. AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam had tried hard to get a berth for his son O P Raveendranath Kumar, but his efforts have gone in vain owing to opposition from party joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Coming back to Murugan, he was the architect of some of the big-ticket entries into the BJP after he took over the reins of the state BJP in March last year. He made the entry a smooth affair, dispelling doubts about the entrylevel barrier, for many including V P Duraisamy, who was deputy general secretary in the DMK, R C Paul Kanagaraj, who merged his party Tamil Maanila Katchi with the BJP, DMK’s former MLA Ku Ka Selvam, former IPS officer K Annamalai, former IRS officer A Saravanakumaran and actress Khushbu Sundar.

Murugan’s electoral debut was in 2006 assembly elections in Sankari constituency. He contested unsuccessfully again from Rasipuram assembly segment in 2011. Before becoming the party state chief, Murugan was national SC/ST Commission vice chairman. Murugan’s roots are deep in the RSS. He joined the organisation during his school days itself. He joined the ABVP during his law college days in Chennai. He was the state coordinator of the struggle committee against the Ranganath Mishra Commission report. The BJP feared that the report, if implemented could eat into reservation for OBCs. The struggle committee’s national coordinator was President Ram Nath Kovind.

Murugan gave an aggressive face to the state BJP by training guns on the DMK. Sensing that Lord Ram and Ayodhya issues would not yield political dividends in Tamil Nadu, he took Lord Muruga’s vel into his hands to launch several state-wide campaigns like Vetrivel Yatra and Vel Pooja. The campaigns may have helped the party win four out of the 20 assembly seats (thereby ending a drought of 15 years without any representation in the assembly) it contested, but Murugan could not make it to the assembly from Dharapuram. He will now take the Rajya Sabha route to the Parliament.

SOARING UP: L Murugan has been given the portfolio of information and broadcasting, and fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy

EPS-OPS posters war hots up in south

EPS-OPS posters war hots up in south

Madurai:  12.06.2021

Poster wars are hotting up within the AIADMK in the southern districts, with those supporting former chief minister and party joint coordinator Edappadi Palaniswami appearing in Tirunelveli and those in favour of party coordinator O Panneerselvam surfacing in Theni as well. The posters demonstrate the open rift between the EPS and OPS factions.

The ones which appeared in many parts of Tirunelveli district including Mannur two days ago blamed Palaniswami for the AIADMK debacle in the elections. They said his high-handedness and decisions without consulting O Panneerselvam cost them dearly and that the mantle should be handed over to OPS. A complaint has been filed. On Thursday, some posters thanking the MLAs for electing Palaniswami as Opposition leader appeared at Thalaiyoothu in the district. AIADMK sources said cadres loyal to the party are left confused due to such actions of their seniors.

Meanwhile, posters hailing OPS as “protector of the AIADMK fortress”, were put up on behalf of Theni district fishermen’s wing of AIADMK on the Theni- Madurai road.The poster wars are expected to increase before the party’s legislative party meeting on Monday.

Stalin starts on an inclusive note, how long will honeymoon last?

Stalin starts on an inclusive note, how long will honeymoon last?

A Month On At The Helm, DMK Chief Chooses A Different Path Than His Father’s, Taking Opponents Along

R Rangaraj

03.06.2021

For all the standards and goals set by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam patriarch, M Karunanidhi struggled to expand the horizons of his party beyond traditional lines. Taking forward the DMK legacy, chief minister M K Stalin, through his inclusive gestures, seems to have managed to reach out to sections beyond party lines and earn encomiums even from opponents of the DMK.

The limited scope of the DMK’s popularity could be assessed with the 1989 assembly polls in mind, when the AIADMK split after the death of its tallest leader MGR in December 1987. The DMK was elected to power, but secured only about one-third of the votes. In 2006, the DMK won on the strength of a strong alliance which included the Congress, the PMK and the Left, to touch 44% vote share . In 2016, the DMK indirectly projected Stalin as the heir apparent to get close to 40% vote share but lost out to the AIADMK which boosted its own vote share to 41.1%, and J Jayalalithaa barely scraped through. The DMK only came close to the majority mark, but it was apparent that Stalin did attract a percentage of voters who wanted change.

On Karunanidhi’s 97th birth anniversary on June 3, as the DMK takes stock of its gains after a month of being in power again, the critics of the party have been silenced by Stalin’s approach ever since he assumed office on May 7.

The subdued note of celebration was quickly replaced by action on a warfooting against the pandemic.

In the past, the DMK and the AIADMK governments had been guilty of winding up or renaming pet schemes of each another soon after coming to power. Stalin has shown no keenness to alter the status quo, especially relating to Amma Unavagam. The arrest of DMK men who vandalised an Amma Unavagam outlet, seeking to remove the photograph of Jayalalithaa and the reassurance that the Amma Unavagam scheme would continue to reach out to the poor, the commitment to the Annadhanam scheme of temples, the quick steps to raise availability of vaccines and oxygen beds in hospitals, have all contributed to broaden Stalin’s support base beyond his party.

The push to appoint efficient senior officers such as V Irai Anbu and T Udhayachandran has also gone down well with the bureaucracy. Stalin has adopted a judicious style bringing in a new team of officers in crucial posts like Gagandeep Singh Bedi (Chennai corporation), and retaining the team led by the health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

The move to set up a committee of MLAs from various parties has also created a sense of confidence in officialdom.

These moves have earned the appreciation of a couple of the AIADMK. Former deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam has welcomed the government’s “acceptance” of some of his demands.

Stalin’s refusal to be drawn into a slanging match with the AIADMK and other opposition parties despite provocative statements, has got him new admirers. Sections within the DMK are surprised over the “inclusiveness” and “maturity” of the CM.

There is a new air of freedom in government complexes as compared to the slavish mentality among ministers noticed in the Jayalalithaa era as well. Stalin comes across as first among equals at these meetings and in public appearances alongside ministers and officials. Ministers handling the portfolios of health, finance, education and transport have been allowed to hold discussions with their respective departments and interact with media, indicating greater democracy and transparency in the government than before.

How long this approach will continue is anybody’s guess. Some of his critics believe this would last only during the “honeymoon” period, but Stalin watchers say his approach of dealing with issues on a non-party basis, is different from the Kalaignar era and would continue even as he keeps his doors open for suggestions.

As for the DMK, Stalin has told his partymen that politics can take a backseat during the pandemic. The situation is not conducive to hold elections to urban local bodies, besides vacant rural bodies. The local councillors and the presence of elected representatives at the tier-3 levels, could also help in better governance. At least until then, Stalin would ensure that politics is kept away, and focus would be on dealing with the pandemic. Chambers of industries and commerce feel the new dispensation of proactive ministers and skilled officers in key positions could help accelerate growth through a new regime of incentives and concessions. They expect this to be ushered in once the pandemic is dealt with.

While Stalin builds on the image of his father and draws support from the legion of Kalaignar fans, he has embarked on a new path of inclusive growth and diversified appeal, beyond religion, caste and community divide.

Stalin has been careful to maintain a balance between the Dravidian plank of the party and the sentiments of Hindus, in a marked departure from the Karunanidhi legacy. Karunanidhi was known to make acerbic comments about Hindu gods and goddesses off and on, and this upset devout Hindus who saw the DMK as an anti-Hindu party. The BJP has been trying to build such a narrative, but the DMK under Stalin nipped it in the bud.

Stalin has been keen to convey that he does not want to carry the baggage of the past, especially the picture of his party being anti-Hindu On the political front, he has proved to be bipartisan. Though hamstrung by a low resource base, he has begun implementing some of the poll promises. Work well begun is half done. Stalin has crossed more than the halfway period in a short span. In that sense, he has managed to overcome the stiff opposition from a section of the political spectrum and the electorate, and go beyond the confines of the DMK. Going forward, his government will have to come to grips with rising debts and aspirations.

(The writer is a senior journalist)

Email your feedback to southpole.toi@timesgroup.com

Have ties with Centre like MK did: BJP to Stalin

Have ties with Centre like MK did: BJP to Stalin

Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.06.2021

If chief minister M K Stalin and his cabinet colleagues follow former DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s policy of maintaining cordial relations with the Centre, it would benefit the state, said BJP Tamil Nadu president L Murugan on Wednesday.

Murugan said in a statement that Karunanidhi followed the policy of maintaining good relations with the Centre whenever he was in power in the state, because it helped in the state’s growth.

The present DMK government, especially state finance minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan was deviating from that path, he said. Murugan lashed out at Thiagarajan for his view expressed in the GST council meeting that there would be no union without the states. The minister said the Centre should not act like a begrudging donor. Murugan said Thiagarajan’s comments were “childish”.

The BJP leader urged Stalin to advise his ministers to avoid confrontation with the Centre. “They should be focusing on the welfare of the people. This is not the time to do petty politicking,” said Murugan.

Reacting to Stalin’s statement that the failure of the previous AIADMK government in controlling the first wave of Covid had led to the second wave wreaking havoc in Tamil Nadu, Murugan said Stalin and his party colleagues should take the responsibility for creating scare among the people about the vaccines when they were in the opposition. It resulted in vaccine hesitancy among the people. If more people had come forward to take vaccination, the pandemic could have been controlled in Tamil Nadu, said Murugan.

Stalin should ask himself whether he functioned as a responsible opposition leader then, said Murugan.

Withdraw transfer order of Chief Secretary: Mamata

Withdraw transfer order of Chief Secretary: Mamata

30/05/2021

Chief Minister also said that the BJP leadership is unable to digest its electoral defeat.

“Why are you (Modi) behaving in this manner with Bengal? We have won a landslide victory — is that your only worry? You tried your best… but they (people) voted for us and they ousted you. Please accept the mandate of the people,” she said.

The Chief Minister said that the West Bengal government had sent a letter on May 10 to the Centre requesting a three-month extension for Mr. Alapan Bandopadhyay who is to retire on May 31, so he could continue to work with State government to combat the prevailing COVID pandemic and the impending cyclone. On May 24 the State government received letter from the Centre, allowing Mr. Bandopadhyay to continue as Chief Secretary. “You tell me in 74 years have you ever seen this type of incident?” Ms. Banerjee said.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, alleged that Ms. Banerjee and the Chief Secretary had insulted the Prime Minister by not attending a meeting chaired by him.

(With inputs from PTI)

Govt slams ‘arrogant’ Didi for skipping PM meeting

Govt slams ‘arrogant’ Didi for skipping PM meeting

‘Justifies Adhikari’s Presence At Meeting As LoP’

Akhilesh.Singh@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 29.05.2021 

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to skip the Cyclone Yaas review meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appeared to have left the Centre ‘bewildered’ even as sources justified the presence of Suvendu Adhikari at the meeting in his capacity as leader of the opposition (LoP).

Sources in government said the CM’s conduct was “callous, arrogant and supremely unmindful” of the welfare of the people of the state.

“Today, PM landed at Kalaikunda airbase after conducting an aerial survey in Odisha and West Bengal. When the PM arrived to attend the review meeting, there was no one from the West Bengal government,” said a source, adding that usually the tensions of state poll campaign are left behind after government formation.

The source said the chief minister and chief secretary of West Bengal were present on the same premises and yet they did not come to receive the PM.

Modi, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union ministers waited for half-an-hour for West Bengal representatives to turn up. “Suddenly Mamata Banerjee stormed in and handed over a bunch of papers on the cyclone impact to the PM and said that she is leaving as she has other visits lined up,” a source said.

A government source said if this was not shocking enough, Banerjee even did not allow officers of the West Bengal government to make a presentation.

“The entire presentation was loaded on the screen. However, her pettiness prevented officers from presenting it to the PM,” the source said.

Referring to Banerjee’s objection to the presence of Adhikari in the review meeting, sources said since Cyclone Yaas is a natural calamity, it was imperative that the “collective energies of all the elected representatives of people are pooled together”.

“Accordingly LoP of both Odisha and West Bengal were invited in the respective meetings with PM. However, since LoP in Odisha is recovering from Covid-19, he was unable to attend the meeting,” a source said. “Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, was also contacted to be part of the meeting. He has thanked the PM for the invitation but since he is in Delhi, he was unable to attend,” the source said.

UNDER FIRE: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses the media on Friday

Stalin letter to Prez to free Rajiv convicts upsets TNCC chief

Stalin letter to Prez to free Rajiv convicts upsets TNCC chief

Chennai:22.05.2021

The Congress never opposed release of the seven convicts in former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, but applying undue political pressure for an issue that should be decided through legal course is not appropriate, said TNCC president K S Alagiri on Friday. “CM Stalin writing a letter to the President for the release of the seven convicts is not acceptable to us,” Alagiri said.

“If a convict has to be released, it is for the court to decide. The stand of Congress is that it should not be done by applying undue political pressure. Undue political pressure could create a situation that may lead to law and order issues,” Alagiri told reporters here, after paying floral tributes to former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s portrait on his 30th death anniversary at the TNCC headquarters.

He was reacting to questions from the media over chief minister M K Stalin writing a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking immediate release of the seven convicts. They have been in prison for about 30 years. Stalin’s move just a day ahead of the 30th anniversary has received adverse reactions from Congress cadres on social media.

Alagiri said 26 people were convicted in the case,19 of them were later released. “We did not oppose it. We accepted the court verdict and no Congressman opposed it. Our approach remains the same,” he said. “There are more than 100 convicts who have served more than 25 years in prisons across TN. If Tamils have to be released for languishing in prison for so many years, then all of them have to be released. Why only these seven,” Alagiri asked, while terming it an emotional issue. TNN

Palanivel Thiagarajan’s tweet on criticism wins hearts on internet

Palanivel Thiagarajan’s tweet on criticism wins hearts on internet

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan’s attempt to clear the air over recent social media reports won hearts on Twitter on Sunday.

Published: 17th May 2021 04:21 AM 

Tamil Nadu minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan’s attempt to clear the air over recent social media reports won hearts on Twitter on Sunday. His tweet read, “It has come to my notice that some of my old interviews are being shared widely during the past few days.

These videos are from several news debates, conclaves, interviews, press conferences, virtual conclaves, and other interviews where I directly engaged with our citizens over the past 5 years, while being an opposition MLA. Those who have come across these videos after my appointment as a Minister, are editing them in bits and pieces and are sharing them widely.

Many who see these mistakenly assume that these clips were recorded post my appointment as a Minister. They are sharing comments in support of me and are criticising my political opponents, causing me concern and distress.”

Quoting an instance, he said, “Central Minister Nirmala Sitharaman personally contacted me over the phone to congratulate me and wish me success in service to the people and said that she looked forward to working together. This kind of magnanimity in politics deserves to be appreciated. And to be emulated, especially by first-time Ministers such as myself.”

PTR requested the public to stop showering him with praise based solely on his speeches, and to stop the negative criticism of those on the other side of the political divide. The Finance Minister had also said he took part in some programmes as part of CM’s transparent governance model and to communicate with the people in a direct and effective manner. But his focus remains on pandemic measures.

DMK’S CABINET FULL OF FOES-TURNED-FRIENDS

DMK’S CABINET FULL OF FOES-TURNED-FRIENDS

One-Fourth Of M K Stalin’s Ministers Have Been Part Of MGR And Jayalalithaa’s Coterie

R Rangaraj

17.05.2021

Nearly one-fourth of the DMK cabinet under M K Stalin comprises former AIADMK men, including two who had served both the M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa cabinets, and some who had joined the party when it was founded by MGR in 1972. With eight former AIADMK men adorning the government it is like an amalgamation of the Dravidian majors.

The eight ministers – K K S S R Ramachandran, S Muthusamy, R S Raja Kannappan, S Regupathy, E V Velu, Anitha Radhakrishnan, P K Sekar Babu and Senthil Balaji — have not just been inducted into the cabinet, they have been given powerful and prestigious posts as well, from revenue to electricity.

This exercise seems to be part of a larger scheme to attract other senior leaders of the AIADMK. By weaning away its second-rung leaders and giving them importance in the DMK, Stalin appears to be sending the message that AIADMK men who move to the DMK camp will be treated well and have a glorious future ahead of them.

While M Karunanidhi did give the early entrants from the AIADMK some posts, it is Stalin who is going out of the way to make them feel comfortable in the DMK. In the past few years, he had given them party posts. He has also struck the right balance between rewards to party loyalists and new entrants.

Now, that Stalin is CM, he is using the opportunity to confer more benefits on these leaders. Senthil Balaji is a classic example of an AIADMK man once sidelined and now honoured in the DMK. He had been active in the AIADMK since 1997 and grew up the ranks to be minister for transport in the J Jayalalithaa cabinet from 2011 to 2015. He was dropped from the cabinet in July 2015 and after the demise of Jayalalithaa, when the AIADMK underwent a split, he stood by T T V Dhinakaran.

Part of the group of 18 disqualified MLAs, Senthil Balaji joined the DMK on December 14, 2018. He was fielded by the DMK in the byelection to Aravakurichi constituency in 2019. In 2021, he was reelected to the state assembly from Karur constituency. He has been given important portfolios of electricity, prohibition and excise, indicating that he enjoys the goodwill of chief minister M K Stalin. Among the senior members of the new government’s cabinet is K K S S R Ramachandran. A member of the Karunanidhi cabinet 2006, his time he has the important portfolio of minister for revenue and disaster management. He was in MGR’s cabinet as well. Close to Jayalalithaa for supporting her after MGR’s death, he was also key in enabling the revival of the unified AIADMK in the 1990s. In the DMK, he is considered an important leader, especially in the southern districts.

E V Velu, who was on Janaki’s side during the AIADMK split, is now a senior DMK leader. He had served the Karunanidhi cabinet from 2006 to 2011 as minister for food and civil supplies. Velu, now minister for public works, is considered an important leader for the party in north Tamil Nadu.

With plans of boosting the DMK’s efforts in the western part of the state, the elevation of S Muthusamy appears crucial. The region is traditionally the DMK’s weak spot and using a former AIADMK man to shore up the DMK image in the gounder belt is a deft move. Muthusamy had been a part of the MGR and Jayalalithaa government.

The law minister S Regupathy was the labour minister in the AIADMK cabinet from 1992 to 93, and later the minister of urban development and housing till 1996. The prominent leader from Pudukkottai was made minister of state for home during the UPA rule at the Centre, and minister of state, environment and forests.

A popular face in Chennai, P K Sekar Babu, is another former AIADMK leader. The minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments is expected to play a key role in further consolidation of the DMK in the Greater Chennai region.

Among the ministers who had an onand-off relationship with the AIADMK is R S Raja Kannappan, holding the transport portfolio. A powerful minister in the Jayalalithaa cabinet from 1991-96, Kannappan in 2000 formed the Makkal Tamil Desam party. Six years later, he merged it with the DMK. He rejoined the AIADMK in 2009, but 10 years later appealed to the people to vote for the DMKled alliance. He formally made the switch to the DMK in February 2020.

Anitha Radhakrishnan, who was expelled from the AIADMK in 2009 for anti-party activities He joined the DMK, and was suspended briefly when he greeted Jayalalithaa after her acquittal in the disproportionate assets case. In the 2021 assembly election, he was reelected from Tiruchendur constituency and has now been appointed as minister for fisheries. He is expected to play a crucial role in the expansion of the DMK network in the southern districts.

While Stalin has successfully launched a programme to woo the AIADMK leaders with the promise of opportunities both in the party and the government. It remains to be seen how many AIADMK men will swallow the bait

(The writer is senior journalist)

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EPS is TN oppn leader, OPS rejects deputy leader’s post

EPS is TN oppn leader, OPS rejects deputy leader’s post

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:11.05.2021

The AIADMK on Monday chose former chief minister and party co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami as leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. The decision came after much wrangling and muscle flexing. Party coordinator O Panneerselvam initially resisted the move and proposed former speaker P Dhanapal’s name, sources said. But there were few takers for the suggestion. The power struggle was in full display as Panneerselvam and Palaniswami squabbled over who was more eligible to be the leader of the opposition. But with little support from the newly elected MLAs, 63 of them discounting the two leaders, Panneerselvam gave in. He rejected the offer of deputy leader for himself, proposing Dhanapal for the post instead, and left the party headquarters in a huff, sources said.

NEW ROLE: Edappadi K Palaniswami called on O Panneerselvam on Monday evening

OPS fails to garner any support at party meet

AIADMK deputy coordinator and erstwhile supporter of Panneerselvam, K P Munusamy, submitted a letter to assembly secretary K Srinivasan about the ‘unanimous’ choice of the legislature party, on the eve of the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs. Later in the evening, Palaniswami called on Panneerselvam at the latter’s residence and greeted him with a shawl and a bouquet. Panneerselvam returned the compliment, draping the same shawl on Palaniswami. Former ministers and senior functionaries accompanied Palaniswami. Allies PMK leader S Ramadoss and G K Vasan of TMC congratulated him.

The legislature party unanimously elected Palaniswami as leader of the opposition with a majority of the MLAs, including former ministers, backing him. “Except Alangulam MLA P H Manoj Pandian, no one present at the meeting backed OPS. They were all urging him to sacrifice one more time, like he did when he agreed to project EPS as chief ministerial candidate for the assembly election,” a senior leader told TOI. The decision was made after a three-hour long discussion by MLAs at the party headquarters in Chennai, and Panneerselvam left after signing the necessary papers, “appearing unhappy”.The leader of the opposition must be chosen by Tuesday night since the Speaker-elect would have to be taken to the chair on Wednesday by the chief minister and leader of the opposition. On Friday too, AIADMK MLAs discussed for nearly three hours, but failed to arrive at a consensus. Panneerselvam did not get support even from his own community members and senior leaders in the southern belt.

Close Palaniswami associates P Thangamani and S P Velumani and senior leader K A Sengottaiyan threw their weight behind him. The meeting began with Palaniswami stating he would accept whatever decision the MLAs took.

Except Alangualm MLA P H Manoj Pandian, no one went against Edappadi K Palaniswami

Reaching the top, one step at a time -- Stalin style

Reaching the top, one step at a time -- Stalin style

MK Stalin has risen from a grassroots DMK worker to Chief Minister

Published: 07th May 2021 06:09 AM |

An artist readying name board identifying MK Stalin as Chief Minister, at Secretariat on Thursday | P Jawahar

By S Kumaresan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: MK Stalin, the DMK president, is taking the reins of the State as the Chief Minister with five decades of experience in politics and administration. He will be the oldest first-time Chief Minister to be sworn in at the age of 69 and only the third of DMK after CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi. Elected to the State Assembly for the seventh term, Stalin has served in various capacities, including as a minister, deputy chief minister and opposition leader in the Assembly, before.

Stalin was born to M Karunanidhi, a seasoned politician and a five-time Chief Minister of the State, on March 1, 1953. In 1967, at the age of just 14, he floated a DMK youth club, well before the party officially established a youth wing. Later, in the early 70s, he was appointed as in-charge of the party’s 75th ward unit in Chennai district. In 1972, he was elected as a general council member of the DMK at the age of 19 years and as an executive council member in 1979.

Meanwhile, in 1976, Stalin was arrested on February 2 under Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and imprisoned at Chennai Central Prison for nearly a year till January 27,1977. Undeterred, he continued to engage in active politics. When DMK youth wing was established in Madurai on June 20, 1980, he was appointed as one of its seven organisers. In appreciation of his dedicated involvement for expanding the services of the youth wing, Stalin was appointed as State youth wing secretary of the party in 1983. The next year, as party youth wing cadres and leaders of the party supported, he was given a ticket to contest from Thousand Lights in Assembly general elections in which he lost.

Before Anna Arivalayam, DMK headquarters, was constructed, DMK had been functioning from Anbagam building at Teynampet. After the headquarters was moved to Anna Arivalayam in 1987, Stalin got the Anbagam for the youth wing by collecting donations from DMK cadre and youth wing members across the State. For the purpose, he had made an extensive tour across the State and met thousands of people beyond the party line, which helped him create an impression among the general public that he is a capable leader.

Given party ticket again to contest from Thousand Lights constituency in 1989, Stalin won the polls. DMK too won the Assembly general elections to form a government in the State after a gap of 13 years. His campaign for the polls was well attended by the party cadres as well as general public. He played a vital role in infusing fresh blood for the party by pulling in many youths in 1990s. Notwithstanding DMK losing the 1991 polls, he continued his extensive works for the party and maintained a connection with cadres through his frequent statewide tours.

Stalin also became the first Mayor of Chennai Corporation to be elected by voters. Though people voted out DMK in 2001, Stalin returned to the Assembly elected from Thousand Lights again. The same year, he was again elected as Mayor of Chennai Corporation, despite the Opposition’s all-out campaign against him. However, he had to resign from the post in 2002 after the AIADMK-led government at the time brought in TN Municipal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2002, which debarred him from serving as the Mayor and an MLA simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Stalin was appointed as deputy general secretary of the party on June 2, 2003. He was made Minister for Municipal Administration in 2006. During this tenure, he was instrumental in the extensive spread of Women Self Help Groups across the State by establishing 1,75,493 Women SHGs. He also established various comprehensive drinking water projects such as Hogenekal and Ramanathapuram water schemes.

In May 2009, just two years before DMK lost power in the State, Stalin was appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister. Before that, he had been made treasurer of the party on December 27, 2008, which he retained till January 3, 2017. Stalin was then elected as the working president of the party on January 4, 2017.

After the demise of former Chief Minister and DMK president Karunanidhi, MK Stalin was unanimously elected as the president of the party on August 28, 2019, by the general council of the party. Ever since, he has brought two major victories for the party, one of which is making DMK the third-largest party in the Parliament and other is leading the party to form its sixth government in the State.

Five decades in public life

March 1, 1953: Born to M Karunanidhi - Dayalu

1964: Established DMK youth club at Gopalapuram

1968: Made first public speech in a party meeting at Kodambakkam.

1972: Elected as party general council member

1979: Elected as party executive council member

1980: Established party youth wing and became one of the organisers

1983: Made youth wing state secretary of the party

1989, 1996, 2001 & 2006: Elected as MLA from Thousand Lights Assembly constituency

1996 & 2001: Elected as Mayor of Chennai Corporation

2003: Made party’s deputy general secretary

2008: Elected as party treasurer

2009: Appointed as Deputy Chief Minister

2011, 2016 & 2021: Elected as MLA from Kolathur Assembly constituency

2016- 2011: Served as Principal Opposition Party Leader

May 4, 2021: Elected as a Legislative Party Leader

Gave a push to Chennai infra as Mayor

During his tenure as Mayor of Chennai Corporation, MK Stalin took steps to decongest the city roads and constructed nine big bridges and 49 small ones in the city. He also improved the standard of Corporation Schools to be on par with private schools

From the archives: When Jaya emerged as independent leader from shadows of MGR

From the archives: When Jaya emerged as independent leader from shadows of MGR

Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi had turned the tide in favour of AIADMK in 1991 Assembly polls

Published: 30th April 2021 04:40 AM 

By S Kumaresan

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Just five days ahead of the scheduled date for the 1991 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a LTTE suicide bomber when the leader was campaigning in Tamil Nadu. This turned the entire political scene against the DMK, which until then had gained the sympathy of people as the Union government had dismissed its government without a valid reason.

From May 26, the poll was rescheduled to June 15. These few days were enough for AIADMK and its then ally Congress to hammer a heated campaign against DMK. Both the parties centred their rhetoric on the perceived proximity of DMK to the LTTE. When the results were out, AIADMK had won 164 seats and Congress 60. DMK managed to win just two, its worst performance ever since the party started contesting elections in 1957. The election marked the emergence of Jayalalithaa as an independent leader from the shadows of her mentor MGR.

Jayalalithaa’s first order as Chief Minister was to shut down the low-price liquor shops that were opened by the previous DMK regime. All Womens Police Stations, and Cradle Baby Scheme which aimed at preventing female infanticide were among the schemes brought in by Jayalalithaa.

Another historic achievement of Jayalalithaa’s regime was safeguarding of 69 per cent reservation system in the State. Following a Supreme Court’s verdict that the total reservation quota should not exceed 50 per cent, the system followed in Tamil Nadu was under threat. The State government passed Tamil Nadu Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act in 1993 and got the President’s approval of it too. This Act protected the 69 per cent reservation as followed in the State.

Jayalalithaa’s rule was also infamous for extensive use of Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). Opposition party members and social activists were arrested under the draconian law.

Among the incidents that left a black mark on the regime was the death of 48 people in the stampede when she and her close aide Sasikala were in Kumbakonam to take the holy dip in the Mahamaham tank there. The most infamous was the extravagant wedding of Jayalalithaa’s foster son VN Sudhakaran in 1995.

This regime was also the period when actor Rajinikanth became more visible in the political scene. He even tried to convince the Congress national leadership at the time against forming an alliance with AIADMK. In DMK, its unquestionable leader M Karunanidhi met the toughest challenge to his leadership from Vaiko, who subsequently launched a new party, MDMK.

Jayalalithas had also earned the unique distinction of being the first Chief Minister of the State, except K Kamaraj, to have completed the full five-year term. The government’s survival was also helped by the landmark 1994 Supreme Court verdict in the SR Bommai case curtailing the abuse of Article 356 under which the Centre can dismiss the State governments. This paved way for stable governments in Tamil Nadu.

Seats won/ Vote share

Total seats: 234 (Year 1991)

AIADMK: 164 (44.39%)

Congress: 60 (15.19%)

DMK: 02 (22.46%)

MGR Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam: 02 (1.51%)

PMK: 01 (5.89%)

CPI: 01 (1.24%)

CPM: 01 (3.15%)

Indian Congress Socialist: 01 (0.23%)

Janata Dal: 01 (1.69%)

Independent: 01

Cabinet colleagues of Jayalalithaa

The cabinet colleagues of Jayalalithaa included VR Nedunchezhian, KS Krishnaswamy, SD Somasundaram, RM Veerappan, K Rajaram, C Aranganayagam, S Muthusamy, KA Sengottaiyan, EA Madhusoodhanan, S Kannappan, Azhagu Thirunavukkarasu, Ku Pa Krishnan, TM Selvaganapathy, Mohamed Asif, R Indira Kumari, M Anadhan, D Jayakumar, S Nagoor Meeran and G Viswanathan

I give you the absolute freedom to choose me as your supreme leader

STORYBOARD

I give you the absolute freedom to choose me as your supreme leader

ARUN RAM

12.04.2021

On Saturday, four days after the Tamil Nadu assembly election, the Madras high court made some interesting observations on a public interest litigation seeking an instruction to political parties to conduct their internal elections before the assembly election. “The petitioner’s sentiment has to be respected as it revealed the highest regard for democratic principles,” the court said, disposing of the petition which was now infructuous since the election had been conducted.

Nothing may come out of such petitions, but they come as occasional reminders of how autocratic our political parties are; they hold a mirror to the reality that the parties that wax eloquent about democracy do not practise it internally. And this is not to say that only those parties accused of practising dynasty politics (and there are plenty of them) are autocratic. In fact, the Congress, which still cannot think beyond the Nehru-Gandhi family for leadership, has a much more liberal intra-party democracy than the BJP. But members of the Congress have used this liberty to foster factionalism that has systematically eaten the innards of the organisation.

The BJP, on the other hand, takes pride in not promoting dynastic succession (though close to 15% of its MPs since 2009 come from BJP families) but its leadership is often handpicked by the RSS or a handful of seniors in the party. The same is the case with virtually every party, where the lowerlevel units and cadres have no say in the selection of the leadership. The communist parties in the 1980s and 1990s conducted internal polls to select committees, but it turned out to be a farce as often the incumbents introduced ‘official panels’ and those comrades who voted for someone outside the panel were shown the door.

In Tamil Nadu, the DMK, AIADMK, PMK, VCK, MDMK, DMDK and all those katchis and kazhagams were born and grew around personalities and most of them have a strong dynastic culture. The MNM, that came three years ago with the promise of change, has anointed founder Kamal Haasan as the ‘supreme leader’ and ‘perennial president’. It is only incidental and by force of circumstances that the AIADMK of late ceased to be entirely unipolar.

A leader who commands respect and shows conviction and direction is not just a prerequisite for a robust party, but also an inspiration for the public, but the problem is we often confuse a strong leader with an autocrat (an autocrat is always strong, but all strong leaders need not be autocrats). While hearing the recent petition, the Madras high court alluded to the US presidential form of leadership, but was silent on the fact that the US president is all-powerful once he attains the post, but the process has several layers of democratic checks and balances. The US and Germany have laws that mandate secret ballots for internal party elections.

It was not the first time the Madras high court had heard a plea for internal democracy in parties. In November 2019, the high court dismissed (as withdrawn) a writ petition from an AIADMK member who sought party polls. The court said it could not entertain the case and asked the litigant to file a civil suit if he so wished. The Election Commission of India said the law did not permit it to interfere with the internal affairs of a political party.

In an earlier column on dynasty politics, I argued that selecting a political progeny is the internal matter of a party; this one is to argue that the internal matter does not follow the democratic process. Am I complaining? If this is how the political circus is conducted, pass the popcorn, please.

arun.ram@timesgroup.com

toi_arunram

There is no anti-incumbency. I had set up teams of 10 members each to canvas 100 voters and get them to booth on polling day — K P Anbalagan, TN HIGHER EDUCATION MINISTER POKER FACE We have enough masks after the result