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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

CM Vijay breaks ice with oppn on 1st day

TIMES OF INDIA AHAMEDABAD. 12.05.2026

Chennai : Change was at the core of TVK president C Joseph Vijay’s election campaign. After his first day in assembly as chief minister on Monday, he signalled a pleasant change in political civility by visiting DMK president M K Stalin and other party leaders in their respective homes, reports Ram Sundaram .

The warm gesture that brought smiles across party lines came a day after Vijay criticising the previous govt for accumulating huge debt and leaving the state treasury “empty”. The day started with a‘cold war’ as DMK legislative party leader Udhayanidhi Stalin did not even look at Vijay. Hours later, however, as Vijay walked into Stalin’s Cenotaph Road house, at the door was Udhayanidhi, waiting to receive the special guest with a hug.

The CM and his predecessor, too embraced, marking a positive deviation from bitterness that had marked TN politics for long. Holding his hand, Stalin took Vijay to the visitor’s room where they spoke for about 15 minutes. Udhayanidhi, who was seated next to Vijay, gifted the CM a book titled ₹Kaalathin Niram Karuppu Sivappu,’ a collection of essays on DMK’s history and Dravidian ideology.

While TVK general secretary N Anand accompanied Vijay; senior DMK leaders were present at Stalin’s house. Later, Stalin described the meeting as a gesture of political courtesy. “I extended to him my heartfelt congratulations as well as my advice,” he posted on X. The meeting marked the first known instance since 1967 of a newly sworn-in Tamil Nadu chief minister visiting a former chief minister at his residence immediately after assuming office.

SC: Won’t interfere in CBI probe against Senthil

12.05.2026. TIMES OF INDIA BENGALURU

New Delhi : Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with Madras high court’s order for a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in transformer tenders floated during the tenure of former Tamil Nadu electricity minister V Senthil Balaji between 2021-23.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta dismissed appeals filed against the HC order and asked the agency to conduct the investigation uninfluenced by the observations of Madras HC. One of the appeals has been filed by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco). Madras HC had directed a CBI probe on April 29 on a plea filed by NGO Arappor Iyakkam which alleged that 10 tenders issued for the procurement of transformers were manipulated to favour select bidders. TNN

SC: You want to stall everything in the name of environment

12.05.2026

A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymlaya Bagchi said the environment impact assessment (EIA) report had found the apprehensions baseless and the National Green Tribunal also has since given a considered opinion green lighting the port expansion.

When Shenoy continued to emphasise that NGT did not consider a series of deficiencies in the EIA report, SC said port development activities are required for the development of the country. “You want to stall everything in the name of the environment. How can the country develop without infrastructure? No doubt precautionary measures are essential. But tell us where else the depth of the sea permits big ports as in Gujarat,” it asked.

“Do you want the port related economic activities to go to other countries,” the bench asked. While refusing to entertain the appeal against NGT order, it permitted the environmentalist to approach western zone NGT at Pune again pointing out the non consideration of his objections to the project.

The counsel said 90% of fish landing off Saurashtra coast takes place at Pipavav port area and the expansion would be a death knell for the fisherfolk of the area. SC said economic activity is not a consideration while preparing the EIA report. Show us 1 development project not opposed by environmentalists:

SC New Delhi : Refusing to entertain a plea against expansion of Pipavav port in Gujarat faulting the environmental clearance,

Supreme Court on Monday said, “Show us a single project where these environmentalists have said we welcome this,” while emphasising that the country cannot develop without infrastructure, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra .

Senior advocate Anitha Shenoy, for environmentalist Chetan Kumar Navintray Vyas, argued that the project was stalled for more than a decade and the environmental clearance was given without considering the adverse impact on marine mammals, Olive Ridley turtles, avian species and mangroves

‘Kingmaker Thiruma almost became king’

DMK, AIADMK Backed Him As CM, say VCK Sources

Julie.Mariappan@timesofindia.com 12.05.2026

Chennai : While TVK was awaiting the crucial support of VCK on Saturday, the dalit party’s leader Thol Thirumavalavan was a breath away from being propped up as chief minister, VCK sources said. The proposal of Thirumavalavan as CM – reportedly supported by DMK and AIADMK – surfaced late on Friday night amid political uncertainty and negotiations over govt formation after the assembly election verdict threw up a fractured mandate.

According to VCK leaders, the discussions gathered pace when Thirumavalavan, accompanied by senior party functionaries, visited Stalin’s house on Friday night. By then, CPI and CPM were working on formalizing their support for Vijay. “At that point, the DMK leadership conveyed that it was open to Thirumavalavan becoming chief minister,” said a VCK functionary.

“Talks with AIADMK leadership were also progressing in that direction.” Sources said that until then, sections within the AIADMK leadership had been exploring a postpoll powersharing formula with DMK to keep TVK out of office. Former deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was believed to have played a key role in exploring the feasibility of such an arrangement centred around Thirumavalavan.

After the Left parties announced their support to TVK, Thirumavalavan postponed a scheduled press conference on Saturday morning, triggering speculation if the party was reconsidering its options. The VCK chief eventually handed over the party’s letter of unconditional support to TVK functionary Aadhav Arjuna at a private hotel around 4pm. Even after this, efforts continued from the AIADMK side. Sources said Palaniswami reached out to Thirumavalavan and urged him to reconsider.

“The AIADMK leadership felt the VCK chief acted in haste while discussions were still underway,” a source said. Senior VCK leaders are understood to have pressed Thirumavalavan to consider the proposal, arguing that such a move could increase the party’s political leverage. According to party insiders, Thirumavalavan later told his associates that he did not want to be perceived as someone pursuing power at any cost. He was also said to be uncomfortable with what he viewed as possible BJP influence over TVK.

Some VCK leaders said at an earlier stage, Palaniswami had offered Thirumavalavan the deputy chief minister’s post in a potential AIADMKl ed arrangement, along with a choice of portfolios. DMK, however, was unwilling to support it. VCK, which contested six seats as part of the DMK alliance, won two constituencies in the election.

ALMOST CM: Thiruma said he was uncomfortable with what he viewed as possible BJP influence over TVK

VCK: Will decide on continuing in DMK front in two weeks

HIGH-LEVEL MEET

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 12.05.2026

Chennai : VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan on Sunday indicated that the party would decide whether to continue in the DMK alliance or align with the Congress led INDIA bloc in two weeks.

Thirumavalavan told reporters in New Delhi on Monday, VCK would take a decision in the party’s high level committee meeting. The party would also take a final call on being part of the TVK cabinet. “However, we have decided that we should extend support from outside for the TVK govt,” Thirumavalavan said.

“We did not speak to leader C Joseph Vijay about any power-sharing arrangement. However, they have conveyed that VCK should also find a place in the cabinet,” he said. Thirumavalavan also said the Congress party’s decision to support TVK changed the political equations within the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu and said that DMK may no longer continue in the alliance.

Referring to DMK MP Kanimozhi’s reported letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla seeking separate seating arrangements for DMK MPs, he said the move reflected the widening distance between DMK and Congress in Parliament. “She has conveyed that they can no longer sit and function in the Lok Sabha along with Congress members,” he said. Thirumavalavan, however, said the DMK’s political future remained unaffected as the party secured 60 MLAs and would continue to function in the assembly.