India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
CHENNAI: VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan on Sunday announced that he will contest in Kattumannarkoil constituency for the assembly poll. This is the second time that he will contest from the constituency. In a video, Thirumavalavan justified his move to contest in the assembly election despite being a Lok Sabha MP. "After the 2026 assembly election, the scenario in state politics will change significantly. Hence, I need to focus on state politics," he said. More surprising was VCK's denial of seats to three of its sitting MLAs - Allor Shanavas ( Nagapattinam), S S Balaji (Thiruporur) and M Balu (Cheyyur).
Cuddalore: As long as dravidian, Marxist, Gandhian, and Ambedkar ideologies stay united in Tamil Nadu, no saffron agenda from Delhi will succeed in the state, said chief minister M K Stalin.Speaking after inaugurating the centenary auditorium with a life-size statue of the late social justice warrior L Ilayaperumal, at Lalpuram in Chidambaram, Cuddalore district, Stalin said that leaders of the dravidian, Marxist, Gandhian, and Ambedkarite movements were on the stage united. "This unity symbolises Tamil Nadu. VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan emphasized this, and I reaffirm it. When Tamil Nadu ...Read More >
Chief Minister M K Stalin emphasized Tamil Nadu's united front against external political influences. He inaugurated a statue and centenary hall honoring L Elayaperumal, highlighting unity among Dravidian, Ambedkar, Communist, and Gandhian ideologies. Stalin announced outreach programs to bring government services directly to residents, celebrating social reforms. Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin declared the unity of diverse political ideologies in the state, countering external influences ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 16 (ANI): The Indian government expressed regret on Tuesday over the reported demolition of the ancestral property of celebrated filmmaker and writer Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh and expressed its willingness to extend cooperation in its restoration. "We note with profound regret that the ancestral property of noted filmmaker and litterateur Satyajit Ray in Mymensingh, Bangladesh, belonging to his grandfather and eminent litterateur, Upendra Kishor Ray Chowdhury, is being demolished," the Ministry of External Affairs said. Also Read | India Urges Bangladesh ...Read More >
There is no strong electoral wind blowing across Tamil Nadu to indicate the emerging trends and directions of the potential outcome of the assembly elections to be held on April 23, 2026. There is nothing to suggest that there is something brewing beneath the political surface. The alliances have been formalised, seat sharing arrangements have been completed, candidates list have been prepared and circulated out of the party headquarters and finally the filing of nomination process has begun. All ...Read More >
Villupuram: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai called on PMK founder S Ramadoss at his Thailapuram farmhouse in Villupuram district on Friday, setting off speculation about whether it was a political meeting to invite PMK to the DMK front.Selvaperunthagai said it was a 'courtesy call' to inquire about the health of Ramadoss, with whom he "has decades long association". "I came to inquire about Ramadoss' health. This was a courtesy meeting. Nothing was spoken about alliance ...Read More >
MADURAI: Expressing strong condemnation over the recent death of Ajith Kumar, a security guard, Madapuram Bathrakali Amman temple in Tiruppuvanam, Sivaganga district, in police custody, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan called for the government to act to end such incidents of custodial death. "Such brutal acts in police custody seemed unending, not only in Tamil Nadu, but across India. Such acts are shocking, and they cannot be justified at all. However, Chief Minister MK Stalin's immediate intervention in the issue gave some relief. No Chief Minister would transfer such a case of custodial deat ...Read More >
Chennai, Sep 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President and MP Thol Thirumavalavan has strongly opposed demands to arrest actor-politician Vijay in connection with the September 27 Karur stampede in which 41 people were killed, including eight children and many women. Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Thirumavalavan said it was "meaningless" to insist on Vijay's arrest when the Tamil Nadu government has already constituted a one-member judicial enquiry headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan. "The Commission is investigating. Once its report is submitted, ...Read More >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 30 (ANI): Tamil Nadu government designated spokesperson and IAS P Amudha on Tuesday expressed grief over the unfortunate Karur stampede incident that claimed the lives of 41 people, and said that over 25,000 people gathered at the Uzhavar Sandhai ground, where Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay rally was held, even though permission was sought for 10,000 participants only. Expressing that the incident has caused deep sorrow, Amudha said that rumours and misconceptions circulating on social media regarding the stampede incident were being address ...Read More >
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season has barely begun, but it has already delivered its first major controversy. Following Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium, a pointed remark from captain Ajinkya Rahane has triggered a wider debate - forcing Cricket Australia (CA) to step in with a clarification. At the centre of the storm is Cameron Green, KKR's high-profile signing worth INR 25.20 crore, who did not bowl a single over despite MI's dominant chase of 220. KKR seemed in control after posting a commanding 220/4, but the script ...Read More >
Chennai, Apr 4 (PTI) VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan on Saturday announced he will not contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, withdrawing from the race days after he nominated himself from Kattumannarkoil. "I wanted to enter the Assembly, but I have now changed my mind to ensure the unity of the DMK alliance," Thirumavalavan told reporters at a press briefing here. Earlier, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi foudner had announced his intention to fight from the Kattumannarkoil constituency, expressing an "inner calling" to serve in the Assembly. The Chidambaram MP confirmed on S ...Read More >
Puducherry [India], April 9 (ANI): Congress State President and Thattanchavady Assembly candidate V. Vaithilingam on Thursday cast his vote in the ongoing Puducherry elections and expressed confidence in his party's prospects. Speaking to ANI, Vaithilingam said, "Today's polling has been favourable, particularly for Congress. The DMK alliance is also performing well. We are confident that we will form the government on 4 May." Also Read | Badlapur Shocker: Tea Stall Owner Assaults Customer With Teapot, Pours Hot Tea After 'Cold Tea' Complaint. He added that the polling process has been smoo ...Read More >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 6 (ANI): Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President and Actor Kamal Haasan filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha at the Tamil Nadu secretariat in the presence of DMK President and state Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Deputy Udhayanidhi Stalin. DMK allies, VCK leader Thirumavalavan, MDMK leader Vaiko, and Tamil Nadu Congress President Selvaperundagai were also present. With DMK allocating one Rajya Sabha seat to Makkal Needhi Maiyam, its founder and actor Kamal Haasan was earlier named the candidate for the Upper House of Parliament. In the 234-member Tamil Nadu ...Read More >
Puducherry (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 31 (ANI): Days ahead of the upcoming Puducherry assembly polls, former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief K Annamalai on Tuesday trained guns on the opposition INDIA bloc, saying that it "lacks unity". "This is a strange alliance that does not exist anywhere in the world. In Puducherry, Congress candidates have been fielded in places where alliance parties are contesting, violating the alliance dharma," Annamalai said while talking to reporters after attending a roadshow held in support of Puducherry BJP president VP Ramalingam. Also Read | P ...Read More >
Pudukkottai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader H. Raja criticised Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President chief Kamal Haasan, saying that the actor-turned-politician has 'mortgaged' his party in exchange for a Rajya Sabha seat. The BJP leader stated that the MNM chief, who used to oppose the DMK's freebies and corrupt rule, has 'mortgaged' his torchlight election symbol to the DMK in exchange for a Rajya Sabha seat. He even claimed that the actor has said to never form an alliance with the DMK. 'Everyone knows what Kamal Haasan did in the past. He opposed the ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >
Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagendran on Sunday reached the Government Medical College and Hospital in Karur, where the injured from the stampede are undergoing treatment and the bodies of victims are being handed over to their families after postmortem.The Tamil Nadu BJP also called for the cancellation of all party programs for the next two days. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President and MP Thol. Thirumavalavan on Sunday expressed deep anguish over the tragic stampede in Tamil Nad ...Read More >
CHENNAI: In a closely contested election, a total of 21 constituencies in Tamil Nadu will go to polls without the DMK's rising sun or the AIADMK's two leaves symbol on the ballot.In these seats, candidates of alliance partners of DMK and AIADMK will contest against each other on their own symbols. The increase from 11 such seats in 2021 reflects the growing role of smaller parties in alliance arithmetic and gives parties such as TVK and NTK an opening to improve their electoral performance."Both parties have factored in vote transfers from smaller parties. DMK leader MK Stalin has brought over ...Read More >
Chennai: DMK and its allies continued criticism of AIADMK for participating in the BJP's recent Murugan meet that denigrated Dravidian icons 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy and C N Annadurai. VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan expressed shock over the AIADMK's continuance in the NDA despite insults to its party ideologues and asked the party to rethink ties with the BJP. MMK leader M H Jawahirullah too accused AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami of mortgaging his party's principles.These statements come amid speculation about alliances shifting leading up to the elections. Thirumavalavan, wooed ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Political leaders across the spectrum mourned the demise of M K Muthu, the eldest son of former chief minister and DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and eldest brother of CM M K Stalin, who made his mark both in Tamil cinema and politics. In his condolence message, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai said, "M K Muthu held a unique place in Tamil Nadu's political and cinematic history." He expressed deep condolences on behalf of the TNCC to CM Stalin, Muthu's family members, DMK cadre and the film fraternity. MDMK general secretary Vaiko also offered his condo ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Calling the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar an anti-democratic exercise, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan alleged that the premeditated drive, carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the direction of the BJP-led Union government, poses a serious threat to the nation. He claimed that the first phase of the drive excluded around 65 lakh voters from the rolls, the majority of whom were from minority communities. Though Opposition leaders and Members of Parliament have been demanding a debate on the SIR in Parliament, the ...Read More >
Congress and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) have announced a boycott of Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's Independence Day Tea Reception. Both parties cite grievances against the Governor's actions, alleging he undermines state authority and delays important legislative processes, impacting democratic governance and electoral integrity. Congress and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) are staging a boycott of the Independence Day Tea Reception hosted by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. The parties claim th ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 5 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that both Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are unlikely to respond to the party's recent questions concerning BJP's Puducherry President and Raj Bhavan constituency candidate VP Ramalingam and Latchiya Jananayaga Katchi (LJK) chief Jose Charles Martin hosting a Sri Lankan diplomat in Puducherry. Replying to Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera's post on X, Ramesh wrote, "The answers to your three questions are self-evident: 1. He will not, 2. He will not, ...Read More >
CHENNAI: AIADMK spokesperson and former Minister Vaigaichelvan stated that the people of Tamil Nadu would 'never and ever' accept a coalition government. Vaigaichelvan's remarks during an interview to a news channel, reflects the stand of the party leadership. Several senior leaders have echoed similar sentiments, even recalling the political gambit during the 1980 Assembly elections, when the DMK and the Congress shared an equal number of seats and proposed the idea of a coalition government. However, it failed miserably, as the people of Tamil Nadu categorically rejected the concept and vo ...Read More >
MADURAI: Even as efforts are being made to cement ties within the NDA in the State, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, an ally of the ruling DMK, criticised the combine on Monday, saying that there seems to be a disconnect between the BJP and the AIADMK, saying that no sense of bonding is seen in the relationship. Referring to the comments made by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami during a party rally in Kallakurichi on Sunday, the VCK chief said that the Leader of Opposition broke his silence by asserting no force can destroy AIADMK. Palaniswami has sent a clear message to the ...Read More >
HYDERABAD: With the kharif season underway and farmers facing an acute shortage of urea, agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao has written to the Centre, urging immediate intervention to ensure timely and sufficient supply of the critical fertiliser. In letters addressed to Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers JP Nadda, Tummala highlighted the alarming gap between the state's demand and actual supply. The minister said the Centre had allocated five lakh metric tonnes of urea to Telangana for the months of April, May, and June. However, only 3.06 lakh metric tonnes have been suppli ...Read More >
CHENNAI: VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan on Tuesday criticised AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, questioning whether the party's members are loyal followers of former Chief Minister and late supremo J Jayalalithaa, who had vowed that the AIADMK would never align with the BJP, or mere footsoldiers of Amit Shah. We were once in an alliance with the BJP, realised our mistake, and have not repeated it since, said late AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa and vowed that the party would never align with the saffron party, Thiruma recalled. However, the present AIADMK chief has chosen to ig ...Read More >
TRICHY/CHENNAI: Even as the state govt formed special teams to nab senior TVK functionaries, the govt faced flak from its own allies for 'sparing' TVK president Vijay from legal action in the Karur stampede case.VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan on Thursday questioned the state govt for not booking Vijay, while only second rung leaders of TVK have been named in the FIR related to the stampede that claimed 41 lives. Stating that the police action to leave out Vijay's name was shocking, Thirumavalavan ...Read More >
KRISHNAGIRI/DHARMAPURI: While the DMK's alliance parties are not happy with the seat-sharing arrangements for the Assembly election, the AIADMK formed an alliance and seat-sharing happened swiftly, said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, in Krishnagiri on Thursday. Campaigning for the party's candidates in Krishnagiri district, Palaniswami said, "Stalin is stating that the AIADMK is BJP's slave when in reality, the DMK has been the Congress' slave for many years. While the DMK is proclaiming it has a grand alliance, the fact is AIADMK has more political parties with higher vote ...Read More >
Tamil Nadu Elections 2026: A significant development has emerged in Tamil Nadu politics as Thol Thirumavalavan, president of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), announced that he will not contest the 2026 Assembly elections from the Kattumannarkoil constituency. His decision puts an end to speculation surrounding his candidature. Thirumavalavan said that while he had earlier expressed a desire to represent marginalised communities in the Assembly, he decided to step back, considering the current political situation and alliance strategy. He noted that he had completed two years as a Me ...Read More >
Puducherry [India], April 9 (ANI): Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K Kailashnathan cast his vote on Thursday at the DMS office during the ongoing Assembly elections, while urging other citizens to fulfil their "primary duty". Speaking after casting his vote, Lt Governor Kailashnathan emphasised the importance of citizen participation in the voting process and appealed to all voters to come forward and exercise their right. "It is the primary duty of every citizen to cast vote in elections. I request all the citizens to cast their vote," he told ANI. Earlier in the day, Puducherry Chief Minis ...Read More >