Latest news with #DMK-led
The Print
a day ago
- Politics
- The Print
Political prudence or just pressure? DMK allies turn up heat over seat-sharing before Tamil Nadu polls
While Thirumalavalan played it down as just a friendly meeting, Vaigaichelvan said the meeting marked the beginning of the unravelling of the DMK-led alliance. VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, who has been pressing for more seats, went a step further, meeting opposition AIADMK MLA and former minister Vaigaichelvan who visited him at his residence on 16 June. Chennai: With assembly elections in Tamil Nadu just about 10 months away, allies of the ruling DMK in the state including the Congress, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have started mounting pressure on the senior partner to give them more seats to contest the polls. 'The DMK alliance has developed cracks and it is just the beginning. You will see more parties having discussions with the AIADMK,' Vaigaichelvan told reporters in Chennai on 18 June when asked about the meeting. Hours later, addressing a public meeting in Madurai, Thirumavalavan said while VCK is not averse to the idea of joining the AIADMK-led alliance, 'the alliance also has BJP and the PMK, which would not go well with us.' 'VCK will not be part of any alliance where BJP and the PMK are there,' he declared. Thirumavalavan and CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam have said on multiple occasions that they would definitely demand more seats from DMK. CPI state secretary P. Mutharasan told ThePrint they too want more seats. 'But, demanding and negotiating the seats are supposed to happen discreetly between parties. It should not be discussed with the media like how other alliance partners are doing,' he said. Asked about it, DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said it was for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to decide who gets how many seats in the alliance. 'Our leader will not let anybody be unhappy in the state. Alliance leaders will also be treated in the same manner.' In the 2011 assembly elections, DMK contested 119 of the 234 seats. Its ally Congress was given 63 seats, while VCK and CPI were allocated 10 each, and the CPI(M) 12. While CPI won one seat with a vote share of 1.49 percent, CPI(M) didn't win any, though it did corner 2.22 percent votes. The Congress managed to win five seats with a vote share of 9.31 percent percent, while VCK won two seats with a vote share of 1.51 percent. In the 2016 assembly elections, VCK, CPI, CPI(M) and other parties formed a third front and contested separately but did not secure any seat, and their vote percentage was also under one percent. The Congress, which was part of the DMK-led alliance, contested 41 seats and won eight, securing 6.42 percent votes. In 2021, VCK, CPI and CPI(M) contested the assembly elections as DMK allies and were allotted six seats each. While CPI and CPI(M) won two seats each, VCK won four. The Congress contested 25 seats and won 18, securing 4.29 percent votes, compared to CPI(M)'s 1.13 percent, CPI's 1.10 percent and VCK's 1.01 percent. Also Read: Stalin's face front & centre, I-PAC hits ground running to shape DMK campaign for 2026 polls 'Just a pressure tactic' Political analyst P. Sigamani told ThePrint it was just a pressure-building tactic by smaller parties so they can bargain a better deal during seat-sharing talks with senior allies. But it would not have any bearing on the larger alliance. 'The DMK-led alliance is a tested and proven alliance that would win the elections, be it parliament or assembly or even the local body. Hence, there is no chance of the alliance breaking. But, these demands in public would give them a leverage to (potentially) get more seats in the upcoming assembly election,' Sigamani told ThePrint. 'If political parties that have increased their vote share and their presence over the years and they demand more seats, it would definitely help the alliance. But, if parties like the Congress demand more seats, it would have an impact in securing a majority in the assembly,' Sigamani said, recalling the past performance of the Congress party. In the 2011 polls, the Congress won just five of the 63 seats it contested. In the 2016 polls, the Congress was allotted 41 seats and it won eight. In the 2021 assembly elections, the Congress was allocated 25 seats and it won 18 seats. 'We have also increased our presence in the state,' Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K. Selvaperunthagai told ThePrint. 'Unlike in previous elections, we have proved our support base in the last two Lok Sabha elections and in the 2021 assembly election as well. So, we would definitely demand for more seats to contest, and the numbers will be decided by the national leadership.' VCK general secretary Sinthanai Selvan said it was the need of the hour to strengthen the alliance to achieve the larger goal of protecting the country. 'We are part of the DMK alliance not just for the seats and power, but, for a larger cause of saving the nation from the Hindutva forces,' he told ThePrint. 'In the journey to protect the country, it is also essential to strengthen ourselves to fight Sanatan forces. So, demanding more seats to contest is natural to strengthen our own party.' He, however, added the demand would not be at the cost of the DMK-led alliance. Shanmugam also told ThePrint seat-sharing talks would not be at the cost of the alliance, but it would only aim at strengthening his party and its representation in the assembly. 'The representation of the Marxist at the state and national level has been dwindling for years. And as a party, we want to increase our presence in assembly in accordance with our increase in presence on the ground,' he said, adding that they do not have any number in mind for now, but would decide at the time of seat-sharing talks with DMK. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: How smaller TN parties are bolstering bargaining power to extract more from senior partners in 2026
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nainar Nagenthran expresses concern over alleged security issues in Coimbatore
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, on Thursday (June 19, 2025) expressed concern over 'deteriorating' law and order situation in Coimbatore, claiming that the city, which is known for its industrial and educational growth, is facing increasing security challenges, including alleged links to terrorism. In a statement, Mr. Nagenthran said it is shocking that four individuals have been allegedly recruited for the ISIS terrorist organisation under the guise of an 'Arabic College' in Coimbatore. 'The DMK-led government attempted to downplay the terror bomb blast incident near the Kottai Easwaran Temple in Coimbatore in 2022 as merely a cylinder explosion. Following this bomb blast, individuals linked to terrorist organisations have been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Coimbatore,' he said. 'On one hand, there is a series of murders targeting the elderly persons and on the other, there are acts of vandalism of idols in some temples. Amidst these incidents, the reported presence of persons linked to terrorist groups to such an alarming extent has placed the entire Coimbatore region under a cloud of threat, raising serious questions about public safety under the so-called Dravidian model government,' he said. Quoting a NIA press statement, BJP former state president K. Annamalai said, 'While the NIA is working tirelessly to dismantle these terror cells, the DMK continues to downplay threats, brushing off suicide bombing incidents as mere accidents. When appeasement replaces accountability, national security pays the price. Tamil Nadu deserves better.'
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Vaigaichelvan claims DMK's front has suffered a ‘dent'
The AIADMK's spokesperson and former Minister Vaigaichelvan on Wednesday claimed the ruling DMK-led front had suffered a 'dent.' In an interaction with the media in Kancheepuram, Mr Vaigaichelvan, who recently met Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol. Thirumavalavan in Tiruchi, said that 'this is the first stage. You will see subsequent stages.' However, he refused to elaborate his main point. Meanwhile, the AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced the expulsion of the party councillor, secretary of the Thoothukudi (south) area and and former Minister S.P. Shanmuganathan's son S. P.S. Raja from the organisation. Mr Raja was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a case of allegedly cheating his sister to the tune of ₹17 crore.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Amid Keezhadi row, DMK to hold a major protest against Centre
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government again finds itself at odds with the Centre, this time over the transfer of an archaeologist known for his excavation work in Keezhadi, an ancient settlement near Madurai in the southern state's Sivaganga district. On Wednesday, the DMK's youth wing is set to hold a protest in Madurai against the BJP-led Centre's move to 'sabotage' the archaeological findings at the site. The findings of K Amarnath Ramakrishna close the temporal gap between Keezhadi and the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in the north to about a thousand years. This, coupled with a previous Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department study showing similarities between the signs and graffiti found in the Indus Valley and those discovered at dig sites in Tamil Nadu (including Keezhadi), has challenged the notions that historians and archaeologists previously held. As Adrija Roychowdhury explained in this article from 2023, 'Until very recently, the period of second urbanisation in India is known to have taken place between 600 to 500 BCE and concentrated in the middle of the Gangetic plains. It used to be argued that South India entered this historical phase much later in the third century BCE and that too with the intervention of the Mauryan king Ashoka who was known to have introduced writing in the region. This understanding of Indian history, argues Ramakrishna, was because most archaeological excavations in India were concentrated in the north.' As Ramakrishna told Adrija, 'We know that the first urbanisation in India happened during the Harappan civilisation. After the disintegration of the Harappans, they spread all over India and I am sure they came to the south also.' However, according to the DMK and proponents of Dravidian politics, the Keezhadi findings are an anathema to the BJP's Aryan-centric historical narrative that seeks to integrate South India into a pan-Indian Vedic cultural framework, portraying it as part of a unified Hindu civilisation. And that is why the ASI's Exploration and Excavation division asked Ramakrishna to revise his report, they allege. The ASI's letter to Ramakrishna said the proposed dating was 'very early' and suggested the earliest period should be revised to 'at the maximum, somewhere in pre-300 BCE'. Defending his work, the archaeologist rejected the demand. The DMK and its allies' response to his transfer was sharp, Arun Janardhanan reported. For the DMK, Dravidian pride is at the heart of its politics, and Ramakrishna's findings bolster it. However, the BJP government at the Centre has backed the doubts raised about the findings. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said during a recent visit to Chennai that the report 'was not technically well-supported and established yet'. Following Shekhawat's comments, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin last week accused the BJP government of trying to 'erase' this history because it does not follow its 'script' and alleged that the BJP-RSS 'ecosystem recoils' when it comes to the Keezhadi and the 'enduring truth of Tamil heritage'. In 2023, when launching the archaeological department study on the signs and graffiti, Stalin had spelt out that his party's goal was to scientifically establish that the history of India must be rewritten from Tamil land. Earlier this year, after the authors of the study announced that their study showed similarities between the two sets of signs and graffiti — ones found at the IVC sites and those from the South — the CM announced a $1 million prize for anyone who deciphers the Indus Valley script. He also tied the study's findings to broader symbols of Tamil identity, particularly linking Indus Valley seals with the image of a bull to the Tamil tradition of a bull-taming sport such as Jallikattu. Coming at a time when there have been major differences between the DMK and the BJP over language, finances, and delimitation, this conflict over historical narratives adds another layer to the tensions in the run-up to next year's Assembly elections. Tamil identity politics is likely to be at the centre of the poll strategy of Stalin's party, and how the BJP counters this in the short run as well as the next few months will be something to watch out for. Suggested readings: Also happening today Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who also holds the tourism portfolio, will begin a two-day official visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he is scheduled to meet CM Omar Abdullah. Shekhawat is also scheduled to visit many temples, including Kheer Bhawani Temple, Martand Surya Temple, as well as Pahalgam and Betaab Valley in Anantnag district. — With PTI inputs
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Stalin never kept his promises on holding caste census, says Anbumani Ramadoss
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday said that DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has never kept his promises on holding caste census in Tamil Nadu despite meeting PMK representatives, including its founder Ramadoss, thrice on the issue. Addressing party cadre at a district level meeting held here, Mr. Anbumani said that whenever he or party founder senior Ramadoss met the Chief Minister, mostly at the Secretariat in Chennai, Mr. Stalin gave assurance that efforts would be taken on holding the caste census. 'Despite three years after the Supreme Court favoured allowing an internal reservation for Vanniyars based on census, the State government has done nothing on the issue,' he alleged. The former Union Minister reiterated his party demand to provide promised 10.5% internal reservation for Vanniyar community in Tamil Nadu by the DMK-led government, which has claimed of introducing welfare schemes that brings social justice and equality to all. 'Of its total MLAs, DMK has 23 from Vanniyar community and 21 Dalit MLAs. Did the Dravidian party implement any welfare schemes for the upliftment of these communities,' he asked.
