Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday called on his predecessor, DMK President MK Stalin at the latter's Alwarpet residence here, days ahead of the crucial floor test the government is slated to face. After winning polls and assuming office as the chief minister, this is the first time Vijay was meeting Stalin and the visit was described by government sources as a "courtesy call." Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin accorded a warm welcome to CM Vijay. The meeting happens a day after Vijay's harsh criticism of the previous DMK regime for Rs 10 lakh crore debt burden on the state. He had also indirectly hit out at the DMK for "multiple power centres" and had asserted that he was the only power centre in his TVK regime. DMK chief Stalin had hit back at Vijay for his debt burden jibe. Later, Vijay called on MDMK founder Vaiko. Vijay's brief meeting with Stalin and Udhayanidhi happens days ahead of the crucial floor test in the TN Assembly to demonstrate the TVK regime'
DMK calls Congress "backstabbers" over alliance with Vijay's TVK in Tamil Nadu
In a changed political atmosphere in Tamil Nadu with no single political party having a simple majority to form the government post the Assembly election, opinion is divided among the allies led by the Dravidian majors in extending external support to Vijay-led TVK in government formation. Both the DMK and AIADMK are at unease as the Congress and also a section in the AIADMK express willingness to extend external support to Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagtam in forming the government. Post poll, the TVK's political prospects appear to impact alliances led by both the Dravidian majors in a different manner, triggering a speculation of a split. Leema Rose Martin, who won from Lalgudi on an AIADMK ticket, has stated that talks were underway on extending support to the TVK. Her son-in-law Aadhav Arjuna, who won from Villivakkam is TVK's general secretary. On May 5, former AIADMK minister O S Manian, emerging from his meeting with party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, stated
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has accepted the resignation of Chief Minister M K Stalin and his council of ministers, the Lok Bhavan said on Tuesday. The CM had tendered resignation following his party, DMK's defeat in the April 23 Lok Sabha elections. According to a Lok Bhavan statement, the governor has requested Stalin "to continue in office until alternative arrangements are made." Following the poll debacle, the DMK chief submitted his resignation on Tuesday. The Tamil Nadu assembly elections were held on April 23. Vijay-led TVK emerged the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Counting of votes for Tamil Nadu's 234 Assembly constituencies began at 8 am on Monday; it was a decisive victory for Vijay's TVK as it emerged as the largest party
Tamil Nadu Assembly election results 2026: 'We bow to and accept the verdict of the people,' says CM MK Stalin
Tamil Nadu election results 2026: As counting progresses across 234 seats, all eyes are on MK Stalin, Vijay, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Edappadi K Palaniswami
Exit polls showed the DMK+ retaining power in Tamil Nadu with AIADMK+ trailing, while the NDA held an edge in Puducherry
The high-intensity poll campaign for the April 23 election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly will end at the close of the day on Tuesday, bringing the mandatory silent period. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal besides Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, and Deputy CM son Udhayanidhi crisscrossed the state holding roadshows and campaigning for the AIADMK-led NDA and DMK-led SPA candidates in fray from 234 assembly constituencies. Though issues like development, central fund allocation, family rule, and corruption allegations dominated the nearly month-long electrifying campaign, apart from mutual personal attacks, the countdown to the election date saw the delimitation exercise assuming the centre stage. Two powerful alliances - the Secular Progressive Alliance
Around 18 per cent of the candidates in fray in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 25 percent have assets worth more than Rs one crore, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Monday. According to the report, out of the 3992 candidates analysed, 722(18 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 404 (10 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases. In the 2021 Assembly elections, out of 3559 candidates analysed, 466 (13 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, and 207 (6 per cent) had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Among the major parties, 118 (69 per cent) out of 170 candidates analysed from the AIADMK, 92 (40 per cent) out of 231 candidates from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, 70 (40 per cent) out of 175 candidates analysed from the DMK, 16 (48 per cent) out of 33 from the BJP, 14 (50 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from t
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government's women's reservation bill was a noble effort that got 'derailed' due to the DMK and Congress which made it a "target of hatred and petty politics." Especially targeting the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu and the Congress over the amendment bill being defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the PM asked, "Why does it trouble DMK, Congress to see ordinary women rise." He said he had personally appealed to the opposition parties to support the bill and even offered to give them credit as "I only wanted sisters from ordinary families to come to parliament, assemblies in good numbers." "But unfortunately, this noble effort got derailed. DMK, Congress and their allies made it a target of hatred and petty politics," he charged. Had this bill been passed, many Tamil women from ordinary families would have become MPs and MLAs. Based on 2011 census, Tamil Nadu was going to get so many more seats in Lok Sabha, "but clearly DMK didn't want t
Actor-politician's poll debut is most likely going to split votes. It remains to be seen if DMK or AIADMK benefits
Addressing a large gathering, Udhayanidhi Stalin outlined a series of welfare promises aimed at strengthening social support systems and boosting educational access in the state
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population. "The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview. "Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added. The Union Cabinet recently cleared the draft bill for the amendments to the law, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, more commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, that will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 with 273 reserved for women, and its implementation in t
TVK chief Vijay on Saturday termed the DMK-Congress combine a "confused alliance" and the NR Congress-BJP tie-up an "exhausted one" in Puducherry. Addressing a rally here for the April 9 polls, Vijay criticised both national parties for failing to grant statehood to Puducherry despite holding power at the Centre for years. He urged voters to support the party's "whistle" symbol in the Union Territory to usher in a "one-finger revolution", an apparent reference to a dialogue from one of his movies. He promised that a TVK government would make a "100 per cent effort" to secure full statehood legally, free from the interference of the Lieutenant Governor. Presenting his party's candidates as those who "stand with the people", Vijay outlined a series of populist welfare measures. He promised that local body elections would be conducted within six months of TVK assuming power. The party's agenda includes providing Rs 25 lakh medical insurance to every family and 200 units of free ...
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday appealed to the people to defeat the Delhi team as it was "hostile" to the needs or development of the state. Addressing a poll campaign in support of the DMK candidate and state Cooperation Minister K R Periyakaruppan in Singampunari in the district, Udhayanidhi, who is the DMK youth wing secretary, said the April 23 Assembly election is very crucial as it is a contest to extend the development and good work done by the DMK and the Delhi team which is "hostile" to the needs or development of Tamil Nadu. "So, we must defeat the Delhi team, the Sanghi group, and prove that they have no space in Tamil Nadu. Ensure Dravidian model 2.0 regime for more development and welfare initiatives," Udhayanidhi said, highlighting the numerous schemes, including free bus travel for women, the monthly grant for women heads of families, and free laptops to college students. "Just as you made Periyakaruppan win for four consecutive terms,
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday said political parties aligning with the BJP face a bleak future, labelling the AIADMK's ties with the saffron party a "betrayal alliance" that deceives both the state and its own cadre. Campaigning in the Nilakottai Assembly constituency for DMK candidate Nagajyothi, Kanimozhi dismissed allegations from the AIADMK-BJP combine that the DMK is anti-Hindu. She countered the claim by highlighting the state government's initiatives in this regard, noting that consecration ceremonies (Kudamuzhukku) have been performed for over 4,000 temples under the current administration. Addressing local economic concerns, the Thoothukudi MP promised the establishment of industrial clusters for the renowned Dindigul lock industry to bolster local manufacturing. She maintained that the AIADMK's political choices have compromised Tamil Nadu's interests, reiterating that history shows no party thrives after partnering with the BJP. Kanimozhi urged voters to suppor
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday completed the seat-sharing process with its allies for the April 23 Assembly polls, identifying the constituencies to be contested by the Congress, Left parties, VCK and DMDK, among others. DMK leads the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the state. According to the understanding reached, DMK's principal ally Congress' 28 seats include Ponneri, Erode East, Vilavankode, Sivakasi and Karaikudi. DMDK, led by Premalatha Vijayakanth has already been allotted 10 seats, and they include Vriddhachalam and Pallavaram. Thol Thirumavalvan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) will contest from, among the allotted eight seats, Kattumannarkoil, Panrutti and Tindivanam. The allocations to CPI (M) include Padmanabhapuram and Palani, while CPI will face the polls from Thalli and Bhavanisagar (SC), among others. Both Left parties have been given five seats each. The DMK also identified seats for other allies, including the Vaiko-led MDMK, which will
V Senthil Balaji, the DMK MLA from Karur, appeared before the CBI on Tuesday for questioning over a stampede during a political rally of TVK chief Vijay in the Tamil Nadu town last year, officials said. The CBI took over the case from an SIT following a Supreme Court order. TVK chief and actor Vijay's rally in Karur on September 27, 2025, resulted in a massive stampede that claimed 41 lives and left more than 60 people injured. In October last year, the apex court asked the CBI director to appoint a senior officer to take over the investigation, besides constituting a supervisory committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ajay Rastogi to monitor the probe. A top court bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and N V Anjaria had said that the stampede left an imprint in the minds of the citizens throughout the country. It had wide ramifications with respect to the lives of citizens, and enforcing the fundamental rights of the families who lost their kin is of utmost importance,
OPS, who had functioned as AIADMK Treasurer and also held the erstwhile top position of party coordinator, joined the DMK along with his son, P Ravindhranath Kumar and supporters