The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly convened today, for the first day of its winter session at the Secretariat Assembly hall in Chennai.
The session was attended by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami, ministers, and all MLAs.
The session began with Speaker M. Appavu reading condolence messages for eight former assembly members who had passed away, including revolutionary leaders and respected political figures. Members stood for a two-minute silence to honor their memory.
The Assembly also paid deep tribute to the 41 people who lost their lives in the tragic stampede that occurred on September 27 during a political rally in Karur organized by the TVK party. The Speaker read a condolence resolution expressing shock and sorrow over the incident.
Chief Minister Stalin had promptly visited Karur on the night of the tragedy to console the bereaved families and meet the injured, issuing immediate financial aid and ordering special medical care for the hospitalized.
Condolences were further expressed for notable figures such as former Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, former Nagaland Governor L. Ganesan, CPI leader Sudhakar Reddy, IAS officer Beela Venkatesan, and sitting AIADMK MLA Amul Kandasamy.
Two minutes of silence were observed for all the departed. Following these tributes and observances, the Assembly adjourned for the day.
The Speaker announced that the session will resume on October 15, with the agenda beginning with question hour, followed by discussions on supplementary budget grants for the financial year 2025-2026 to be presented by Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu.
Debates on the grants are scheduled for October 16, with the Finance Ministerās reply on October 17, after which the session will conclude.The session is anticipated to be significant and possibly contentious, given the recent Karur tragedy, the ongoing law and order situation, and controversies such as the Goltrip cough medicine issue expected to be raised particularly by the opposition MLAs.
This session marks the first Assembly meeting after the Karur stampede and is closely watched for political developments and responses to recent crises in the state.