Editorial: Valid question
mdmk
With Vaiko nomination accepted, DMK candidate withdraws papers
With the returning officer accepting MDMK general secretary Vaiko’s nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections, DMK nominee N R Elango has withdrawn his papers. Continue Reading
Alliance arithmetic of AIADMK, DMK ahead of crucial Vellore election
It’s not for coalition dharma alone that the AIADMK and DMK stuck to their promise of giving one Rajya Sabha seat to the PMK and MDMK, respectively, say political observers. Continue Reading
Post-poll pangs
I am writing this to inform you all, loyal readers, that I won’t be writing this week. There are many reasons for me to skip my regular column, some personal but mostly political. Continue Reading
Indian Poll League (IPL) is full of fun & frolic
Lok Sabha polls are around the corner. Campaigning has hit fever pitch. Simultaneously, there is Indian Premier League (IPL) happening on a different pitch, where the most popular cricketers are in action. Would it not be appropriate to call this election as Indian Poll League (IPL)? Why not, as there are quite a lot of similarities between the two. Continue Reading
2019 general elections: For AIADMK and DMK, enemy’s friend is first enemy
The adage ‘Enemy’s enemy is a friend’ appears to be passé, at least in the Tamilnadu political arena. With Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, the two major players – AIADMK and DMK – have decided to follow a new strategy – ‘Enemy’s friend is your first enemy’. Continue Reading
2019 LS elections: BJP, Cong demand more seats from AIADMK, DMK
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress may be the big bosses of Indian politics. But, when it comes to Tamilnadu, they are always left at the mercy of regional Dravidian giants – the AIADMK and DMK. Continue Reading
Tamilnadu parties hold secret parleys for alliance in Lok Sabha elections
Even second-rung leaders are not being kept in the loop, in a bid to maintain confidentiality, say sources in at least two parties. Continue Reading
Annadurai to Thambidurai: Rise & fall of rebels in Tamilnadu politics
Leaders, cadres & rebels. Tamilnadu’s politics is made up of these three sets. If Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai is now speaking against AIADMK forging an alliance with the BJP, a stand which is not that of his party (as clarified by Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who has emerged as the de facto spokesperson of the government and the AIADMK), it is in his political genes. Continue Reading
Close encounters of the worst kind
On the freebies front both the DMK and the AIADMK have achieved near perfect parity, give or take a mixie or a fan or a few kgs of rice. In any case the anomalies are minor and are already being addressed. Cash distribution is a different ball game and the ruling combine seems to have a clear edge, what with the EC itself alleging that some cops themselves have turned carriers and even couriers. Continue Reading