Posts Tagged Congress
Rajya Sabha approved the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Bill
Posted by ganesh in Departments, Information, Other, government, meeting, programme, tamilnadu on May 6th, 2010
With Congress and DMK reaffirming their ties during Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s recent visit here, the Union government moved swiftly on Wednesday to introduce a bill in Parliament to set up a legislative council in the southern state.
Despite vociferous protests from AIADMK, coupled with BJP questioning the urgency behind the move, Rajya Sabha approved the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Bill on Wednesday itself.
The bill provides for an upper House in the state with 78 seats, which was abolished by the state’s AIADMK government in 1986. The Tamil Nadu assembly on April 12 had passed a resolution by two-thirds majority as a first step towards reviving the state’s legislative council.
The UPA government’s firm push for the step is yet another signal that all is well between Congress and DMK, despite irritants like the 2G spectrum allocation controversy surrounding communications minister A Raja, and the two will jointly take on AIADMK in the state assembly polls slated for early-2011.
In Rajya Sabha, AIADMK MPs said the UPA government had “succumbed” to DMK’s “blackmailing”. BJP, on its part, supported the legislation but also attacked the Congress for rushing through the legislation without due diligence.
“I understand the compulsions of coalition politics but the government should have referred this matter to the standing committee…the plus and the negative points should have been debated,” said BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, adding that there should be a check on the propensity of state governments to abolish legislative councils after creating them.
Justifying the move, law minister M Veerappa Moily quoted B R Ambedkar to hold that another chamber besides the legislative assembly was needed in states. The Sarkaria Commission on centre-state relations had also recommended them,
Khushboo has decided to take the plunge into politics join Cong
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Other, Political, Politics, competition, tamilnadu on May 1st, 2010
Khushboo has decided to take the plunge into politics. And her preferred destination is none other than the Congress.
In a state (Tamil Nadu) where a temple was built for her by infatuated fans, she can dream of making it big in politics, too. Controversies have only helped her remain in the limelight.
“I would join the Congress before 2011,” she told the media in Chennai on Friday, on her return from the UK, where she had gone on vacation. “I have always liked the Congress. It is not a question of whether, but when I will join the party,” she added.
For the Congress, out of power in the state for more than four decades and looking for a face with mass appeal to catapult it into reckoning, this could be a godsend opportunity. For, after a roaring career in the tinsel world, Khushboo set her sight on the small screen and remains the reigning queen of southern TV soaps.
“We are ready to take on board anyone who accepts the leadership of Sonia Gandhi,” TNCC president K. V. Thangkabalu said.
So far, the Congress’s attempts to use actors such as Sivaji Ganesan in its bid to return to power in the state had not succeeded.
It also made unsuccessful attempts to lure Rajnikant and Vijay to the party.
Congress has run into trouble with its allies. In Tamil Nadu
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Culture, Departments, Information, Other, Politics, cultural, election, function, government, programme, tamilnadu on February 10th, 2010
The Congress has run into trouble with its allies. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK is unhappy about a meeting between Congress President Sonia Gandhi and AIADMK chief Jayalalitha even as cracks have appeared in Jammu and Kashmir between the Congress and National Conference over the newly proposed surrender policy for militants over in PoK.
Down south the DMK has expressed disappointment over rival AIADMK chief Jayalalitha’s meeting with Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi at an Election Commission function last week.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi indirectly expressed his displeasure at the interaction by clamming the Chief Election Commissioner for facilitating the meeting, and written about the issue in the party mouth piece ‘Murasoli’ saying that CEC Navin Chawla had shown ‘undue interest’ in inviting Jayalalithaa to the silver jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission held at Delhi last week and also arranging the cordial chat between the two powerful women politicians. The chat seemed no more than a brief exchange of pleasantries last week, but once which has made the DMK chief an unhappy man.
In fact citing comments earlier made by PMK leader Ramadoss, Karunanidhi has said, “If those vested with the responsibility to be truthful and protect democracy acted in a partisan manner, one is compelled to raise the question whether the fence itself is feeding on the crop
He has also hit out at the CEC for postponing a assembly by-election at the behest of a request made by Jayalalitha.
Karunanidhi, being a shrewd politician, stopped short of raising a direct finger at the Congress President, but the accusation is implicit and one that will no doubt be taken note of.
Though both the DMK and Congress leaders had insisted soon after the meeting that there was nothing much to it, it is now clear that the DMK is indeed jittery. The reasons for the insecurity are many; With the assembly elections fast approaching, any overtures made by Jayalalitha are bound to upset Karunanidhi’s apple cart. Moreover, the DMK believes that Rahul Gandhi is not too favorable about the alliance and there is much friction with the state Congress leaders.
Political analysts believe that with this statement targeting the CEC, the DMK chief has given subtle hints to the Congress- that even a casual ‘Hello’ to Amma is unwelcome.
Meanwhile, a war of words has broken out between allies the National Conference and the Congress in the Kashmir valley, with former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad taking on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over his proposed surrender policy, which if passed would facilitate the return of almost 11,000 Kashmiri men trained in militant camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
The Union Health Minister Azad has lashed out saying that there is no guarantee that the youth after surrendering will not re-engage in terrorist activities. In stark contrast, Abdullah has said that the new policy will help bring back home young people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir who are willing to return to the mainstream, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that they are rehabilitated.
100 Volunteers of DMK,Congress,BJP and MDMK parties were arrested
More than 100 volunteers of the ruling DMK, its ally Congress and the opposition BJP and MDMK parties were arrested when they took out a rally demanding that all trains running between Thiruvananthapuram, Nagercoil and Kanniakumari must stop at Kuzhithurai railway station.
The volunteers led by Town Panchayat head Pon Asaithambi and former MLA Kumaradas, also wanted to hold a protest demonstration on the railway track. However, police prevented them from staging the demo.
They took out the rally from Marthandam bus stand to Kuzhithurai railway station.
Seven trains pass through Thiruvanthapuram-Nagarcoil-Kanyakumari route everyday. But only three trains stop at Kuzhithurai, they pointed out to highlight their demand.
By-election to the Pennagaram Election Commission Naresh Gupta will decide on the matter.
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Departments, Politics, election, government on December 28th, 2009
In the wake of opposition parties including AIADMK, demanding postponement of the by-election to the Pennagaram assembly constituency, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta today said the Election Commission will decide on the matter.
Speaking to reporters after convening a meeting of various political parties including DMK, Congress, AIADMK and PMK, Gupta said “different views” were presented on the matter and a report would be sent to the EC following which it would take a decision.
The AIADMK and PMK have demanded postponement of the January 20 bypolls in view of the Pongal festival falling in mid-January.
Speaking to reporters, DMK representative at the meeting and Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi said the opposition demanded postponement fearing defeat since the DMK had been winning all by-elections since it came to power in 2006.
He said they wanted to “postpone” DMK’s victory.
Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who represented AIADMK, said his party had demanded postponement for the “benefit of the people”. – Agencies
Chennai to host the 20th World Congress on cardio-thoracic surgery in Oct next year
The city based Dr K M Cherian’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital will host the 20th World Congress on cardio-thoracic surgery to be held here in October next year.
The World Congress conducted by the World Society of Cardio Thoracic Surgeons (WSCTS) is a time-honored and highly prestigious international scientific event.
This annual conference witnesses the august presence and didactic participation of the best minds in the exacting science of cardiothoracic surgery. It provides a worldwide forum for presentations and discussions on the latest findings and techniques in this delicate branch of surgery, a press release from the Hospital said.
Every year, the WSCTS Executive Committee proposes and puts to vote the country which would play host to the subsequent World Congress.
This year Dr Cherian’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital will be doing the honours and Dr Cherian has been elected as Congress President, it said.
The sixth Global forum on Humanitarian Medicine in cardiology and cardiac surgery will be hosted along with the World Congress.
”This is indeed a proud moment for us as our country has been designated as the venue for the World Congress of the World Society of cardiothoracic surgeons for the year 2010. India will be playing host to the luminaries of cardiothoracic surgery from all over the world along with students, clinicians and scientists active in this field,” Dr Cherian said.
The Congress would serve to highlight India’s contributions to this field and provide an ideal and rare opportunity for enthusiastic students and young surgeons to meet and interact with pioneers and noted surgeons about whom they would have only heard or read about.
Left parties (Marxist) and the CPI have not to contest by-polls
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Politics, government on November 26th, 2009
The State units of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the CPI have decided not to field candidates in the by-elections in the Tiruchendur and Vandavasi Assembly constituencies, to be held next month.
A final verdict on whom to support will be made jointly by the leaders of the two parties on Thursday or Friday, the CPI(M) State Committee that met in Madurai on Wednesday decided.
Informed sources in the two parties said they would call upon the voters of the two constituencies to vote against the DMK-Congress combine, which has been pursuing anti-people policies.
But they are yet to decide whether to openly support AIADMK candidates, as the two parties had already announced that their seat-sharing arrangement was only for the Lok Sabha polls.
Left leaders confirmed that AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa had approached them seeking support for her candidates. “But Ms Jayalalithaa has not directly spoken to either CPI(M) State secretary N. Varadarajan or CPI Secretary D. Pandian. Only her representatives opened channels with us.”
The Left leaders ruled out the possibility of supporting candidates of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), led by actor Vijayakant. “The question does not arise as Mr. Vijayakant himself had declared that he was not seeking the support of other political parties,” said a senior CPI(M) leader.
On the first day of submission of nomination papers on Wednesday, two candidates – one each for Vandavasi and Tiruchendur – filed papers. A release issued by Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said the list of leaders for whom political parties desiring to get exemption from the provision of treating their expenditure on account of travel by air or any other means as that of their parties’ candidates or their agents should be sent to the Election Commission or the CEO on or before December 2.
I will work to strengthen Congress in Tamil Nadu: Thirunavukkarasar
Former Union Minsiter Su Thirunavukkarasar, who quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the Congress last week, was given a rousing reception when he visited ‘Sathyamurthy Bhavan’, the Headquarters of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) here this afternoon.
On arriving from New Delhi after joining the Congress in the presence of senior leaders P Chidambaram and Gulam Nabi Azad, Mr Thirunavukkarasar drove to the TNCC Headquarters, amid bursting of crackers.
TNCC President K V Thangkabalu and senior Congress leaders, including party MP J M Haroon, TNCC General Secretary Damodaran, Boovaragavan and A S Ponnammal welcomed him by presenting shawls.
After a brief interaction with party functionaries, he told newspersons that he would dedicate himself for betterment of the Congress party in the state.
He said after former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee retired from active politics, BJP became communal and lost the support of the people.
On the otherhand, people in all parts of the country started pledging their support to the Congress, he said, adding as he always wanted to be with the people and serve them, he had decided to join the Congress.
He said all his supporters would join the Congress at a conference to be held in Tiruchirapalli next month. The Tiruchy conference would be a show of his strength.
Youth Congress begins membership drive in Chennai
(From left) Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry; TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu; and D. Sudarssanam, Congress Legislature Party leader, at the Youth Congress function in Chennai .
CHENNAI:
The electoral process in the State Youth Congress began here on Thursday with the distribution of application forms for enrolment of members.
The membership drive will continue till September 17, after which voters list will be prepared.
The election of officer-bearers will commence at the panchayat level. Elections will be held in all panchayats, municipalities and corporation wards. This will be followed by the election of office-bearers in Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies and at the State level.
Youth Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, launching the drive, said the nation-wide mission was to restore internal democracy in the party. Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is in charge of the youth wing, wanted the youth to play a major role in nation-building.
State returning officer Usha Naidu said that the party had successfully completed internal elections in Puducherry and Punjab. The process had started in Gujarat.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.V. Thangkabalu said that the parent body would provide the logistic support to the youth wing for conducting the elections. It would not interfere in the process.
Congress Legislature Party leader D. Sudarsshanam, former PCC presidents M. Krishnasswamy, E.V.K.S. Elangovan and Kumari Ananthan said that it was a good move to usher in internal democracy in the youth wing party. They hoped this would be extended to the parent body.
Earlier, Mr. Scindia paid floral tributes at the Rajiv Gandhi memorial at Sriperumbudur. Noting that the memorial was well maintained, he walked up to a group of six women employees, who were cutting grass, and complimented them.
Mr. Scindia also garlanded the statue of Indira Gandhi at Sriperumbudur and the Rajiv Gandhi statue at Little Mount.
He drove to Satyamurthy Bhavan, and heard the views of State leaders.
DMK to discuss offer to join cabinet: Karunanidhi
Posted by Admin Madurai Tamilnadu India in Chennai, Politics on May 23rd, 2009
| 2009-05-23 15:50:00 Last Updated: 2009-05-23 16:04:36 |
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