Posts Tagged DMK
Expelled CPI(M) MLA C Govindasamy today joined the ruling DMK
Expelled CPI(M) MLA C Govindasamy today joined the ruling DMK along with his supporters.
Govindasamy, representing the hosiery town of Tirupur, joined DMK in the presence of party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin at the party headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam’ here.
He arrived here along with about 20,000 of his supporters from his constituency, party sources said.
Govindasamy was expelled from CPI-M last month for organising a function to felicitate the DMK Government for various development projects in his constituency despite a party directive against it.
Don’t infringe rights of states: DMK tells Centre
Posted by ganesh in Departments, Information, Other, Political, examination, government, programme, tamilnadu on August 25th, 2010
The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu Tuesday urged the central government to desist from actions that infringe upon the state’s rights and expressed opposition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and combined medical entrance examinations.
The party also urged the central government to take initiatives for the rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka.
Resolutions to this effect were passed at a meeting of the party’s MPs chaired by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here.
DMK is part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) at the centre.
Expressing opposition to the GST, the DMK said: “In a large country like India, a uniform tax structure would result in several hurdles and would affect the small scale sectors.”
Welcoming Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s announcement that GST will not be implemented without the consent of all the states, the party strongly urged the centre to desist from taking actions that would infringe upon the state’s rights in respect of taxation and education.
The party also resolved that the centre should permanently abolish combined entrance exams.
Faulting the Sri Lankan government for not rehabilitating the Internally Displaced Tamils in their respective habitats, the MPs said the former is acting against the Indian government’s views on their early resettlement.
Karunanidhi is expected to discussion with President Sonia Gandhi
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Information, Other, Political, government, meeting on May 1st, 2010
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi is expected to come to New Delhi to hold discussion with Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.
Karunanidhi’s Delhi visit is coming in the backdrop of mounted opposition demand for the resignation of Union Telecommunication and Information Technology (IT) Minister A Raja.
Raja represents DMK in the Union Cabinet and is reportedly very close to Karunanidhi.
Earlier in the week, opposition stalled parliament demanding Raja’s resignation over alleged irregularities in 2G-spectrum allotment.
But the DMK sources have ruled out Raja’s resignation.
Sources said that Raja has emerged as the Dalit face of the DMK and enjoys a good rapport with Karunanidhi.
That’s why when Karunanidhi’s grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran stepped down as IT Minister during UPA, Raja was the automatic choice to replace him.
He retains the post in Union Progressive Alliance (UPA) second term as well, though Karunanidhi has patched up with Maran brothers.
Though Raja has got embroiled in two major allegations — the spectrum allotment — and his alleged telephone call to a Madras High Court judge for a favourable order, but so far Karunanidhi has gone soft on him.
Karunanidhi is also scheduled to discuss with Sonia Gandhi the reluctance of his elder son Union Chemicals Minister Azagiri to continue in Delhi.
While the controversy surrounding Raja has embarrassed the UPA, this is another issue Karunanidhi may have to deftly handle.
Who will be the leader? War erupts in DMK
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Other, Political, competition, tamilnadu on April 5th, 2010
It is a family affair all right. But just how it ends will determine the future of the DMK, one of India’s oldest political parties, and the political kaleidoscope of Tamil Nadu.
As DMK chief and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi prepares to call it a day, an unlikely war has broken out in his family. It is a script the political veteran of over four decades is finding deeply embarrassing.
Elder son M.K. Alagiri is defying father Karunanidhi’s carefully nurtured plans to annoint younger son M.K. Stalin as his heir.
Both Alagiri, 59, and Stalin, 57, are graduates in humanities. Both are cricket lovers. But while Alagiri lives in distant Madurai, Stalin resides in capital Chennai, whose high-profile mayor he has been.
After the DMK joined Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government in May 2009, Alagiri became its chemicals and fertilizer minister on Karunanidhi’s advice in a bid to clear the decks for Stalin in Chennai.
A day later, Stalin, a minister in Tamil Nadu, was elevated as the state’s deputy chief minister.
The title left no one in doubt who would head the Tamil Nadu government and the DMK once Karunanidhi gave up control. In addition, Stalin was given many of the portfolios handled by Karunanidhi.
The arrangement seemed to be working fine until Alagiri told a Tamil magazine last month that he would not accept anyone else as his leader if and when his father hangs his boot.
The 86-year-old Karunanidhi, who had stated that he would retire in June after the World Classical Tamil Conference (WCTC) in Coimbatore, was taken aback.
Karunanidhi himself is one of India’s most colourful politicians. He married thrice and two wives are alive. Stalin and Alagiri are sons from his second wife while the third wife’s only daughter, Kanimozhi is a Rajya Sabha member.
DMK leaders believe Alagiri is perhaps testing the waters and that he might be happy being the DMK chief even if Stalin becomes chief minister.
But Stalin fears this would bring in a rival power centre.
Karunanidhi, who has been active in politics ever since the DMK first stormed to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967, has not taken kindly to Alagiri’s anti-Stalin comments.
Alagiri, the DMK strongman from Madurai, found Delhi uncomfortable. He found it difficult to face even Question Hour in parliament because of his inability to speak in English and Hindi.
It was a matter of time before Alagiri, even while being a central cabinet minister, intruded into Tamil Nadu politics.
The DMK’s South Zone Organisational Secretary and in charge of eight sprawling southern districts, Alagiri is said to have played a key role in its victory in all by-elections since it took office in 2006.
He was also instrumental in creating dissensions in rival AIADMK’s camp by pinching some of its legislators.
But overseen by Karunanidhi, the DMK is not laudatory of Alagiri. To his discomfort, a DMK Working Committee resolution praised Stalin for handling political issues but kept mum about him.
To add insult to injury Karunanidhi ordered the removal of banners of the newly formed ‘Alagiri Peravai’, a group within the DMK supporting Alagiri, at the Working Committee meeting venue.
For now, Stalin is keeping himself away from the leadership row. “The party never gives any post to anyone violating any rule,” he has said in remarks obviously directed at his brother.
A Stalin sympathiser told IANS: “Stalin was groomed by his father and he has come up in the party ladder. The DMK has seen him perform for several decades. This is not true for Alagiri.”
DMK leaders rule out the chances of anyone upstaging Stalin.
But if Alagiri does that, the well-knit DMK could get split. It would then be advantage for non-DMK forces in Tamil Nadu, a possibility Karunanidhi dreads.
DMK’s leader I can’t choose who will be the next DMK chief: CM
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Departments, Information, Other, Political, competition, meeting, tamilnadu on April 1st, 2010
In an attempt to iron out the ongoing debate on his successor, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi has said the decision will be taken solely by the party.
“A single person cannot decide DMK’s leader…Even I can’t choose who will be the next DMK chief… I don’t have the right to decide. Only the party can decide the leader,” Karunanidhi said in an interview to a Tamil magazine.
With 85-year-old Karuna hinting at his retirement last year, a lot of debate is going on in the political scenario with Karuna’s two sons Azhagiri and MK Stalin getting into a succession war.
However, Karuna declined any kind of sibling rivalry saying: “Stalin and Alagiri don’t have any problems. There is no friction between them. Both know that if they fight, I’ll be the one who will get hurt.”
Pennagaram byelection planning to hit the campaign trail next week
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Dharmapuri, Information, Political, Politics, competition, election, programme on March 20th, 2010
Campaign for the Pennagaram byelection, scheduled to be held on 27 March, is set to hot up, with leaders of political parties, including Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa, Deputy Chief Minister MK Stalin and DMDK leader Vijayakanth planning to hit the campaign trail next week.
While Karunanidhi is likely to address a public meeting at Pennagaram on 24 March, Jayalalithaa will tour the constituency on 22 and 23 March. PMK leaders, including its founder S Ramadoss, were the early birds as they went into campaigning mode several weeks ago.
Jayalalithaa is scheduled to speak at 18 places across the constituency canvassing votes for Anbazhagan, her party candidate. Stalin will also kickstart a three-day campaign in the constituency from 23 March in support of DMK candidate P N P Inbasekaran.
A host of Ministers including EV Velu, Veerapandi S Arumugam, K Ponmudy, K N Nehru, Suba Thangavelan and Thangam Thennarasu are already camping at Pennagaram and involved in a door-to-door campaign.
Actor-politician Vijayakanth, who is busy with his directorial debut Viruthagiri, will take time off from his shooting schedule and campaign for party candidate Kaveri Varman for five days from 21 March.
The DMK is leaving no stone unturned for ensuring victory in the byelection. For, the stakes are high for the ruling party, as it wants to maintain its winning momentum. The DMK-Congress alliance has won all the 10 seats that witnessed by-elections so far.
Winning Pennagaram, once its pocket borough, is a prestigious issue for the PMK as the party suffered total rout in the Lok Sabha elections last year. The DMDK, which lost its deposit during the past two bypolls, is under pressure to improve its performance in Pennagaram.
The AIADMK’s campaign seems to be lacklustre so far, but is expected to get a fillip with the visit of Jayalalithaa.
Leaders of the CPI and CPI(M) will step up their campaign in support of the AIADMK candidate in the coming days.
No new taxes in TN budget
Posted by ganesh in Assembly, Chennai, Communication, Departments, Health, Information, Public, budget, government on March 19th, 2010
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu today presented yet another tax-free Budget for the year 2010-11 packed with tax cuts and slew of welfare measures for differently-abled, students, farmers and traders with an eye on the coming Assembly Elections.
Finance Minister K Anbazhagan presented the Budget when the House met at 0930 hrs for a historic session in the newly-built Assembly, the first Green Building in the world for a Legislature, declared open by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 13.
Mr Anbazhagan announced couple of freebies and tax cuts on number of items, including unbranded coffee, masala powder with brand name, bajji flour, energy flour, ghee, vanaspathi, unbranded bakery products, branded pickles, dry grapes, wet grinders, unbranded steel furniture, plastic goods and unbranded footwear.
The presentation of the Budget on the opening day in the new Assembly, was marred by a slogan shouting and walk out by the Main Opposition AIADMK and its ally, the MDMK, accusing the DMK Government of failing to respect Party Leader J Jayalalithaa when the Assembly was inaugurated.
Mr Anbazhagan, giving the fiscal projection for the year 2010-11, said the total revenue receipts were estimated at Rs 63,091.74 crore and the total revenue expenditure is estimated at Rs 66,488.19 crore.
Accordingly revenue deficit is estimated at Rs 3,396.45 crore.
The total capital expenditure of the government, including loans and advances in 2010-11 is projected as Rs 12,825.68 crore.
The projected fiscal deficit for the coming financial year will be Rs 16,222.13 crore, which would constitute 3.7 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product.
Taking into account the net public account, the overall deficit will be Rs eight crore,
DMK government, which is a strong votary of State autonomy
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Court, Information, Other, dam reports, government on March 19th, 2010
The Tamilnadu government today said it had filed an interlocutory petition before the Supreme Court seeking to recall its order constituting an Empowered Committee on the Mullaperiyar dam issue.
The DMK government, which is a strong votary of State autonomy, also asked the Centre to formulate schemes in consultation with State governments and allow them to modify plans according to their needs.
Presenting the Budget for the year 2010-11, Finance Minister K Anbazhagan said the apex court, in its 27 February, 2006 judgment had held that the Mullaperiyar Dam was safe for raising the water level from 136 feet to 142 feet.
However, with a view to preventing the implementation of this judgment, the Kerala government resorted to a legislative amendment.
‘After hearing the petition filed by Tamilnadu to declare the legislative amendment unconstitutional, the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court had on 18 February this year ordered constitution of an Empowered Committee under the Chairmanship of former Chief Justice of India A S Anand’, he noted.
Under these circumstances along with the fact that the Supreme Court’s had passed its judgment on 27 February, 2006 after considering all relevant aspects, the State government was of the view that the Supreme Court’s 18 February order constituting the Empowered Committee requires to be recalled.
‘Hence, an interlocutory petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on March 3 this year praying for the recall of its order and that the court may pass appropriate orders to continue its hearing in this case’, he added.
Dwelling on more power for States, Anbazhagan said, ‘We have been consistently urging the Union government to give their due rights to the State governments, which are serving the people by being closer to them and to refrain from the tendency of enacting laws that take away the powers from the State governments in respect of subjects in the concurrent list such as teacher training, higher education.’
He opposed the move to constitute a National Commission for Higher Education. On the 13th Finance Commission report, he welcomed the increase in share of States in the shareable net tax revenue of the Centre, but regretted that the shares of southern States, which had successfully implementing welfare schemes of the Centre, had been reduced.
DMK will continue to press for rollback of fuel price hike: Karunanidhi
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Health, Information, Petrol, Public, budget, government, meeting, tamilnadu on March 3rd, 2010
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would continue to press for a roll back of the hike in the central excise duty on diesel through discussions in Parliament but not stall the proceedings of the House, said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi here on Wednesday.
“I had sought a roll back of the customs duty hike at least on diesel since it will have a direct impact on farmers and food production. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and other Union Ministers called me up to explain their position and the situation in which the hike was effected,” he said addressing a press conference here.
The Centre, they explained, had been forced to resort to the step in an attempt to contain the fiscal deficit, pegged at 5.5 per cent of the GDP. The Central Finance Commission wants to bring it down below 3 per cent. The Centre had to reduce market borrowings, estimated to be around Rs.3,80,000 crores, to bridge the deficit. Though there was a practice of borrowing from banks, this could lead to a situation wherein banks were not able to lend to the industry and the poor.
As to whether the DMK would join the agitating Opposition, Mr.Karunanidhi said the party would follow the path shown by Anna, be it in the Assembly or the Parliament. ‘We will put forward our views on people’s issues through discussions and try to find a solution. We do not wish to stall the proceedings of the House. This will only be against the interests of the people,” he said. He was hopeful that the Centre would heed the party’s request.
On the violent incidents at the Annamalai University, Mr. Karunanidhi said that students had indulged in violence alleging negligence on the part of doctors after a student died in an accident. When police rushed to the spot, they had taken to the heels and some had fallen into a canal in darkness and three had died. “I had conveyed the details to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar when he called me up. I had also deputed Health Minister M.R.K.Paneerselvam to the spot and make necessary arrangements to transport the bodies of the students to their native places,” he said.
Mr.Karunanidhi observed that it was true that the Sethusamudram project has slackened in pace but did not agree that it has been shelved. The issue is before the court now. But there was no place for an alternative alignment and the original alignment finalised after a study was the right one, he observed.
When asked about the “neglect” of Tamil Nadu in the Railway Budget, the Chief Minister said the government has been writing to the Railway Minister highlighting the State’s requirements. He asserted that funds would not be a constraint for the implementation of the Kalaignar Housing Scheme. “Steps that are being taken now will continue”, he said replying to a question on the government’s plans to bridge the power shortfall in the state during the summer.
To a question on the demand for allowing MPs to speak in Tamil in Parliament, Mr.Karunanidhi said the DMK had been demanding that Tamil and other State languages be made official languages of the Centre so that all MPs were able to speak in their mother tongues in the House.
Mr.Karunanidhi affirmed in the positive when asked whether he had plans to present any research paper at the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held at Coimbatore in June. Preparatory works for the conference, by the various committees, were underway in full swing. On speculations that Assembly elections would be “soon at hand” after the conference, Mr.Karunanidhi quipped that the elections would only be held with the “hand.”
AIADMK for indulging in “unhealthy rivalry” with his party in the Mullaperiyar dispute:Karunanidhi
Posted by ganesh in Chennai, Communication, Court, Information, Political, Politics, dam reports, government, programme on February 24th, 2010
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday criticised the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for indulging in “unhealthy rivalry” with his party in the Mullaperiyar dispute.
Alluding to AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa’s criticism of the DMK, Mr. Karunanidhi said that according to his information, a statement had been prepared anticipating that a nominee of the State would be sent to the Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. But, after the DMK adopted a resolution against participating in the Committee, a fresh statement was issued. Law Minister Durai Murugan, joining issue with Ms. Jayalalithaa, argued that it was up to the State to be part of the committee or not.
The DMK had considered pros and cons of the move, taking into account interests of the State.
The decision was not against the Supreme Court. This was why the general council had, in its resolution, conveyed that the party did not oppose the move but it was in no position to accept the Supreme Court’s direction.
Mr. Durai Murugan asked what punishment the Kerala government had faced for adopting a law that sought to block the implementation of the court’s judgement in February 2006, which was reiterated twice.
The proposed committee was not meant for deciding the correctness or otherwise of the Irrigation and Water Conservation Act of Kerala but examining the question of dam safety and water utilisation. Under such cases, how non-participation would amount to supporting the law framed by Kerala? he asked.
Mr. Karunanidhi had participated on eight occasions in negotiations with Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of Kerala on the Mullaperiyar dam issue.
He had written 15 letters to the Prime Minister and Union Ministers for Water Resources and Defence whereas Ms. Jayalalithaa sent only three letters, Mr. Durai Murugan said.
DMK has considered pros and cons, taking into account interests of the State
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