Rahul holds meeting with Congress activists, farmers in Thanjavur

Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), Sep 9 (ANI): All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to Tamil Nadu, visited Thanjavur on Wednesday and held meetings with Youth Congress activists and farmers.

Gandhi was welcomed by thousand of Congress supporters, who stood outside the venue, Kandha Saras Mahal, just to have a glimpse of the young leader.

“We are very happy to be a part of this meeting, which focuses on propagation of policies and programmes of the Congress party towards the youth. And the idea of this meeting is to further the ideology of the party,” said Swaminathan, Chairman of Municipal Corporation Committee.

However, his speech got a mixed response from the farmers who attended the meeting. They felt that Gandhi neglected the agriculture sector in his speech.

“The entire focus of Rahul’s speech was targeted towards strengthening of grassroots of the party in the state whereas his neglecting of farmers’ issues have disappointed us,” said Sundra Vimalanathan, a farmer.

It is believed that Gandhi is aiming to revitalise the Congress party in Tamil Nadu, where Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) are the two major political players. (ANI)

Karunanidhi’s son appointed Tamil Nadu’s Deputy CM

Chennai, May 29 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s son, M K Stalin, was on Friday appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

State Governor S.S. Barnala announced the appointment on Karunanidhi’s recommendation.

The appointment was announced after his brother M K Azhagiri was sworn-in into the Union Cabinet on Thursday.

Stalin became the Minister for Rural Development and Local Administration after the 2006 Assembly elections. He also served as Treasurer and Youth Wing President of the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK).

Stalin has been elected four times to the Tamil Nadu Assembly since 1989 from the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai. (ANI)

Ghulam Nabi Azad plays down reports of any conflict with DMK

New Delhi/Chennai, May 23 (ANI): Congress general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Ghulam Nabi Azad discarded reports of ongoing tension between Congress and the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK).

He said there was no problem whatsoever with DMK. It was mutually decided that they would fix some other day to talk to each other as the date of swearing in ceremony was already fixed. It needed two-three sittings and even DMK itself also said that we’ll sit on some other occasion.

Emerging as the third biggest party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) after Congress and Trinamool Congress with 18 seats, DMK is believed to have demanded seven ministerial posts, which was not acceptable to the Congress.

Meanwhile, in Chennai M Karunanidhi, DMK chief, held a high level meeting with important leaders of the party. “We have discussed all the issues of the party, you asked about joining the centre and that was also discussed in the meeting and I cannot reveal all the discussed matter to press at the moment,” said DMK leader Durai Muruga. (ANI)

Ghulam Nabi Azad likely to visit Chennai to pacify DMK

New Delhi, May 22 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is likely to visit Chennai tomorrow to hold talks with Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief M Karunanidhi in a bid to break the stalemate over portfolio allocation.

Azad is being deputed as the Congress representative to persuade the DMK Chief after the party announced that it would give outside support to the UPA.

Karunanidhi will not attend Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s swearing in ceremony later this evening.

The DMK, the third largest constituent in the UPA coalition, has demanded three Cabinet portfolios, two Ministers of State berths with independent charge and two Ministers of State berths without independent charge.

Reports said the Congress is willing to give two Cabinet berths, four MOS slots, including two with independent charge. (ANI)

PM wants Montek Singh Ahluwalia as Finance Minister?

New Delhi, May 17 (ANI): As the Congress core committee brainstorms over the issues related to government formation, there are reports that Dr. Manmohan Singh wants deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the next Union Finance Minister.

Ahluwalia will have to enter the cabinet through the Rajya Sabha route, the same as the Dr. Singh, CNN-IBN reports.

With party leaders insisting that the UPA does not need the support of any new big allies, the Congress is also likely to keep key portfolios with it.

There is also a demand from within the party to bring Rahul Gandhi into the Cabinet especially after his successful campaigning strategies, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the sources, Rahul is likely to be included as the Rural Development Minister in the Cabinet.

Sources revealed that the new Cabinet would include several young MPs.

The other young MPs apart from Rahul who are likely to be inducted into the Cabinet include Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, and Sandeep Dikshit.

The major UPA allies such as the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also are expecting ministerial berths.

Reports claimed that the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has already called up Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad to attend the Cabinet meeting.

There are speculations doing rounds that the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be shifted to the Finance Ministry, which the Manmohan Singh has been handling so far.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath is likely to be shifted to the External Affairs Ministry.

Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister A K Antony are likely to continue in their posts. Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal may get the Commerce Ministry. (ANI)

DMK wants 7 Cabinet berths in the new UPA govt.

Chennai, May 17 (ANI): Having played a key role in ensuring a United Progressive Alliance’s success in Tamil Nadu, the M.Karunanidhi-led Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam is likely to ask seven cabinet berths in the new set up of government at the Centre.

DMK wants to retain Surface Transport and IT ministry among others, a Times Now report quoted sources as saying on Sunday.

DMK sources had earlier stated that they were eyeing cabinet posts for Kanimozhi, Maran and Azhagiri.

Sources said that DMK chief and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi would visit the national capital on Monday (May 18) to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi over the matter.

Putting up a strong showing, the UPA constituents DMK and Congress were racing to capture a lion’s share of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. “I give credit to the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. The mandate is clear,” said Maran, former Communication and IT Minister.

M K Azhagiri, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s son, registered success from the Madurai Lok Sabha seat trouncing CPI-M’s P Mohan by a margin of over 140,000 votes. (ANI)

Congress Party leaders express joy over party’s success

New Delhi/Chennai, May 16 (ANI): Congress Party leaders on Saturday appeared joyous over the initial leads as the Congress-led UPA is set to return to power for second term.

Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, who expressed joy and gaiety on the success of the party, said, “It’s a very big result and a very good return for all of us.”

Another senior leader of the party, Ambika Soni, said, “According to the results that are coming out today, everything has become very clear. Five-year tenure of the UPA, of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and attraction of youth towards the UPA made us confident that we would get more seats,” said

Meanwhile in Chennai, the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), and an ally of Congress party, workers burst crackers and distributed sweet celebrating the victory.

“I think, I should thank people of Tamil Nadu for being very decisive in pointing victory of the DMK-Congress,” said Dayanidhi Maran, DMK party leader.

The UPA is leading in 253 seats and the NDA in 158 seats. The Third Front is leading in 85, till the reports last filtered in. (ANI)

Karunanidhi admitted to Chennai hospital

Chennai, May 3 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was admitted to the Apollo hospital on Sunday morning following complaints of high fever.

According to doctors, the 85-year old Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief is undergoing treatment.

Karunanidhi also complained of severe back pain, sources said.

Karunanidhi had undergone a major surgery on his back in February. (ANI)

Candidates of various political parties file their nomination papers

Gurdaspur/Ludhiana/Chennai, Apr 25 (ANI): Candidates of different political parties across India filed their nomination papers from their respective constituencies to contest in the ongoing elections to the Lok Sabha.

For instance, actor turned politician, Vinod Khanna filed his nomination to contest from Gurdaspur in Punjab.

The actor also happens to be the sitting parliamentarian from Gurdaspur from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Khanna sounded confident of his poll prospects and expressed his desire to serve the people of Gurdaspur once again.

“I have always believed that I am in love with the people of Gurdaspur and this land. This is the land of Gurus and I am Guru’s worker. I have come here to serve the people. I feel that this time I would win by the maximum margin of votes, and the people will give me a chance to serve them once again,” he said.

He was accompanied by his wife Kavita and BJP’s national general secretary Balbir Punj.

Khanna, joined the BJP in 1997, and defeated three-time parliamentarian Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder, a political heavyweight to get elected to the Lok Sabha from Gurdaspur.

Meanwhile, Ravindra Kumar Sabharwal, an independent candidate, also filed his nomination papers from Ludhiana.ontroversy surrounds the candidature of Sabharwal since he is facing a trail on charges of murder.

However, he termed his involvement in the case as politically motivated by his opponents.

“The murder case against me is politically motivated. To finish that game, I have decided to contest the elections,” said Sabharwal.

It was nomination day in Southern India as well.

Dayanidhi Maran, son of Murasoli Maran, filed his nomination from Central Chennai constituency in Tamil Nadu.

Maran will be contesting the general elections for the second time on the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) party ticket.

Dayanidhi Maran has declared that he has moveable and immoveable properties worth nearly 20 million rupees in his name and that of his wife and two children.

Maran lauded the State Government of Tamil Nadu that is ruled by his party and elaborated on the numerous pro-poor schemes initiated by it.

“The Tamil Nadu Government has been performing very well. We have been giving a kg of rice for one rupee, which is not there in any other parts of the country. We have been distributing free colour televisions. By end of this year, we would have distributed ten million and six hundred thousand colour television to the ration card holders. We are coming up with various medical schemes which would be implemented after the elections, which our leaders have announced, where the premium would be paid by the government,” said Dayanidhi Maran.

Speaking on the Lankan issue, Maran stated that the DMK wanted an immediate cease-fire so as to save the Lankan Tamils and if the demand of cease-fire is not met, then India should snap diplomatic ties with the island country. (ANI)

No personal hatred against Rajiv Gandhi’s killers: Priyanka Gandhi

Amethi, Apr 21 (ANI): Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday said that her family has no ‘hatred or anger’ against killers of her father and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Priyanka also downplayed the controversial comments of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supremo V. Prabhakaran is not a terrorist.

“If somebody says things about the LTTE, it does not cause us personal grief. Politics is quite separate to us from our personal grief. I think none of us, in fact has any hatred or anger against those who killed my father,” Priyanka said.

When asked about her brother Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the family was yet to get justice for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Priyanka said she and her brother perhaps reacted differently on this issue.

Priyanka also spoke about Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad’s allegation that the Congress was also responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid, saying she found it incongruous that political parties brought out things, which were of no concern to the real issue. (ANI)

Modi slams Congress for questioning Lord Rama’s existence

Faizabad, Apr 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticized the Congress for questioning the existence of Lord Rama.
“The Indian government submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that Lord Rama was never born. Not only that, Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, asked which engineering college did Lord Rama attend that he was able to build a bridge,” Modi said while addressing an election rally here.

Modi claimed that it was the BJP, which tried to save the Ramsethu.

Earlier in the day, Modi lashed out at Priyanka Gandhi for commenting on his remarks.

“What kind of arrogance is this? I was talking about how old the Congress is. If my friends in the Congress didn’t like my comments on the Congress’ age or me calling it a ‘Budhiya’, then I will not call it an old party. But will that make them younger? From today, I will call it ‘Gudiya Congress’,” Modi added.

Faizabad will go to polls on April 23. (ANI)

DMK announces list of 21 candidates for elections

Chennai, Apr 5 (ANI): Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Sunday announced the names of candidates for 21 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu for upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Party has decided to field Karunanidhi’s elder son M. K. Azhagiri and grand nephew Dayanidhi Maran from the Madurai and the Central Madras constituency respectively.

Union Ministers T. R. Baalu, A. Raja and S. S. Palanimanickam have also been named in the list.

The elevation of Azhagiri, who was recently acquitted in a case relating to the murder of former DMK minister Ta Kiruttinan, comes in the wake of his appointment as party’s south zone organising secretary following the party’s thumping win in the Tirumangalam by-elections early this year.

While Baalu has shifted from South Madras to neighbouring Sriperumbudur, Raja will contest the polls from Nilgiris as his Perambalur constituency has been de-reserved following the delimitation process. (ANI)

DMK would welcome creation of a separate Eelam, says Karunanidhi

Chennai, Mar 30 (ANI): Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) would welcome creation of a separate ‘Eelam’, a homeland for the Sri Lankan Tamils provided it is created by a democratic process, said M Karunanidhi, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Talking to the reporters here today, Karunanidhi said, “We will be glad if a separate Eelam is created (in Sri Lanka) by people voting for it.”

He accused the opposition parties of spreading rumours that DMK does not support Sri Lankan Tamils.

“Attempts of some opposition parties in Tamil Nadu to paint the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre and the DMK government in the state as anti Sri Lankan Tamils would not succeed…The opposition parties are trying to create an illusion among the public that my party is against Sri Lankan Tamils,” said Karunanidhi. (ANI)

DMK seeks Congress party’s intervention on Lanka issue

New Delhi, Feb 18 (ANI): A Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam delegation on Wednesday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and sought India’s intervention in stopping the killing of civilians in Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu’s PWD Minister Duraimurugan led the delegation and discussed the current situation in the island nation.

The DMK team also asked the Centre to approach the United Nations to investigate the situation in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated northern region and asked for the deployment of an international peace keeping force in Sri Lanka to maintain peace.

“She (Gandhi) assured us that the government will do whatever it can in this issue,” Duraimurugan told reporters after the meeting.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Sonia’s political adviser Ahmed Patel were also present at the meeting.

On Tuesday, the delegation submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil. (ANI)

DMK protests offensive on Lankan Tamils

Chennai, Feb.8, (ANI): Activists of the ruling Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) on Sunday staged a protest against the Sri Lankan Army’s offensive on ethnic Tamils in that island-nation.

State’s Rural Development Minister M. K. Stalin led the protest and raised anti-Lankan slogans.

The protesters called for a democratic solution to the Sri Lankan crisis.
“The massive rally is being conducted with the help of members and other political partners of DMK. It is conducted mainly to stop killings in Sri Lanka so that at least the remaining Tamils can live there in peace,” Stalin said.

India has been demanding protection for Sri Lanka’s Tamils, who are closely linked to the 60 million Tamils in Tamil Nadu.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee recently visited Sri Lanka and discussed various possible safety measures for trapped Tamils with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Mukherjee’s visit was also to cool tensions between Central government and the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu.
Sri Lanka’s military has encircled the Tigers and is confident it will win a war that is now one of Asia’s longest-running conflicts, in which 70,000people have been killed since 1983. (ANI)