Tamil Nadu Assembly Session Live: TVK holds key MLA meet; R Sabrinathan elected chief whip

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea of a TVK lawmaker challenging the Madras High Court's order restraining him from participating in floor test in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader C Joseph Vijay on May 10 took oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

The plea of TVK MLA R Seenivasa Sethupathi, assailing the high court order, was mentioned for urgent listing and hearing on Monday before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi.

The bench agreed to list the case for hearing on Wednesday.

Sethupathi had won the No.185 Tiruppattur assembly constituency in Sivagangai district by a margin of a single vote against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former minister K R Periakaruppan.

Periakaruppan subsequently approached the Madras High Court alleging irregularities in the counting process, including the alleged rejection of a postal ballot that was mistakenly sent to another constituency.

In an interim order, the high court restrained Sethupathi from voting or otherwise participating in any floor test, confidence motion, no-confidence motion, trust vote or any proceeding where the numerical strength of the House is tested, pending further orders.

The order has significant implications for the ruling TVK-led alliance in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The alliance currently commands the support of 120 MLAs.

With Sethupathi barred from participating in voting proceedings, its effective strength in the House would be reduced to 119, leaving it with a slender majority of one member.

Before the high court, Periakaruppan alleged that one postal ballot meant for No.185 Tiruppattur constituency was wrongly sent to No.50 Tiruppattur assembly constituency in Tirupattur district.

According to him, the ballot was rejected there instead of being forwarded to the correct returning officer for consideration.

He also pointed to alleged discrepancies in the electronic voting machine (EVM) count, claiming that there was an 18-vote variation between the consolidated counting abstract and figures published on the Election Commission website.

While passing the interim order, the high court observed that a strong prima facie case had been made out for limited protective direction.

However, it clarified that the order did not amount to setting aside Sethupathi's election, nor did it confer any right on Periakaruppan to be declared elected.

The high court further directed authorities to secure and preserve all records related to the counting process in the No.185 Tiruppattur assembly constituency, including video footage concerning counting, scrutiny, rejection of postal ballots and reverification proceedings, in their original electronic form along with backup copies.

(ANI inputs)

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is presently holding its MLA meeting ahead of the floor test. R Sabrinathan, the party's MLA-elect from Virugampakkam is elected as the chief whip.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met AIADMK leaders CV Shanmugam and SP Velumani on Tuesday after the assembly session. The leaders have the backing of 30 MLAs and can extend their support to the TVK on tomorrow's floor test.

As Tamil Nadu is gearing up for tomorrow's floor test, TVK MLA  Seenivasa Sethupathi moves to the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's order restraining him from voting. 

Sethupathi defeated DMK leader KR Periyakaruppan by one vote. The matter took a legal turn after Periyakaruppan challenged the result in court, and the High Court barred him from voting in floor test.

After the assembly session on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu CM and TVK leader Vijay arrived at the party headquarters of the Indian Union of Mulsim League and met several leaders. 

In his maiden speech as the new Chief Minister in the state assembly, Vijay advocated for healthy democratic practices in the upcoming time. 

"Here, everyone is equal. Even parties represented by a single member in this House must have their views valued equally alongside those expressed by the members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, who hold a larger mandate. Good suggestions must be accepted, and unsuitable ones rejected. This Assembly must function as both the heart and the brain of democracy. It is with this vision that the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has proposed a distinguished individual of great dignity and historic stature to preside over this esteemed Assembly, and today you occupy that Chair," he said. 

(Inputs from ANI)

Actor-politician C Joseph Vijay's astrologer, Radhan Pandit Vettrivel, has been appointed  Officer on Special Duty in the Tamil Nadu government.

On the decision to close liquor shops near temples, schools, and hospitals, TVK MLA P. Rhevanth Charan said, "Liquor shops near temples, educational insitutuions, hospitals ought to be closed. This decision has been received very well by the public."

Congress leader Manickam Tagore said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK leader Vijay never asked for support from AIADMK or the BJP. 

"We all know that TVK emerged as the single largest party in the present Assembly with 107 seats — just 10 short of a majority. Along with support from Congress with 5MLAs, and CPM, CPI, IUML and VCK with 2 seats each, the secular front comfortably crossed the halfway mark. Thiru Vijay approached only these five secular parties for support," he wrote on X. 

After its poll debacle, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham will hold its first district meeting on May 14. The party is expected to have an analysis of the poll performance.

Controversy erupted the first day of the Tamil Nadu assembly as Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition, and the DMK leader once again brought the anti-Sanatan plank back. 

While delivering his speech, Stalin said, "Sanathanam, which separated people, should be eradicated." It immediately drew criticism from several BJP leaders. 

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Tuesday welcomed the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government’s decision to close 717 liquor shops across the state, calling it a step in line with public expectations.

In a post on X, Haasan said families in Tamil Nadu had long wanted liquor outlets near places of worship, educational institutions and bus stands to be removed, and praised Chief Minister Vijay for acting swiftly after assuming office.

“Liquor sales should never be a function of the government; the government must take responsibility for regulating the flow of alcohol,” Haasan said, adding that the closure of 717 shops should only be the beginning and that the number must increase further.

He congratulated the new government for initiating the move and urged it to continue the action in the coming days.
 

DMK leader P Wilson on Tuesday said that the pro-BJP faction in the AIADMK is breaking the party, and is also expressing support for the TVK. 

While delivering his speech in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Edapaddi K Palaniswami, the AIADMK party chief, said that the government and democracy can function well if the opposition gets the opportunity to speak more. 

(With inputs from PTI)

The Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, accused the Governor Raju Arlekar of not respecting Tamil Nadu's state song and pushing it to the second spot as it was played after Vande Mataram. 

"The Opposition parties have expressed concerns after the Tamil Nadu state song was played after Vande Mataram. But at the West Bengal CM oath-taking ceremony, Vande Mataram was not played. But here it was played. You all know who the Governor is there. The government should not allow this to happen again. Our Tamil Nadu state song should never be pushed to the second spot," Stalin said.

Citing the DMK's extensive administrative legacy, Udhayanidhi Stalin—the party leader and Leader of the Opposition—urged Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to consider the DMK’s counsel on matters of governance.

The DMK leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to work together for the betterment of the state. He also said that both he and the Chief Minister studied together in the same college. 

While talking about his own party, Stalin said that the DMK would emerge as a powerful opposition party in the state. 

(Inputs from Anagha)

TVK leader C Joseph Vijay is addressing the Tamil Nadu assembly for the first time after becoming the Chief Minister.

After announcing support for Vijay’s TVK, AIADMK leader CV Shanmugam said Edappadi Palaniswami remained the party’s leader and clarified that AIADMK was not formally part of the alliance.

AIADMK is currently a constituent of the NDA along with the BJP.

“EPS is our general secretary. We are not part of any alliance except TVK,” Shanmugam said.