Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar on Friday announced that the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly will begin on June 18 with the customary address by Governor Rajendra Arlekar.
The discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address is expected to last four to five days. Sources said that, after a gap of one to two weeks, the revised budget for 2026–27 will be presented.
When questioned about his ruling on the representations submitted by AIADMK groups, the Speaker said, “Had I taken a decision on them, I would have announced it. The representations are under consideration. I will announce my decision at an appropriate time.”
When asked whether the entire proceedings of the House would be telecast live, the Speaker said, “After witnessing the proceedings of the Assembly when Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay sought a confidence vote, people have been expressing their desire to watch the entire proceedings live. In particular, youth with no political affiliations have shown interest in seeing the Chief Minister in the Assembly. An appropriate decision will be taken at the appropriate time.”
When asked whether precedence would be given to Vande Mataram at the beginning of the session or whether the government had placed a request to the Governor in this regard, the Speaker said, “You (the media) will witness what happens when the Governor delivers his address to the House.”
During the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and nine ministers on May 10, and later during the expansion of his Cabinet, invocation songs were recited in the order of Vande Mataram, the National Anthem, and then Thamizh Thai Vaazhthu. This drew widespread criticism from political parties, which condemned the Thamizh Thai Vaazhthu being placed third in the order.
The ministers in the TVK government said that despite a request from the Chief Minister, the Governor’s office stated that, as per a circular from the Union Home Ministry issued in January, the invocation would be rendered in the order of Vande Mataram, the National Anthem, and the State song. During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27, the Chief Minister raised this issue.
Vijay sought the intervention of the Prime Minister for the issuance of a suitable clarification or modification to the Union Home Ministry order issued in January, enabling state invocation songs, including Tamil Thai Vaazhthu, to be sung at the beginning of government functions.
During the DMK regime, then Governor RN Ravi on multiple occasions complained that the National Anthem was not played at the beginning of Assembly sessions and insisted on its observance at all official functions held at Raj Bhavan and elsewhere. On January 20, Ravi walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, citing 13 reasons for his decision. One of these was his objection to the practice of commencing proceedings with Thamizh Thai Vaazhthu instead of the National Anthem. He also alleged that the National Anthem had been disrespected as it was not played at the start of the session.
Since the present Governor Rajendra Arlekar also regularly follows the practice of rendering Vande Mataram at the beginning of events he presides over, it remains to be seen whether he will agree to Thamizhthai Vaazthu being rendered at the beginning of the forthcoming Assembly session.