Chief Minister MK Stalin was all in when the Tamil Nadu Assembly quickly passed a resolution against the Waqf Amendment Bill (now Act) just hours after it was cleared in the Lok Sabha. Party insiders say he stayed up until 2 am watching the Lok Sabha proceedings, anxious about how BJP allies TDP and JD(U) would vote. When they backed the bill, Stalin even called a senior minister at an ungodly hour to get black badges ready. By the time the Assembly session began at 9.30 am, they had black ribbons for all MLAs. With this move, TN officially became the first state to oppose the bill and CM Stalin vowed to challenge it in court.
The real showbiz!
The Puducherry unit of Vijay’s TVK is running like a headless chicken after the passing of its head, G Saravanan. During a recent protest against the Waqf Amendment Bill (now Act), confusion reigned supreme when reporters questioned cadres regarding the problem with the bill. As the cadres didn’t know how to respond, the reporters were redirected like they were made to play musical chairs! Some cadres admitted they only showed up on instructions from party headquarters. Even party general secretary N Anand got trolled online for struggling to explain why the bill was a problem. Meanwhile, some creative souls tried to entice women with promises of selfies with Vijay and “BPL power”—because nothing says politics like photogenic ration cards!
Timing, the cruel mistress
At a DMK Youth Wing event in Odugathur, Vellore, on April 4, Dindigul Leoni took centre stage amid a downpour that seemed determined to audition for a disaster movie. He belted out songs praising DMK leaders Karunanidhi and Stalin, and despite the weather, the crowd was glued to him. When a conch blew ominously in the background, Leoni joked it was the call for the opposition, signalling that the game was slipping away from them and boldly proclaimed the DMK’s victory in 2026. Just then, the power cut out, casting a dramatic spotlight on Leoni, who himself ended up laughing.
(Contributed by T Muruganandham, Bagalavan Perier P,Dheepthi OJ; Compiled by Dinesh Jefferson E)