Tamil Nadu Assembly snippets

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Newly elected AIADMK MLA Edappadi K. Palaniswami speaks at the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, in Chennai on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) | Photo Credit: ANI

Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar invited one representative each from the political parties to extend their greetings to the newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker. While inviting AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami to speak, the Chair addressed him as: “Hon’ble Member and former Chief Minister.” After Mr. Palaniswami’s speech, the Speaker looked at AIADMK MLA S.P. Velumani and said: “Mr. Velumani, you raised your hand to speak. Do you want to speak?” As it turned out, two members of the AIADMK ended up speaking.
As per the finalised seating arrangement, besides the CM and the 10 Ministers— the ruling TVK’s allies-the Congress, CPI-M, IUML, CPI and VCK have been accommodated in the first row of the treasury benches. Besides Leader of the Opposition and the DMK’s deputy floor leader, DMK legislative party’s whip and deputy whip, Secretary and Treasurer have been accommodated in the first row in the Opposition benches. AIADMK members Edappadi K. Palaniswami, O.S. Manian and S.P. Velumani have been given seats. PMK, BJP and AMMK have also been allotted seats in the first row of Opposition benches.
Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin found an association he shared with Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay— their alma mater Loyola College. Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar acknowledged it saying “Yes, Loyolites!” Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin in a lighter vein said: “But the DMK is from the senior batch in leading the administration. The DMK came to power in as early as 1967. We are ready to share our knowledge and experience, and you too should be ready to receive them. After all— the welfare of Tamil Nadu is paramount to all of us!”
The lone MLA from AMMK S. Kamaraj heaped high praises for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to the extent that he ended up lauding the actions of the CM and the TVK government without greeting the newly elected Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Mr. Kamaraj claimed within two days of the new government assuming office he saw how clean the Chennai city has become. When fellow MLAs pointed that out, Mr. Kamaraj rose again to greet the newly elected Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. He said that his “support” for the TVK government would continue.
DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin continues to voice his opinion on Sanatana Dharma. While concluding his first speech in the 17th TN Assembly as the Leader of the Opposition, said: “Let Tamil Win, Long Live Tamil Nadu! Sanatanam that divides people should be abolished!” He also found an opportunity to point at the nature of the government. “Though [TVK] it could not get a majority of seats in the recent elections, I extend my greetings to the new government and the Chief Minister who has formed the government with the support of the MLAs from political parties that faced the elections in the alliance led by the DMK.”

Published - May 12, 2026 08:05 pm IST

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