An elated A. Revanth Reddy at Midjil on Saturday. Chief Minister A. Addressing a large gathering at the “Krutagnatha Sabha”, Mr.
An elated A. Revanth Reddy at Midjil on Saturday. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, on Saturday, celebrated two decades of his public life at Midjil, the mandal that elected him as an Independent ZPTC member in 2006, and used the occasion to express gratitude to the people while launching a sharp political offensive against the Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).Addressing a large gathering at the “Krutagnatha Sabha”, Mr. Reddy described July 4, 2006, as the day the people of Midjil “wrote history” by electing him to public office. “The sapling you planted 20 years ago has today grown into a mighty tree standing before you as the Chief Minister,” he said.In a scathing attack on former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the BRS leadership, Mr. Reddy questioned the BRS’s desire to come back to power. “Is it to loot the resources once again by the kith and kin?” he asked.He also questioned the source of wealth amassed by BRS leaders during their decade in office. How did KCR earn a 2,000-acre farm house and his family amass lands and farmhouses of thousands of acres?, he asked. Claiming that the BRS represented Telangana’s past rather than its future, the Chief Minister asserted that the people would not allow the party to return to power.He also called upon the people to strengthen the Congress nationally, saying there was a “historic necessity” for Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister, and also urged the people to remember the role of Sonia Gandhi in the formation of Telangana.He urged Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka to adopt Midjil mandal and help transform it into a model for the district through sustained development. He recommended a suitable post in the government for his former electoral rival Rabbani, whom he defeated in 2006 ZPTC elections.Highlighting his governance, he said the Congress administration was pursuing welfare, and his rural background gave him a better understanding of grassroots governance. Earlier, he inaugurated the statues of B.R. Ambedkar and senior Congress leader Dyapa Gopal Reddy to honour their legacy. Published - July 04, 2026 08:55 pm IST
Four former AIADMK Ministers — M.C. Sampath, N.R. Sivapathi, Kadambur C. Raju, and Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan — joined the TVK at its headquarters in Panaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai in the presence of party general secretary and Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N. Anand and a few other Ministers on June 6, 2026. Photo: Special Arrangement The recent defection of a large number of former Ministers and legislators belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has prompted many to wonder whether the ruling party is seeking to build its organisational network through these latest recruits.Even though it is well known that the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI), a voluntary organisation made up of newly elected Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s fans, has provided the much-needed manpower for the TVK, there is a perception in certain quarters that the ruling party has not yet acquired enough strength on the ground. Under such circumstances, it is quite natural that the TVK follows an “open-door policy” for anyone with political experience, especially from the AIADMK, which has finished third in the April-May Assembly election. There have been accretions to the ruling party from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) too but the TVK’s keenness to woo as many cadres as it can from the AIADMK is clearly evident. At an event to mark the admission of the defectors last week, one of the prominent faces of the new regime and Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna said that “the AIADMK and the TVK are one and the same. The TVK is not a different party but [like] a parent body.” This observation has prompted leaders and observers to describe the TVK as “a new AIADMK.” Editorial | Betrayal of mandate: On the TVK and Tamil Nadu politicsThe main reason why the ruling party is targeting the Dravidian major is the latter’s comparative weakness in relation to its traditional adversary, the DMK. The depth of its defeat can be appreciated better if one is to take a close look at how it suffered electoral reverses in the 2026 Assembly poll. Apart from winning only 47 Assembly seats (against 66 seats in 2021), the party forfeited deposit in 19 seats, the highest so far. But the DMK, which contested four seats more than the AIADMK’s 172, did not forfeit deposit in any constituency. In terms of vote share in contested seats, the DMK fared better with 32.17% as against the other’s 28.7%.A new alternativeThere is one school of thought within the AIADMK, as articulated by general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami late last week, that the party’s performance was not as poor as it was in 1996 when it secured only four seats and that of the DMK’s in 1991 when it won just two seats. But there is one qualitative difference between 2026 and 1991 and 1996 — there was no credible third alternative force available then, unlike the TVK now. Besides, the number of seats where both the Dravidian majors forfeited deposits was much lower — 3 for the DMK in 1991 and 2 for the AIADMK in 1996. Moreover, as regards the AIADMK, the signals were out even in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when the party forfeited, for the first time in a parliamentary election, deposits in seven constituencies. It is against this backdrop that the TVK, which has catapulted to power in the recent polls, is consolidating its position.There are a few more compelling factors for the ruling party to take under its fold members of the AIADMK. In the Assembly polls, the TVK drew a blank in eight districts including Villupuram (with seven Assembly constituencies) and Nagapattinam-Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur (put together, 10 seats). It knows that it has to have a strong base in all these areas, even though no leading figure from these places was there in the latest round of defectors.In addition, local body polls are going to be held in eight months, as declared by Mr. Arjuna a couple of days ago. Rural local bodies
RJD workers and supporters hold a sit-in protest over the withdrawal of security of Rabri Devi, Lalu Yadav, and Tejashwi Yadav, in Patna on June 6, 2026 | It is said that RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have decided to send back the security cover provided to them. Earlier through a notification on June 4, the Bihar government had withdrawn the Z+ Security cover from the RJD providing security from Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP) personnel to them. Under the new security cover, the duo politicians featured two to eight house guards from the BSAP, two bodyguards from the Patna District Police Force and a Pilot and a Bullet proof car. The Y-category security provided to their elder son and leader of Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) Tej Pratap Yadav too was withdrawn but, the Y+ security to their younger son Tejashwi Yadav who is also Leader of Opposition in State Legislative Assembly, his wife Rajshree Yadav and their elder sister Misa Bharti who is also party MP from Patliputra parliamentary seat were retained.Announcing that “more party leaders too would return their security cover in days to come, former party MLA and spokesperson Shakti Yadav said on Saturday (June 6, 2026) that “the government wants our leaders to be killed but we’ll try to ensure their security on our own”. On Saturday (June 6, 2026) several RJD workers and leaders were seen guarding the official residence of their party leader Rabri Devi 10, Circular Road where her husband and former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad too resides along with other family members. However, only Rabri Devi was said to be present inside the residence as Mr Prasad was away to Singapore for medical attention and Tejashwi Yadav was said to be away to Delhi to participate in a meeting. “How can we leave our leader Rabri Deviji all alone inside the residence without any security, so we’re sitting here to guard the gate”, said a woman sitting on a plastic chair outside the imposing green color main gate.Similarly, some other male party leaders from different parts of the State too were seen sitting outside the main gate while no government security personnel were seen there. The camp structure constructed outside the gate for government security personnel was seen empty and the road leading to the residence haunting on Saturday (June 6, 2026). A man wearing shirt, trouser and a cap claiming to be an RJD worker was also seen standing with a stick in his hand saying he was there to guard his party leaders. “The stick is only to manage the crowd… the security is given to leaders by heart and not by force…I’m here to guard the residence of my party leaders as security was said to have been withdrawn from them”, he told media persons, not disclosing his name.“RJD’s first family was upset over repeated insults to them by the government so they decided to return their government security. Our party workers and leaders would now provide them the needed security”, added Shakti Yadav. “Given that there is no point in retaining a mere façade of security after such a reduction, Rabri Devi ji has decided to send the security personnel back from her official residence”, said their Singapore based second daughter Rohini Acharya in a social media post. While appealing all RJD supporters to gather outside 10, Circular Road residence of their leader to send a direct, clear and stern message that they’re the true protectors and shield of the Yadav family, Ms Acharya in a separate post wrote, “the entire nation and all of Bihar are witnessing how Bihar’s first female Chief Minister and her family are being harassed, people of Bihar will give a befitting reply to every action ta
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi. | He questioned why access to rations, other government schemes be contingent upon a person’s name being on the voter list when Aadhaar-based verification already exists.Mr. Owaisi, who is the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), alleged that people excluded during the SIR exercise in West Bengal were being denied Public Distribution System (PDS) rations and other welfare benefits. He said this included individuals marked as “absent” or “shifted”. Apart from these, people who did not receive voter slips during the last election, even though many of them were genuine voters, were also affected.“Why should access to ration or welfare depend on whether your name is on the voter list? What is the point of Aadhaar authentication if the voter roll is being used as the deciding factor?” he asked.Mr. Owaisi said government welfare schemes were meant for all eligible citizens and should not be linked to voter registration. He further alleged that the move appeared to be aimed at reducing the number of beneficiaries and would particularly affect poor people, women, Scheduled Castes and Muslims. Mr Owaisi said welfare schemes were funded by public money and were the right of every eligible citizen.The AIMIM president has been actively touring Assembly segments in the Hyderabad parliamentary constituency in recent days, interacting with residents and urging them to participate in the SIR exercise. In padyatras, he has been announcing voter mapping procedures and clarifying aspects of SIR registration.Clearing confusion on non resident Indians and SIR, Mr. Owaisi while touring Yakutpura constituency said, “It is necessary to fill the enumeration form given by the BLOs. For those persons who live abroad, any member of their family can fill the form on their behalf and sign it.”The party has launched awareness campaigns and assistance programmes ahead of the electoral roll revision exercise in Telangana. Help desks across the State have also been set up.The West Bengal government has linked welfare benefits to the voter list and is now denying PDS ration and other benefits to people excluded during SIR. This includes people marked as "absent" or "shifted", and those who did not receive voter slips during the last election. But…— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) June 6, 2026 Published - June 06, 2026 02:23 pm IST
File photo of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy interacting with a delegation of beedi workers from Karimnagar district, at his camp office, in Hyderabad on November 29, 2006. | S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the early 2000s, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and all his Cabinet colleagues will spend a day for the party work now onwards, keeping aside the government engagements, as a part of the revival of structured interactions between the leadership and grassroots cadre.Congress workers now believe the party should adopt a model similar to that of former Chief Minister of erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh and Congress stalwart Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), who was known for dedicating a fixed portion of his day to meeting party workers and members of the public.Senior party leaders recalled that Rajasekhara Reddy would regularly set aside time in the morning to hear representations from party workers, elected representatives, journalists and citizens. The practice enabled grassroots issues from villages, mandals, and constituencies to reach the highest levels of government and party leadership. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, AICC in-charge for Telangana Meenakshi Natarajan, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and others at Gandhi Bhavan in Hyderabad It was a common sight at the YSR’s camp office: Ministers, MLAs, and local leaders using those interaction sessions to bring delegations of party workers from their constituencies, helping resolve issues and strengthen organisational bonds.“There was time for everyone, and the CM’s camp office used to be bustling with activity from early morning. Meeting the CM was half problem solved,” recalls a Minister, who was just a normal party worker at that time.Revanth Reddy is expected to take the same route once the proposed CM’s camp office is ready. The Chief Minister’s residence, at present, is inadequate if party workers turn in large numbers.For the time being, the Chief Minister wants to take a different approach, making himself and the Cabinet colleagues available in the constituencies along with local MLAs. He indicated this at the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting at Gandhi Bhavan.“The party’s instructions are paramount. We must all adhere to the directions of the PCC president Mahesh Goud,” the Chief Minister said, requesting the PCC chief to assign one Assembly constituency every week to him and also the ministerial colleagues.The PAC meeting attended by AICC incharge Meenakshi Natarajan, Ministers, and invitees saw the urgent need to plug the gap between the government and the party as the government has crossed the half-way mark in its term.The PAC decided that ministers, MPs, MLCs, government advisers, corporation chairpersons, and senior party leaders would be assigned constituencies and required to visit them regularly to engage with grassroots workers and strengthen the party network.As per the decision, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud will begin the exercise of assigning constituencies to ministers, MPs, MLCs, and advisers from today itself.The TPCC president had earlier introduced a programme under which ministers regularly visited Gandhi Bhavan to interact directly with party workers and receive representations from the public. Under the programme, party workers from across the State visited Gandhi Bhavan to raise constituency-level issues and seek intervention in matters relating to welfare schemes, local development works, and administrative grievances. However, the initiative was discontinued due to various administrative and logistical reasons. Published - May 30, 2026 12:20 pm IST
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