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Madras HC stays Tamil Nadu assembly floor test till Oct 4

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TTV Dhinakaran

Court says floor test will be conducted once it disposes off petition challenging disqualification of 18 TTV Dhinakaran camp MLAs

In a decision that could potentially upset Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s calculations of surviving a floor test in the state assembly, the Madras High Court, on Wednesday, extended the stay on the trust vote till October 4.

The court has said that the floor test can be conducted once it disposes off a petition that challenges the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker’s decision of disqualifying 18 MLAs loyal to sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran.

The 18 legislators, who have been sequestered at a resort in Coorg for several days, had been disqualified by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanpal, on Monday, in an apparent bid to prevent them from voting against the Palaniswami government in the floor test jointly sought by them and the AIADMK’s arch rival, DMK.

On Wednesday, though the court refused to rescind the disqualification of the 18 legislators, its stay on the trust vote and by-elections for the vacancies is being seen as a boost for Dhinakaran.

“Justice is on our side and we are confident that the final verdict will come in our favour,” Dhinakaran said after the court ruling. CR Sarsawathi, spokesperson for the Dhinakaran-led AIADMK faction, too claimed that the final judgment would come in their favour as “our MLAs did nothing wrong… They have only told the Governor that they did not have faith in the chief minister.”

Dhinakaran has been engaged in a turf-war with Palaniswami. AIADMK factions led by Palaniswami and his deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam – the two had recently united to prevent Dhinakaran’s aunt and AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala from influencing the party’s decision making – had recently convened a general council meeting of the party to formally expel the two leaders from the top two positions in the party. Dhinakaran was the party’s deputy general secretary.

Eight of the 18 MLAs disqualified by the Assembly Speaker had moved the court, on Monday, challenging the action against them under the anti-defection law. The dissident MLAs had challenged the Speaker’s order as ‘unauthorised’ and ‘illegal’ in their individual petitions. Dhinakaran had said the Speaker’s move was aimed at helping Palaniswami survive the floor test.

Justice Duraiswamy of the Madras High Court heard all the sides, on Wednesday, and gave time to all the counsels to file their replies tillOctober 4 when proceedings for the final hearing in the case will take place.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, on Wednesday, the court room was packed with a battery of legal luminaries including Kapil Sibal who is representing DMK working president MK Stalin. Stalin has sought the court’s direction to Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao to order a floor test and also challenged the Speaker’s notice to 21 DMK legislators.

Besides, former Union minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid and senior advocate Dushyant Dave are representing the Dhinakaran camp while senior Supreme Court advocate Aryaman Sundaram is pleading on behalf of Speaker P Dhanpal. The state government is being represented by former attorney general Mukul Rohtagi.

A visibly confident Dhinakaran told media persons that “the traitors will lose and be sent packing home.”

DMK spokesperson A Sarvanan has said that Wednesday’s ruling is “a consent order, which stays floor test and imposes partial stay on disqualification of 18 MLAs.”

The disqualification of the 18 MLAs had brought down the simple majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly to 110 as against 117 before the disqualification. The Palaniswami government claims support of 114 MLAs, who had attended a general council meeting that ousted jailed leader Sasikala and Dhinakaran from party posts.

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Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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