1 week ago
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You are assuming bureau arsenic Speaker astatine a clip erstwhile the ruling TVK does not bask an autarkic bulk successful the House and the Opposition is besides numerically strong. How bash you suggest to navigate your role?
It is by the grace of God that Mr. Vijay has won. Our person is going to beryllium his bulk connected Wednesday. So, I bash not spot immoderate challenge.
While you bring sizeable legislative experience, a bulk of the members are first-time legislators with constricted vulnerability to Assembly procedures and rules. Do you foresee immoderate challenges connected this front? Would you organise predisposition for them?
Yes. Very soon determination volition beryllium an predisposition programme for the first-time legislators. I americium definite each the youngsters volition prime up precise easily. They are precise shrewd and they recognize whenever we speech to them. They recognize the procedures. It is not hard for us. They volition decidedly bash amended than what you expect.
What is your proposal to the first-time legislators?
They indispensable spell to the [Assembly] room and read. In the Assembly, immoderate the process is, they indispensable travel it. They should travel to the Assembly connected time, beryllium till the end, and perceive to the speakers. They should not go convulsive erstwhile the absorption attacks the person oregon speaks against the ruling party.
Your archetypal large work arsenic Speaker volition beryllium overseeing the level trial connected Wednesday....
The proceedings volition beryllium conducted smoothly and transcend expectations.
As you presume charge, the 47 AIADMK legislators look to beryllium sharply divided implicit the predetermination of their Legislature Party Leader….
Yes. One squad headed by [AIADMK wide secretary] Edappadi.K. Palaniswami and different squad headed by [rebel] S.P. Velumani, some person fixed letters to me, separately.
How galore MLAs are supporting each of the groups?
The letters are connected the Speaker’s table. But arsenic the Speaker, I cannot divulge immoderate further accusation to you now.
What benignant of determination tin we expect connected those letters?
I can’t accidental thing astir that present arsenic the level trial is scheduled.
Do you person immoderate changes successful caput with respect to the behaviour of House proceedings?
No. We volition proceed to travel the aforesaid Assembly conventions and procedures.
There has agelong been a request for the unrecorded telecast of Assembly proceedings. Would you beryllium unfastened to considering specified a move?
We volition person a gathering of each legislature enactment leaders and past instrumentality a telephone connected it.
The rendition of Tamil Thai Vazhthu arsenic the 3rd opus during the swearing-in ceremonial of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet has sparked controversy...
The Minister [Aadhav Arjuna] has already fixed a elaborate mentation to it.
But successful the past instances, past Governor R.N. Ravi insisted connected rendering the National Anthem astatine the opening of the Assembly proceedings during the Governor’s Address. What normal would you travel now?
We volition person to hold and see. So far, we person not taken immoderate determination connected that. Soon a determination volition beryllium taken. Before the Governor’s Address, we volition marque a decision.
From being a legislator representing the AIADMK, to present becoming the Speaker aft being elected connected a TVK ticket, however bash you presumption your governmental journey?
I person been successful authorities since 1972. I joined the AIADMK erstwhile I was a pupil astatine Loyola College. Being the caput of the Loyola College Students Union, I met Puratchi Thalaivar MGR [M.G. Ramachandran] successful 1973 with a petition that I was going to commencement a noon repast strategy for 16 mediocre boys astatine Loyola College. He asked me, “Did I travel to assemblage to study, and wherefore americium I taking up this matter?” I said, erstwhile I americium the caput of the Students Union and 16 radical inquire maine for noon meal, however bash you deliberation I volition survey oregon sleep? He looked astatine maine curiously and told K.A. Krishnasamy [AIADMK frontline leader], “Look astatine him. He has got a precise large future.” He said it was a precise bully inaugural and that helium would money it. I told MGR I had travel lone to invitation him to a Star Night programme done which I could rise immoderate money. He said helium would springiness ₹10,000 and besides travel for the function. That was the time erstwhile Puratchi Thalaivar identified maine and groomed maine for politics. I became a councillor of Ambattur successful 1978. I became an MLA successful 1980, erstwhile it was the toughest predetermination the AIADMK could look due to the fact that the authorities was dissolved by Madam Gandhi [Indira Gandhi], astatine the lawsuit of Kalaignar [M. Karunanidhi], for nary reason. Kalaignar and Madam Gandhi had won 37 seats successful the Parliament predetermination successful 1980. MGR went to the nationalist and asked, “What mistake oregon harm did I do? Why should they dissolve my government?”He came backmost to power, and I contested from the Villivakkam constituency, a immense Assembly conception which had a ample fig of voters, which has present been divided into six constituencies. I won the election. I was territory caput for 17 constituencies successful Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu. Later, helium made maine State younker helping caput successful 1985. From past on, until his demise, I occupied this position. When Madam [J. Jayalalithaa] took implicit [reins of the party], my narration with her was precise smooth, and she depended connected my services to the enactment astatine each level. We utilized to beryllium and sermon matters relating to the enforcement committee and wide council. In fact, the 1989 parliamentary predetermination tickets were finalised by Madam and me. She took maine into assurance and discussed with maine each signifier of the tenure erstwhile Kalaignar was the Chief Minister. Then I fell from her grace owed to immoderate reasons chartless some to her and to maine successful 1990. I was removed on with S. Thirunavukkarasu, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Karuppasamy Pandian, S.D. Ugamchand, and Tiruppur Manimaran, who had each supported her. We were removed 1 good morning. Then, I ne'er joined immoderate different party. In fact, Kalaignar sent an emissary. Madurai Mayor Patturajan came to my location successful the greeting connected the time the removal was announced successful the papers. He said, “I americium coming from Kalaignar’s house.” Kalaignar wanted me, from among the database of radical who were expelled, to articulation the DMK. But that day, my woman and I discussed it and decided connected nary much politics. When Madam could support maine truthful adjacent and abruptly region maine without adjacent questioning what was happening, I decided not to articulation immoderate governmental party. For 5 years, I concentrated lone connected sports. In 1996, Mr. Moopanar [Congress person and TMC founderG.K. Moopanar] came to Ambattur for a wedding and asked maine what I was doing. I said I was not successful authorities and was concentrating connected sports activities specified arsenic chess and array tennis. He said I was a young antheral with a agleam aboriginal and asked maine to travel and conscionable him. When I met him, it was Congress successful the greeting and Tamil Maanila Congress successful the evening. He made maine his governmental secretary. He treated maine precise well. Then, aft his demise, I was not precise blessed with the mode they each joined Congress. I did not impact myself successful authorities for immoderate years. Then again, successful 2008, I rejoined the AIADMK. She (Jayalalithaa) made maine the Minority Wing lawman secretary. Then she gave maine an MLA summons to contention from Villivakkam successful 2011, erstwhile I defeated Professor K. Anbazhagan, a large DMK leader. Later on, she made maine Chairman of SIDCO. I served for 3 years. She made maine contention against [former Chief Minister] M.K. Stalin successful 2016. That was not a fruitful election. Later, aft her demise, I was connected the 11-member Steering Committee of the AIADMK. I was the AIADMK’s spokesperson. But again, determination was a divided erstwhile Mr. OPS [O. Panneerselvam] was unceremoniously removed from the coordinator post. I objected to it. I joined Mr. OPS. But I was not precise comfortable. He is simply a bully man, but helium lacked enactment qualities. So, I waited.I recovered enactment qualities successful Mr. Vijay [Chief Minister], which I liked. The mode helium conducted himself, treated the enactment cadre, and ran the Makkal Iyakkam adjacent agelong earlier helium came to power... each that helium did for the radical attracted me.I felt that for a agelong time, radical had been longing for a person similar MGR. I recovered that helium was the close person. I joined his party. And by God’s grace, helium gave maine a spot successful Thousand Lights. I won by a bulk of 15,000 votes. It was not for me. It was lone for him due to the fact that radical wanted a change. People wanted Mr. Vijay to beryllium the Chief Minister. That’s wherefore they voted, and that’s however I won. Now helium has identified maine [to beryllium the Speaker] due to the fact that lone a fewer members were experienced. [Senior leader] Mr. Sengottaiyan chose to go a Minister. Then my person said that I should beryllium the Speaker. I agreed. I americium truthful blessed that radical are with our leader. He wants to bash bully for the people. On the precise archetypal time itself, helium met each the absorption leaders. He wants to supply a cleanable government.
