O. Panneerselvam

Late night reports indicated that the state government could consider promulgating an ordinance to ensure holding of jallikattu or convene the Assembly for adopting a resolution in its favour.

Modi told the Chief Minister that he fully understood the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people on the Jallikattu issue.

At the same time, it said, "The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government." As protests demanding the lifting of the ban on bull taming sport Jallikattu spread across Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister rushed here last night to meet the Prime Minister with a request for ordinance.

The Chief Minister had last night said that all possible legal means would be explored to ensure justice for the state on the issue even as he maintained that it should not be construed that the Centre was "ignoring" the state on the matter.

Thousands of students today gathered on the sands of Marina here as protests demanding lifting of the ban on bull-taming sport 'jallikattu' snowballed across Tamil Nadu.

Panneerselvam also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to depute a Central team "to study the extensive damage caused to agriculture crops and to take stock of the drinking water scarcity in the state".

The petition seeks the SC's intervention to pass judgment on Jalikattu before Saturday.

Tamil Nadu would be declared a drought-hit state in view of deficient Northeast Monsoon and central funds will be sought to meet the situation, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said today.

Newly appointed DMK working President M K Stalin today led a delegation of party leaders to meet Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at the secretariat, where they discussed various issues.

"Amma is always in my heart," an emotionally charged Sasikala said after assuming charge, adding she had been with Jayalalithaa for party meetings for over 33 years and that the AIADMK will continue to rule for many years.

A meeting of the general council, which is AIADMK's top decision making body, attended by all top leaders including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam took the decision arming her with all the powers to steer the party after Jayalalithaa's demise by adopting a resolution unanimously.

The government said it is taking all steps to ensure that the jammed mobile phone networks are restored and a meeting of telecom operators and officials was held.

Thousands of people were evacuated as roaring wind clocking speed of 100 km an hour uprooted trees, tore off hoardings and toppled cars.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a popular leader who pioneered pro-poor programmes and remained a pole for three decades, died here tonight leaving a big void in the state politcs.

O. Panneerselvam, who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu from 2001 to 2002 and again from 2014 to 2015, a trusted aide of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa is likely to succeed her.

"Chennai has become a hub for IT and ITeS. Over 50 multi-national companies are having their global facilities in Chennai. Software exports have grown steadily at around 10-12 per cent per annum and are expected to have touched Rs 95,000 crore in 2015-16," he said, presenting the budget for the financial year 2016-17, here.

Panneerselvam, who also holds the Finance portfolio, announced exemption of VAT on fishing accessories like fishing ropes and floats, fish net twine, fishing lamps and fishing swivel, apparently to appease the vast fishermen community. Besides, the government reduced VAT on mobile phones from 14.5 percent to five percent.

Given this mindless hostility of all Tamil parties to anything Sri Lankan, it is a laughable claim that they could have gotten any concession on the fishermen‘s conviction with Rajapakse.

Locked in a fresh row with Karnataka over the decades-long Cauvery river water dispute, Tamil Nadu government today said it was making all efforts to "protect our rights" on the issue.