1. AIADMK snaps alliance with BJP, opts out of NDA
In the wake of strained relations with its ally, the AIADMK formally announced its decision to snap its ties with the BJP and withdraw from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The decision was announced by AIADMK deputy general secretary K.P. Munusamy, briefly after the party’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami presided an hour-long meeting with the party’s district secretaries, headquarters secretaries, MPs and MLAs at the party headquarters in Chennai.
Reading out the resolution of the meeting, Mr. Munusamy told journalists that the state leadership of the BJP had been, for the last one year, “deliberately, in a planned manner and with motive, defaming” icons of the party such as C.N. Annadurai and Jayalalithaa and “criticising” policies of the party. Even though the resolution did not name any BJP leader, the allusion to K. Annamalai, Tamil Nadu BJP president was obvious.
2. MSMEs across T.N. go on one-day strike
Demanding withdrawal of peak hour electricity charges and hike in fixed charges, Micro, Small and Medium- scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Tamil Nadu went on strike for a day, in protest against high electricity cost. The production loss on account of the one-day strike is estimated to be ₹1000 crores.
In Coimbatore, almost 80% of MSMEs downed shutters and in Erode, 20,000 units participated in the strike. In Madurai, over 1,000 MSME owners went on the strike.
Later in the day, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Electricity Consumers Association announced that its members will stage hunger protest in Chennai on October 14.
3. National Tiger Conservation Authority holds probe on tiger deaths in Nilgiris
A team from the National Tiger Conservation Authority are in the Nilgiris to conduct a probe into the deaths of 10 tigers in a little over a month.
Earlier last week, carcasses of four tiger cubs were recovered at Chinna Coonoor in the district, taking the death toll of tigers to 10. The fatalities include six tiger cubs, and four adult animals.
