According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 1,52,79,808 samples from the state have been sent for testing till date. Express Photo: Praveen Khanna
Tamil Nadu Telangana Assembly Elections COVID-19 Live Updates: Tamil Nadu recorded 551 positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the state tally to 8,31,323. Among these, Chennai reported 158 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,29,238. The state recorded eight deaths on Monday, putting the state toll at 12,272. All eight of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. The state discharged 758 patients following treatment, putting the total number of recoveries at 8,13,326.
A total of 26 passengers who had returned to Tamil Nadu from UK and 20 of their primary contacts have tested positive for COVID-19 till date. Among the 26 primary cases, nine cases were reported in Chennai, three each in Thanjavur, Madurai, Nilgiris and Chengalpattu and one each in Theni, Nagapattinam, Coimbatore, Karur and Virudhunagar. Among the 20 contact cases, six were reported in Chennai, three in Thanjavur, two each in Nilgiris and Theni, four in Chengalpattu and three in Nagapattinam.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s visit to Delhi on Monday gained huge significance with multiple sources in the AIADMK and BJP mentioning negotiations to let V K Sasikala — the ousted party leader who is scheduled to be released from a jail in Bengaluru on or before January 27 — merge or join the AIADMK-BJP alliance before the Assembly polls. Palaniswami is expected to talk politics with BJP bigwigs on Monday and Tuesday during the visit, which has been touted as one to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inauguration of the newly-built Jayalalithaa Memorial in Chennai.
DMK leader M K Stalin.
Just months ahead of the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, there is tension in the Congress-DMK alliance in the Union territory. The first signal that the alliance may be heading for a collapse came on Monday with the DMK’s Puducherry leadership announcing that the party will contest in all the 30 seats in the elections. The discord comes days ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Tamil Nadu, his second this month. If the DMK and the Congress part ways, the tension could cast a shadow in Tamil Nadu as well. The Congress high command in Delhi said it was watching the situation closely and is in touch with both Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and the Puducherry leadership.
READ | DMK says will contest all Puducherry seats, ally Congress says watching closely
Also Read | Puducherry govt in trouble as ally DMK decides to fight without Congress in Assembly polls
As a few of its district functionaries quit to join the DMK, Rajinikanth’s proposed political outfit Rajini Makkal Mandram (RMM) issued a statement Monday saying its members were free to leave the organisation and join any other political party. In a statement, VM Sudhakar, the convener of RMM, said, “if members want to join any political party they are free to do after resigning from the post they hold in Mandram. Even if they do join other political parties, they will remain our beloved Thalaivar fans. RMM members shouldn’t forget that.”
READ | Party leaders free to quit and join other political parties: Rajini Makkal Mandram
For assistance on COVID-19-related queries and mental health support in Chennai, citizens can contact the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) COVID-19 helpline 044 46122300 | Citizens can find the nearest GCC-facilitated COVID-19 fever clinic here | For lodging rain-related complaints and assistance during the monsoon, citizens can contact the GCC’s monsoon helplines 044 25384530 or 044 25384540 or the control room 1913 (available 24×7)
Chennai Hyderabad Coronavirus January 14, 15 Highlights
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/tamil-nadu-andhra-pradesh-telangana-coronavirus-lockdown-6-0-chennai-hyderabad-tamil-nadu-elections-2021-campaigns-edappadi-stalin-kamal-haasan-chandrashekar-rao-tamil-nadu-rains-live-7150824/
