T. R. Baalu

Last updated

T. R. Baalu
டி. ஆர். பாலு
T R Baalu at his Book Release 2024.jpg
Baalu at the launch of his book compiling his parliamentary speeches, "My Voice for the Voiceless!"
Treasurer of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 September 2020
Children5, including T. R. B. Rajaa [1]
Residence(s) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Website Official website
Source:

Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu, better known as T. R. Baalu (called Baalu), is an Indian politician. He is currently the MP of Lok Sabha of the Sriperumbudur constituency, elected seven times since 1996 from Chennai South and Sriperumbudur. He is a leader of the DMK party and is known for his political loyalty, having been in the party since 1957. He is now the Treasurer of DMK, elected unopposed on 3 September 2020. He earlier served as the Principal Secretary of the DMK Party from August 2018 to January 2020.

Contents

Career and personal life

Thalikottai Raju Baalu is a prominent leader inthe DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) Party. Baalu was born on 13 December 1941 (his official DOB remains as 15 June due to confusion at the time of his birth) to Rajuthevar and Vadivambal at Thalikottai in Thiruvarur District of Tamil Nadu. He studied B.Sc. in New College (Madras University) and his diploma in drafting engineering drawings from the Central Polytechnic College, Chennai. Baalu's political career started at a very early age of sixteen when he joined the DMK party after being amused at a speech given by the late DMK Supremo Kalaignar in 1957. He was active in grass-root politics and made friends with his then neighbouring ward's youth wing personnel Stalin, who did not act like a big shot even though he was the son of the then Party President and Chief Minister Dr. Kalaignar Mu. Karunanidhi. Baalu later became the Party's Secretary for the bastion Chennai unit (Unsplit) in 1982. [1] [2]

Baalu was first elected to Parliament as a member of Rajya Sabha in 1986, marking the first electoral defeat of AIADMK since MGR came to power.

He then became a member of the Lok Sabha in 1996 from Chennai South and became a Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas under Prime Minister Devegowda. Towards the end of his tenure, he also held additional charge of the then Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (now called the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy). Baalu was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and 2004 from the same constituency and again in 2009, 2019 and 2024 from the Thiruperumbudur constituency, losing power once in 2014 contesting from Thanjavur. Baalu served as Cabinet Minister of Environment and Forests from 1999 to December 2003 and as Minister of Shipping and Road Transport and Highways from 2004 to 2009 in the union cabinet. [1]

T.R. Baalu is now the Leader of DMK Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha and He also held the charge as Chairman of the Department Related Standing Committee of Parliament of the Ministry of Railways. In addition, Baalu was a member of several parliamentary committees like Ethics Committee, House Committee and Consultative Committee of Ministry of Finance. He is also a Member of International World Affairs Council (IWAC). [1]

In his political career Baalu went to jail over 20 times for participating in demonstrations and agitations for public cause. He came to political limelight when he was jailed for one year under MISA along with DMK supremos Stalin, Maran and Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani in 1976 for protesting against Emergency clamped in the country. He protested strongly against the midnight arrest and imprisonment of his party leader Karunanidhi on 30 June 2001. [1] At that time, he was the union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. And it was the first time, a Cabinet Minister to be arrested by a State's Police Force.[ citation needed ]

Personal Life

Baalu is married to his long-term love Renuka Devi and later to his niece Porkkodi, and has three sons and two daughters. [3] His second son T R B Rajaa (Renuka) is considered to be his Political Successor, having won 3 consecutive Tamil Nadu Assembly elections from their native constituency Mannargudi and now holds high offices both in the party (as DMK IT Wing Secretary) and the Tamil Nadu Government (as Industries, IP and Commerce Minister), while his other 2 sons Selvakumaar (Ren.), Rajkumar (Por.) and the eldest daughter Devi Kanchana (Por.) and take care of the businesses and institution, while the younger Manonmani (Por.) worked as a reporter-journalist in Tamil news channels.

Elections contested and positions held

YearConstituencyResultVote percentageOpposition CandidateOpposition PartyOpposition vote percentage
1991 Chennai South Lost34.66R. Sridharan AIADMK 56.66%
1996 Chennai South Won61.97H. Ganesham AIADMK 22.95 [4]
1998 Chennai South Won48.17Jana Krishnamurthy BJP 45.94 [5]
1999 Chennai South Won60.03V. Dhandayudapani INC 34.39 [6]
2004 Chennai South Won60.41Sayeed Badar AIADMK 36.79 [7]
2009 Sriperumbudur Won44.41 A.K. Moorthy PMK 41.26 [8]
2014 Thanjavur Lost36.17 K. Parasuraman AIADMK 50.41 [9]
2019 Sriperumbudur Won56.4Vaithilingam.A PMK 20.3
2024 Sriperumbudur Won52.65G. Premkumar AIADMK 18.85

As a member of parliament and minister

T. R. Baalu assumes the charge of Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi on 26 May 2004 Shri T. R. Baalu assumes the charge of Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi on May 26, 2004.jpg
T. R. Baalu assumes the charge of Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways in New Delhi on 26 May 2004

Baalu is one of the prominent leaders to work towards the implementation of Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. He was handling it during his tenure as the minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. [10] The project proposes linking the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal through the shallow sea sometimes called Setu Samudram, and through the chain of islands variously known as Ram Sethu or the Adam's Bridge. A few organisations are opposing the dredging of Ramasethu on religious, environmental and economical grounds. Many of these parties and organisations support implementation of this project using one of the five alternative alignments considered earlier without damaging the structure considered sacred by Hindus. [11] During 2006, the Supreme Court Baalu quashed a case requesting a ban on the project and issues notices to Baalu and the environment ministry. [12] With 22 km of dredging remaining, the project is held from March 2010 by a Supreme Court order seeking the Central Government to clarify the status of the bridge as a national monument. [13] He was recruited as a minister in 2009 during the second term on UPA coalition government as it was reported that the Prime Minister was unhappy with Baalu over the corruption charges in Sethusamudram project. But he continued as the head of the DMK parliamentary party and also part of various central committees. [14]

DMK pulled out of the ruling UPA on 20 March 2013 following widespread protests in Tamil Nadu against the central government for not taking up the concerns of Tamils in Sri Lanka in the UN resolution against the alleged human rights violation against Tamils by Sri Lankan government. [15] [16] There was a brief controversy when Azhagiri did not accompany the contingency led by Baalu, the head of MPs from the DMK party, to tender resignation in the Prime minister's office and to hand over the letter of withdrawal to the President on 20 March 2013. It was claimed as a mark of protest against his father Karunanidhi's decision to pull out from the central ministry. Some sources claim he delayed his resignation as he was not kept in the loop while taking the decision and snubbed Baalu. [15] [17] [18]

The fifth Joint parliamentary committee was constituted in February 2011 to probe 2G case. It is headed by P.C. Chacko and had 30 members, 15 each from the ruling UPA and opposition members belonging to BJP, JD (U), CPI, CPM, Trinamool Congress, BJD, DMK and the AIADMK in the 30-member panel accused P.C. Chacko of being "partisan" and demanded his removal (They submitted a memorandum to the Lok Sabha Speaker expressing their "no-confidence". [19] [20] ) Three of the DMK MPs, namely, A. Raja, the IT and Telecommunication minister, Kanimozhi, the daughter of Karunanidhi and Rajya Sabha MP and Dayanidhi Maran, the nephew and IT and Telecommunication minister preceding A. Raja, are the three accused in the scam. Baalu is the only member from the DMK in the committee and he, along with other opposition members, snubbed the report as "half boiled" as the draft report gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while implicating the DMK minister A. Raja. [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam</span> Political party in India

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is an Indian political party based in the state of Tamil Nadu, where it is currently the ruling party, and the union territory of Puducherry, where it is currently the main opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Karunanidhi</span> Indian writer and politician (1924–2018)

Muthuvel Karunanidhi was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for almost two decades over five terms between 1969 and 2011. He is popularly referred to as Kalaignar (Artist) and Mutthamizh Arignar for his contributions to Tamil literature. He had the longest intermittent tenure as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu with 6,863 days in office. He was also a long-standing leader of the Dravidian movement and ten-time president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. Karunanidhi has the record of never losing an election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, having won 13 times since his first victory in 1957. Before entering politics, he worked in the Tamil film industry as a screenwriter. He also made contributions to Tamil literature, having written stories, plays, novels, and a multiple-volume memoir. Karunanidhi died on 7 August 2018 at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai after a series of prolonged, age-related illnesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaiko</span> Indian politician (born 1944)

Vaiko, birth name Vaiyapuri Gopalsamy, is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India from Tamil Nadu. He is the founder and General Secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), a political party active mainly in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was earlier elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India from Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayanidhi Maran</span> Indian politician

Dayanidhi Murasoli Maran is an Indian politician and one of the prominent members of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party. He was elected four times as a Member of Parliament to Lok Sabha from Chennai Central constituency during the 2004 general elections, 2009 general elections, 2019 general elections and 2024 elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election</span> Election to the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu

The thirteenth legislative assembly election, of Tamil Nadu was held on 8 May 2006. It was held for all 234 constituencies to elect the government in the state for the following five years. The votes were counted three days later on 11 May 2006 and all the results were out by the end of the day. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led (DMK) front won the elections, with the DMK emerging as the single-largest party with 96 seats, and its leader, M Karunanidhi was sworn in as Chief Minister for a fifth and final term. This election marked the first time the state saw a hung assembly with no party gaining a majority of its own. As a result, DMK formed a minority government with its allies, which is the first in the state since the 1952 election. 13th Assembly was instituted due to this election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murasoli Maran</span> Indian politician

Murasoli Maran was an Indian politician and an important leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party which was headed by his maternal uncle and mentor, M. Karunanidhi. A Member of Parliament for 36 years, he was made a Union Minister in three separate central governments, in charge of Urban Development in the V.P. Singh government, Industry in the Gowda and Gujral governments, and finally Commerce and Industry under Vajpayee. Apart from being a politician, Maran was a journalist and scriptwriter for films too.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. Raja</span> Indian politician (born 1963)

Andimuthu Raja is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, who serves as Member of Parliament for the Nilgiris constituency and the deputy general secretary of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He was a member of the 15th Lok Sabha representing the Nilgiris constituency of Tamil Nadu and had been elected to house four times since 1996. Raja is an advocate by profession and he did his master's degree from Government Law College in Tiruchirappalli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. S. Palanimanickam</span> Indian politician (born 1950)

S. S. Palanimanickam is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu. He was a member of the 17th Lok Sabha of India. He represented the Thanjavur constituency of Tamil Nadu from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. He was the Thanjavur district secretary of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. K. Alagiri</span> Indian politician (born 1951)

Muthuvel Karunanidhi Alagiri, commonly known as M. K. Alagiri, is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu and was a Union Cabinet Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers from 28 May 2009 to 20 March 2013. He is the second son of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi and his second wife Dayalu Ammal and the head of South Zone of Dravida Munnetra Kazagham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thol. Thirumavalavan</span> Indian politician (born 1962)

Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan, better known as Thol. Thirumavalavan is a political leader, scholar and activist from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He is a Member of Parliament from Chidambaram. Leader and President of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. He rose to prominence in the 1990s as a bahujan leader, and formally entered politics in 1999. His political platform centres on ending caste-based discrimination and consequently the caste system. He has also expressed support for Tamil nationalist movements in Sri Lanka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanimozhi</span> Indian politician (born 1968)

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi is an Indian politician, poet and journalist. She is a Member of Parliament, representing Thoothukkudi constituency in the Lok Sabha. She was also a former MP who represented Tamil Nadu in the Rajya Sabha. Kanimozhi is the daughter of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi and his third wife Rajathi Ammal.

Pasumpon Tha Krishnan was an Indian politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu</span>

The 2009 Indian general election polls in Tamil Nadu was held for 39 seats in the state. There was a radical change in the alliances in this election compared to the last election, reminiscent of the 1999 election in Tamil Nadu. In this election the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) decided to stay with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), but the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the left parties decided to ally itself with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the newly formed Third Front named United National Progressive Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Jagathrakshakan</span> Indian politician

S. Jagathrakshakan is an Indian Tamil businessman and politician. He did his matriculation at Valudavur. He is a member of Lok Sabha of India from Arakkonam constituency of Tamil Nadu and has been elected from this constituency thrice since 1999. He was the minister of state for commerce and industry from November 2012 to March 2013. He is also the chairman of Shree Balaji Medical College and Hospital. He is the owner of Dr. Rela Hospital and Institute. He has authored 30 books, one of which was released by Mother Teresa.

Aladi Aruna (alias) V Arunachalam was an Indian politician. He was the Law Minister of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as a member of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam from Alangulam constituency in the 1967, 1971 and 1996 elections. He was elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament, from Tirunelveli constituency in the 1977 elections. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's Parliament, as a member of the Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He came into the limelight when he issued a dissent note in the JPC report on the Bofors Scandal against a clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi government. He was hacked to death in 2004.

Nanjil K. Manoharan was an Indian politician and former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was Tamil Nadu's minister of Finance during 1977–1980 and minister of Revenue during 1996–2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election</span> Election to the legislative assembly of Tamil Nadu

The Fourteenth Legislative Assembly Election was held on 13 April 2011 to elect members from 234 constituencies in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Results were released on 13 May 2011. Two major parties Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) faced the election as coalitions of multiple political parties: DMK front consisted of 8 parties and the AIADMK of 11 parties. Vijayakanth's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which had contested the previous elections independently, allied with the AIADMK coalition. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam boycotted the election following a disagreement with Jayalalithaa over seat-sharing. The outgoing Karunanidhi government was noted for the construction of new assembly building in Chennai, execution of various developmental projects, and implementation of programmes including free health care for the poor and issuance of a range of freebies such as color television to all. However, these were heavily overshadowed by other major issues such as incessant power cuts in households and industries, excessive sand mining, increasing prices of essential items, 2G spectrum case and undue influence of Karunanidhi's extended family in various aspects of Tamil politics and business and even media.

The Karunanidhi family are an Indian political family who have had considerable influence in the politics and cinema of Tamil Nadu. The most notable member of the family was M. Karunanidhi who was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for five terms and was the DMK party leader from 1969 till 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu</span> Elections in Tamil Nadu

The 2014 Indian general elections for Tamil Nadu's 39 seats in the 16th Lok Sabha were held on 24 April 2014. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam led by its general secretary J. Jayalalithaa won a spectacular victory, taking 37 of the 39 seats. The total electors in the state of Tamil Nadu for the election was 55,114,867 and 73.74% of voters exercised their right to do so. The results of the elections were declared on 16 May 2014.

The list of political families of Tamil Nadu state in India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Political Career". Parliament of India. National Informatics Centre. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  2. ↑ RC, p. 465
  3. ↑ "The Wives & Wherefores". The Outlook. New Delhi. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 1996 to the 11th Lok Sabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 1996. p. 387. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  5. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 1998 to the 12th Lok Sabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 1998. p. 234. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 1999 to the 13th Lok Sabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 1999. p. 225. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  7. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 2004 to the 14th Lok Sabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 2004. p. 281. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 2009 to the 15th Lok Sabha" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 2009. p. 124. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Statistical report on General elections, 2014 to the 16th Lok Sabha". Election Commission of India. 2014. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
  10. ↑ Gaur, p. 171
  11. ↑ "Alternative routes for Sethusamudram". The Nation. 22 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2010. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  12. ↑ Gaur 2006, p. 198
  13. ↑ "Complete Sethusamudram project at earliest: DMK". IBN Live. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  14. ↑ Iyengar, Pushpa (26 October 2012). "Chennai Corner". Outlook. Chennai. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  15. 1 2 Ghildiyal, Subodh. "Alagiri snubs dad's confidant". The Times of India . New Delhi. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  16. ↑ C., Raja Mohan (25 March 2013). "Sorry chapter of M K Alagiri performance as Union minister". The Indian Express. New Delhi. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  17. ↑ "Srikant Jena Gets Alagiri's Chemicals-Fertilizers Portfolio". The Outlook. New Delhi. 20 March 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  18. ↑ G.C., Shekhar (20 March 2013). "Pullout snub miffs Alagiri". The Telegraph. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 16 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  19. ↑ "2G scam: Govt sets up 30-member JPC". India Today. New Delhi. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  20. ↑ "2G Scam: PC Chacko willing to consider amendments to JPC draft report". DNA India. New Delhi. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  21. ↑ "Open to amending Joint Parliamentary Committee draft report on 2G scam if convinced, says Chacko". India Today. New Delhi. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  22. ↑ "2G scam: DMK MP T R Baalu gives dissent note". India TV News. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
Party political offices
Preceded by
 Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party in the 15th Lok Sabha
2009–2014		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.