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T. R. Baalu

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T. R. Baalu
டி. ஆர். பாலு
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
PresidentMuthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin
Gen. SecretaryDurai Murugan
Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping
In office
2004–2009
Prime MinisterManmohan Singh
ConstituencyChennai South
Minister of Environment and Forests
In office
1999–2003
Prime MinisterAtal Bihari Vajpayee
ConstituencyChennai South
Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Non-Conventional Energy Sources
In office
1996–1998
Prime MinisterH.D. Deve Gowda
I.K. Gujral
Leader of DMK Parliamentary Party in Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 May 2019
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 May 2019
Preceded byK.N. Ramachandran
ConstituencySriperumbudur
In office
2009–2014
Preceded byA. Krishnaswamy
Succeeded byK.N. Ramachandran
ConstituencySriperumbudur
In office
1996–2009
Preceded byR. Sridharan
Succeeded byC. Rajendran
ConstituencyChennai South
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
In office
1986–1992
ConstituencyTamil Nadu
Principal Secretary of DMK
In office
August 2018-January 2020
PresidentMK Stalin
Gen. SecretaryPerasiriyar K Anbazhagan
Personal details
Born
T R Balasubramaniam
(Ilamurugu Rasuthevar)

(1941-12-13) 13 December 1941 (age 83) (15/6/1941 in official records)
Thalikottai, Tanjore district, Madras Presidency, British Raj (now Tamil Nadu, India)
Political partyDMK
Spouse
  • Renuka Devi Baalu
    ​
    (m. 1970)​

    Porkkodi TRB
    ​
    (m. 1970)​
Children5, including T. R. B. Rajaa[1]
Residence(s)Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
WebsiteOfficial website
Source: [1]

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.

Political Career

[edit]

Thalikottai Raju Baalu is a prominent leader in the 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

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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

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Year Constituency Result Vote percentage Opposition Candidate Opposition Party Opposition vote percentage
1991 Chennai South Lost 34.66 R. Sridharan AIADMK 56.66%
1996 Chennai South Won 61.97 H. Ganesham AIADMK 22.95[4]
1998 Chennai South Won 48.17 Jana Krishnamurthy BJP 45.94[5]
1999 Chennai South Won 60.03 V. Dhandayudapani INC 34.39[6]
2004 Chennai South Won 60.41 Sayeed Badar AIADMK 36.79[7]
2009 Sriperumbudur Won 44.41 A.K. Moorthy PMK 41.26[8]
2014 Thanjavur Lost 36.17 K. Parasuraman AIADMK 50.41[9]
2019 Sriperumbudur Won 56.4 Vaithilingam.A PMK 20.3
2024 Sriperumbudur Won 52.65 G. Premkumar AIADMK 18.85
  • 1986–1992 : was elected as a Member, Rajya Sabha. This is considered to be Former TN CM Dr.MGR's first electoral defeat.
  • 1996: Elected to Lok Sabha (Eleventh) for the 1st time
  • 1996-1998: Minister of State, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Non-Conventional Energy Sources
  • 1998: Elected to Lok Sabha (Twelfth) for the second time
  • 1999: Elected to Lok Sabha (Thirteenth) for the third time
  • 1999-2003: Cabinet Minister, Environment and Forests
  • 2004: Elected to Lok Sabha (Fourteenth) for the fourth time from Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency)
  • 2004-2009: Cabinet minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.
  • 2009: Elected to Lok Sabha (Fifteenth) for the fifth time from Sriperumbudur[1]
  • 2019: Elected to Lok Sabha (Seventeenth) for the sixth time from Sriperumbudur
  • 2024: Elected to Lok Sabha (Eighteenth) for the seventh time from Sriperumbudur

As a member of parliament and minister

[edit]
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]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "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. ^ a b 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.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by
 Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party in the 15th Lok Sabha
2009–2014 		Succeeded by
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