New Delhi: K C Venugopal, secretary of the Congress, said in a press release on Wednesday that Dr Arathi Krishna has been appointed the AICC secretary, in charge of the Indian Overseas Congress Department of the Congress.

Dr Arathi has been associated with the party for a long time, being the daughter of Begane Ramaiah, a veteran Congress leader, who was also the former Rural Development Minister of Karnataka.

Dr Arathi herself was the first chairperson of the NRI Cell of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

She also has a long-standing relationship with the NRIs, as she was a community development officer in the Indian Embassy in Washington DC and an adviser in the India Development Foundation of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. In addition, she started 'Krishna Foundation', an NGO to fulfil socioeconomic needs and provide better educational facilities in remote villages in Karnataka.

Dr Arathi has Masters in 'Political Science' from the Mysore University and in 'International Commerce and Public' from the George Mason University, Washington. She also has an honorary doctorate from Kuvempu University.

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Chennai: Actor-politician Vijay has reportedly not been invited to take oath as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu after failing to demonstrate support from the required number of MLAs, sources in Raj Bhavan said.

According to media reports that quoted sources in the office of R.N. Ravi Arlekar, Vijay could not prove the backing of 118 legislators, the majority mark in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Despite last-minute efforts to secure support from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazagam (AMMK), and an IUML legislator, Vijay reportedly managed support from only 116 MLAs, falling short by two members.

Sources said Vijay failed to submit letters of support from the VCK and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

Later, the IUML issued a statement clarifying that it was not part of the TVK-led alliance.

Meanwhile, AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran is also said to have informed the Governor that his party would support the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) instead.

Earlier in the evening, Vijay had met Governor Arlekar and staked claim to form the government, stating that he enjoyed the support of 118 MLAs.