- 17 hours ago
A panel comprising BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan, Congress Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambaram, DMK MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, and AIADMK national spokesperson Kovai Sathyan spoke about the upcoming Tamil Nadu polls and the 'Vijay factor' at the India Today Conclave 2026. Given the actor-turned-politician's TVK rallies have been packed with supporters, will Vijay dent the chances of NDA or INDIA alliance? Watch the video to see what the panellists discussed. They also debated over law and order, women's safety and corruption in Chief Minister MK Stalin-headed DMK government in the state.
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00:00Panakkam, thank you all for joining us here at the India Today Conclave, far away from Chennai, all the way
00:05in Delhi this time.
00:07So the political temperatures haven't really risen here in Delhi.
00:11It's very much heating up in Tamil Nadu, in Chennai, can I assure you all.
00:15I'd like to begin with Tamiladu, Tamil Nadu, what's really happening right now in Tamil Nadu, the DMK.
00:21And you look at those numbers of 133 in 2021.
00:25Can you stick to that kind of a performance? Will you better it?
00:29What really is the DMK's expectation?
00:32Thank you very much, my co-panelists, as well as the dear hosts, as well as the audience.
00:40Like we are facing election, much more confident, because we have had a good performance for the past five years.
00:48So that would definitely increase the number of seats.
00:52So that way I would say that we will be definitely exceeding, with all our alliances, over 200 seats.
00:58That's our expectations.
01:00And we are confident in that, because our state has been in the forefront comparatively to all the other states
01:09of India,
01:10in many fields, like in economics and in health sector, and so many other fields.
01:16In fact, 13 programs of the state have been enlisted as star programs, which the union government has also appreciated
01:24it.
01:24So that way, no anti-incumbency, I feel, and the government…
01:28No anti-incumbency at all?
01:30Yeah, of course.
01:34You know, I think previously, when you were with us at the Tamil Nadu round table, it is, it is.
01:39Previously, when you were with us at the Tamil Nadu round table, you said, yes, we'll win, just about.
01:43So there is anti-incumbency then.
01:46Every government has anti-incumbency.
01:49That's the political truth of elections all over the world.
01:53So I would not make a statement saying there is no anti-incumbency.
01:57But the image of the chief minister is very good, and he's put together a very large political formation.
02:02And in Tamil Nadu, historically, large political formations defeat smaller political formations.
02:08And in this instance, we are having a three-and-a-half-cornered fight.
02:14And because of the index of opposition unity and the fact that the chief minister has put together a very
02:20large political formation
02:21and coupled to the fact that he's got a very positive personal image, I still believe that we will win
02:28the election,
02:29our formation will win the election comfortably.
02:32I'm not going to hazard a guess on the number of seats, but adequate numbers to form a government comfortably.
02:37You call this a three-and-a-half-cornered contest.
02:41I'll come to that because I know the big question will be about Vijay, the V-factor, as I put
02:47it.
02:47But I also want to ask you about really what happened with the Congress.
02:52You know, you say, yes, it's a powerful personality that you're rallying with, with M.K. Stalin.
02:57But the Congress power sharing, you were very vocal about it.
03:00No, the relationship of the Congress and the DMK is a time-tested one.
03:05The relationship was forged in 2004 by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the former Chief Minister Kalinger Karunanadi.
03:12Except the 2014 election, we have fought all elections together and we have won most of the elections.
03:19But with all long-standing relationships, usual frictions creep in.
03:24Expectations with limitations are also there.
03:27But with sober and mature handling, the relationship continues happily.
03:33You did get the short end of the stick, though.
03:35No, there's no short end of the stick.
03:37You see, as I said, you know, expectations have to be matched with the limitations.
03:41There are only 234 seats.
03:43If you're thinking that seat sharing was complicated in our end,
03:48just wait for the seat sharing when it's going to happen at their end.
03:51It's going to be far more complicated.
03:53Kovay Satyan, if this is a personality contest between M.K. Stalin and Edipati Parneswamy,
04:00what makes you confident that EPS has the edge?
04:06Tamil Nadu is a swing-door policy state between two Dravidian majors,
04:10AIA, DMK and DMK.
04:11That's the history.
04:12And DMK has never won a back-to-back assembly election so far,
04:16as Moman Di Karnanidi took over.
04:19You have shown that numbers in 2021.
04:22And nobody has won Tamil Nadu assembly elections,
04:25three consecutive terms, except our founder leader, MGR.
04:29So that's the third consecutive time where we sought a mandate for AIA, DMK.
04:33Out of that, 45 constituencies we lost with votes of 2,16,000 only,
04:40starting from 150 votes to 5,000 votes.
04:43If we had taken 2,16,000 votes,
04:45we could have formed the government for the third consecutive time.
04:47And that too, no political party would have tested this methodology of dual leadership,
04:54sharing equal power in the party.
04:56We experimented that.
04:59The result of that is because we had a dual partnership,
05:02a dual leadership mode at the helm of affairs.
05:05So that has costed us big.
05:07And with the last five-year miserable rule of DMK,
05:12pushing Tamil Nadu into darkness,
05:14and the lives of girls, women and children are in big question day in, day out.
05:20The law and order is in shambles.
05:22Best example is, my friend Karthik Chidham, who is a sitting MP,
05:27there was a petrol bomb hurdle at his office.
05:30So that's a plight of law and order in Tamil Nadu.
05:32And somebody wants to believe that there is no anti-incommency in Tamil Nadu.
05:37You have to come on the ground to see what the reality is.
05:40It's 2026 all the way, AIA, DMK and EPS will be crowned as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
05:45Okay, I'll just, before I bring in Tamiraj ma'am,
05:47Tamiraj ma'am, would you like to respond to that particular in law and order?
05:50This has been a topic that's been constantly raked up, especially women's safety.
05:54Absolutely, because, see, we are always responsible.
06:00We have always risen up to whatever crimes have committed.
06:05Whatever the crimes have been committed in Tamil Nadu,
06:09quick and swift actions have been taken naked,
06:12particularly if it's against women.
06:14For example, yeah, just give me a minute to complete.
06:19Whenever, you know, like, as soon as M.K. Stalin assumed the office of chief ministership,
06:25he brought to important laws the prohibition of women harassment law and amendment one
06:31and the amendment of the criminal laws,
06:33which had actually stringently imposed the laws.
06:38And this is always, you know, like,
06:41whoever is saying that blah, blah, blah, land order has gone,
06:44I have to give a long list of Katwa, Munaw, Hathras.
06:50And there and all, the victim's body was buried and the perpetrators were protected
06:57and there was the justice for all these places I have.
07:01And the world watched Manipu burning.
07:03And when was the quickest action?
07:05But that's not the case with Tamil Nadu.
07:07This is always a lame excuse.
07:10You see the track record of, I do have the figures.
07:14If you permit, I can read it out.
07:16Yes, I do have it.
07:17Just give me a minute.
07:21Nobody else has notes.
07:25No, please do.
07:26Yeah.
07:28I'm worried about all these papers, but still about this.
07:34See, what makes Tamil Nadu different,
07:38especially for all these allegations,
07:40Tamil Nadu's crime rate against women is very much less.
07:44The national average is 62.2.
07:47That's four times safer than the BJP's India.
07:50Versus only 14.2.
07:53Rajasthan's rape rate is 15.9 per lakh women.
07:57Tamil Nadu is under 1.0.
07:59In Rajasthan, a woman is 16 times more likely to be raped
08:04than in DMK's Tamil Nadu.
08:06Uttar Pradesh, BJP's model state recorded 2,153 dowry deaths in 2022.
08:13Tamil Nadu recorded 129.
08:16Tamil Nadu has 244 all-women police stations.
08:20Cases are going down.
08:223% decline from 2022 to 23.
08:25Comparatively to other states.
08:27CM has ensured 86 of the crimes against women
08:31result in charge sheets within 60 days.
08:34That is what we take accountability.
08:36We are responsible.
08:38See, within five months,
08:40the Anna University victim,
08:41he was convicted,
08:43total imprisonment without any whatever it is.
08:46So, that is what I'm trying to highlight.
08:49Okay.
08:50You've given all the data.
08:51Tamiris or Sanandar Rajan,
08:52you've heard very patiently
08:53and I saw you nodding vigorously.
08:55What do you have to say, ma'am, in response?
08:57First of all,
08:59women are not safe in Tamil Nadu.
09:01I didn't see any statistics.
09:04From my consciousness,
09:05I can tell you,
09:07within this week,
09:09four atrocities among young girls.
09:12It's very painful,
09:13even though our honorable MP says
09:15about the 222 women police station,
09:19where I contested once,
09:21a girl,
09:2217 years girl,
09:24who got 425 marks in 10th standard.
09:28She was studying for plus two exam,
09:30for the next day.
09:32She went for a natural call.
09:34Parents losing her,
09:37went to the women police station.
09:38They did not register the case.
09:41Then they were,
09:42from pillar to post,
09:43they were running here and there
09:44between the two stations.
09:47And that girl found dead
09:49in the morning.
09:51Very painful.
09:53No,
09:53you cannot say Tamil Nadu is safe.
09:55And another incidence,
09:56near Madhurandakam,
09:5814-year girl has been molested.
10:00As a doctor,
10:01I know how her body will be painful.
10:04All night she was in a forest.
10:0716 kilometers,
10:08that young girl walked to the police station
10:11to complain herself
10:12about the molestation which she faced.
10:16Two and a half year girl
10:18has been molested.
10:20Within another girl
10:22who came from Trichy
10:23for a post-graduation presentation,
10:27she was molested.
10:28Within this week,
10:30four cases,
10:31a lot of number of cases in Tamil Nadu,
10:33even though our honorable MP
10:35is telling the statistics,
10:37109% increase against women.
10:40And I can say 54% increase
10:43in the post-graduation cases.
10:45And conviction is only 10%.
10:48That I want to tell,
10:50the conviction is only 10%.
10:51All the criminals
10:53are walking freely in Tamil Nadu.
10:55And the drug menace
10:56is its highest.
10:58And the people,
10:59the women are unsafe,
11:01particularly adolescent girls.
11:02Even though percentage may be more,
11:04perception may be more,
11:06the conscience is shaken in Tamil Nadu.
11:08Each and every woman,
11:10every girl child,
11:11conscience is shaken.
11:12If you see the four cases,
11:13only this week.
11:14The incidents you've referred to
11:15are deplorable, yes.
11:16But there is a point made by the DMK
11:18where they speak of BJP-ruled states.
11:20First of all,
11:21I condemn everything.
11:23Whenever we say about Tamil Nadu...
11:24So crimes happen in BJP-ruled states also.
11:26Because even in this...
11:28CAG report says,
11:30Nirbaya case,
11:31that funds were not utilized by Tamil Nadu.
11:34Whenever they see some cases,
11:36immediately they say BJP-ruled.
11:38BJP's ruling in 18 states.
11:40What happened to Tamil Nadu?
11:42First of all,
11:42you see Tamil Nadu.
11:43Don't compare.
11:44Even though we are...
11:45women are safe in BJP states,
11:47I can very boldly say.
11:48But what is happening in Tamil Nadu?
11:51So they have the fashion to say,
11:52whatever the problems they face,
11:54immediately see Maharashtra,
11:56immediately see Manipur.
11:57What happened to Tamil Nadu?
11:58What happened to the districts in Tamil Nadu?
12:00First of all, you see,
12:01you're the chief minister from Tamil Nadu
12:03and you're the MP from Tamil Nadu.
12:05So always peeping into other states.
12:07What is happening in Tamil Nadu?
12:09How women...
12:09Conscience is shaken in Tamil Nadu.
12:11First of all,
12:12let them answer for that.
12:13Okay.
12:14Karthik Chathampram,
12:14you wanted to make a point.
12:17The incidents are very stark
12:19and they are very disturbing.
12:21I agree with that.
12:21But you need to distinguish
12:22between crimes of passion
12:25and organized rioting
12:27or organized crime.
12:29There has to be a distinction.
12:31No amount of policing
12:32is going to stop crimes of passion.
12:35That you can only stop
12:37if severity of punishment
12:40is guaranteed.
12:42These statistics in Tamil Nadu
12:44are better...
12:46There's better bookkeeping in Tamil Nadu
12:48and there's far more media scrutiny in Tamil Nadu.
12:52So things are a little bit magnified.
12:53I'm not defending any of the incidents.
12:56But the starkness
12:58in which Tamil Nadu sometimes is highlighted
13:00is because of the proliferation
13:02of the media which documents...
13:05I mean, I don't know about that.
13:06You ask the state media,
13:08they're not going to...
13:08No, no, not the state media.
13:09This is because of the social media
13:10and everything that they're highlighting there.
13:12But if you actually look at bare statistics,
13:14I'm not defending any single incident.
13:16I don't think...
13:17I think this is a societal problem
13:18all over India.
13:19This is not specific to Tamil Nadu.
13:21I don't think that Tamil Nadu alone
13:23there has been some sort of degradation
13:24of society
13:25or there's been a greater instance
13:27of safety issues in Tamil Nadu.
13:28This is probably an all-India problem
13:30and we can analyze why this has happened.
13:32This is not an issue
13:34because of lack of governance.
13:35If you think, yes,
13:36the policing can be a little bit more stricter,
13:38prosecution can be a lot more swifter,
13:40yes, I agree with that.
13:41But the proliferation of atrocities
13:44and of dastardly events
13:45is a universal India phenomenon.
13:48It's not specific to Tamil Nadu alone.
13:50For every incident
13:52with shock shock conscience in Tamil Nadu,
13:54this is not what about it.
13:56We could point out other events
13:58in other parts of India as well.
13:59This is degradation of society.
14:00This is not...
14:01I mean, government can only do so much.
14:03I'm not defending the government.
14:04Government can act on
14:06after the complaint is made,
14:08ensure there's proper prosecution,
14:10ensure that whoever is found guilty
14:13is severely punished.
14:14But if you think that every single person
14:16has to be policed,
14:17that is impossible by any administrative unit.
14:21That can't happen.
14:22That simply can't happen.
14:23So there is a...
14:24You have to distinguish
14:25between a societal problem
14:26and a governance problem.
14:27No, and you know,
14:28Kovai, Satya,
14:29and just final word on this.
14:30Before that, may I ask,
14:31go ahead, go ahead.
14:31Who else can vouch for the safety
14:33of women in Tamil Nadu
14:35than our ex-governor,
14:37Honorable Auran Ravis?
14:39He himself had stated
14:41that Tamil Nadu is comparatively
14:42a safer place for women.
14:45It is on record.
14:47Okay, in Raveen's statement,
14:49it's on record.
14:50I would like just to add that.
14:51At least in that,
14:54they are accepting
14:54Honorable Ravi's words.
14:56They were contradicting...
14:56Of course.
14:57Of course, we will accept
14:59whichever is the fact.
15:01We will accept
15:02if it comes from the horse's mouth.
15:05We will happily accept all the facts.
15:07Okay, okay.
15:08We've had our say on Law and Order.
15:10I think we're 12 minutes on the clock.
15:12I'll bring it down once again
15:13to the political contest
15:14that we're witnessing
15:15and whether it's going to be
15:16a three-cornered fight.
15:17So let's address the elephant in the room
15:19with Kovai Satyam first on Vijay.
15:21Is Vijay going to eat
15:23into the AI, ADMK vote base as well?
15:26Vijay is creating noise.
15:29Noise has to translate into actions.
15:31Actions to impact.
15:33That impact has to get him votes.
15:35He will eat away votes of everyone.
15:37Not with respect to AI, ADMK or anybody.
15:40He'll take away the votes of Congress.
15:41He'll take away the votes of...
15:43He'll take away the votes of everybody
15:44because he's a popular star.
15:46So what I rate Vijay is
15:48he's making noise.
15:49He's making media noise.
15:50It's only noise.
15:52Are you suggesting noise without substance?
15:54Because the footage we're playing
15:55also shows Vijay's rally
15:56and the crowds that gathered
15:58every single one of his events.
15:59Noise without actions.
16:00See, you have to be seen
16:02through the thick and thin
16:03of a common man.
16:04We talked about
16:05women and children's safety here.
16:07So what DMK does is
16:08they take data of convenience
16:10to themselves.
16:11Last two years,
16:12the State Crime Records Bureau
16:13has not given data
16:15to the NCRB to release it.
16:16So they're talking about
16:17the data which is two-year-old.
16:19They're not talking about
16:20the data which is recent ones.
16:22Even in the meeting,
16:23rally of Kanimuli,
16:25their leader's,
16:26chief minister's
16:28sister
16:29and who is an MP,
16:30in that rally,
16:31a police woman constable
16:33was molested.
16:34And you know
16:34what is happening
16:35on the ground today?
16:36Like how you get candies
16:38on a roadside Kirana shop?
16:39You get drugs in Tamil Nadu.
16:41You get ganja.
16:42Your eleventh to eleventh
16:44standard school-going kid
16:46is carrying ganja
16:46in his school bag.
16:48And you have made drugs
16:49a free flow
16:50and Tamil Nadu
16:52soon becoming
16:52the drug state of India.
16:54It has surpassed
16:56Punjab long back.
16:57If Amsterdam were to be
16:58the drug capital
16:59of the world,
17:00Tamil Nadu
17:00soon becoming
17:01the drug state of India.
17:02And all the promises
17:04made by MK Selenon
17:05his manifesto
17:06and he has failed,
17:08miserably failed
17:09to fulfill
17:09in any of the
17:10major promises.
17:12Starting from
17:13dating the state
17:14to the next level,
17:15starting from
17:16delivering on
17:17all the parameters
17:17of investments,
17:19employment,
17:20women's safety,
17:21law and order,
17:21government,
17:22governance,
17:22everything he has failed.
17:24You know
17:24the biggest achievement
17:25of this DMK,
17:26I'll give it to them.
17:27They have made
17:28the bureaucrats
17:29a politicians
17:30and all the politicians
17:32with their low-term money,
17:33they have become businessmen.
17:34That's why
17:34for every time
17:35when they want
17:36to compare,
17:36they'll compare
17:37Ambani and Nadani.
17:38DMK politicians
17:39have become businessmen,
17:41wherein bureaucrats
17:42who are working
17:42in this government
17:43has become politicians.
17:44I like how
17:45you sidestepped
17:46my Vijay question though.
17:47I moved to
17:48law and order as well.
17:49That kind of indicates
17:51to me what's really
17:51happening on the ground
17:52in Tamil Nadu
17:53as far as Vijay is concerned.
17:55Tamil Nadu,
17:55would you like
17:56to talk about Vijay?
17:56I vehemently refute
17:59what are all
18:00the so-called
18:01allegations
18:02regarding ganja,
18:03whatever it is.
18:04datas are not
18:05merely numbers.
18:06You can just see
18:08the RTI
18:08and then you can
18:09file it through
18:09and get the performance
18:11of the state,
18:11how it has
18:12performed very well
18:14economically,
18:15the women empowerment,
18:17health sector,
18:18and you know,
18:19like in the
18:20law and the daughter
18:20situation also,
18:21it is always
18:23when you now
18:24don't have
18:24any points
18:26of welfare measures
18:28to pinpoint
18:29or to get the votes,
18:30you will always
18:31go back to this
18:33old story of
18:34oh, the lord and order
18:34has gone to dog
18:35or whatever it is.
18:35I request our
18:36honorable MP
18:37to release the
18:3820, 24, 25 data.
18:41Yes, I do have it.
18:42Ask her to release it.
18:42Now it's a two-year channel.
18:44I'll be happy to see.
18:4620, 23, 24,
18:4724, 25 data.
18:49Yes, I do have it.
18:50MCRT data.
18:51I do have it.
18:51I will probably,
18:52I will, I will.
18:53Go ahead.
18:56Offert me,
18:57between all of them
18:58here right now.
19:00No, ma'am's got the data
19:02so she can go ahead
19:02and show it now.
19:04See,
19:05that's why I come here.
19:06I do really appreciate
19:08madam appealing
19:09to the conscience,
19:10but
19:12Tamil Nadu
19:13is the only state
19:15which
19:17cares totally about,
19:19not merely about
19:19the conscience,
19:20minds or the
19:21consciousness of
19:22women upliftment
19:23and empowerment,
19:24but also
19:25any such
19:26consciousness
19:27is enacted
19:28as a law
19:29under the
19:31leadership of
19:32M.K.
19:33Stalin,
19:33I would say.
19:34Whatever it is
19:34based on social
19:35justice,
19:36anything,
19:37any welfare
19:37measure,
19:38it is not
19:39merely a propaganda
19:40or something
19:42loudly spoken.
19:43You put it
19:43into action,
19:45for example,
19:45empowering women
19:46through all the
19:47schemes,
19:48whatever it is.
19:50The data?
19:51Yeah.
19:53You've got the
19:53NCRB data
19:54because you're saying
19:55it's not there.
19:56What is the one data
19:58that you want me to?
19:59What's the data
20:00you want?
20:02On women,
20:03yes.
20:03You want NCRB data?
20:05Yes,
20:05women safety.
20:06See,
20:06for example,
20:08this is the data
20:09I have taken,
20:10yes.
20:11You can,
20:11you can see it
20:12if you want,
20:13you can see it all
20:14the data here.
20:14The major points
20:16that I would like
20:17to insist here
20:18is that
20:19how many cases
20:21are registered
20:23in the past regime?
20:24For example,
20:25honorable,
20:26my colleague,
20:27he wouldn't have
20:28gotten about
20:29the Pallachi case,
20:31Pallachi women case.
20:33I would also appeal
20:34to all the women
20:35gathered here
20:36or all the women
20:37throughout Tamil Nadu
20:38and India.
20:38Nobody can forget
20:40the cry of that
20:41one lady.
20:43Anna enna vittidung hai?
20:44Anna enna vittidung hai?
20:45Anna enna vittidung hai?
20:46That woman cried
20:48and how was it
20:49hushed up?
20:50And how many years
20:51was it just
20:52being dodged
20:53in darkness?
20:55It was brought
20:56to light
20:56only during
20:57the DMK government.
20:59Not the,
21:00the previous,
21:00previous chief minister
21:02took any action,
21:03neither did he.
21:04It was brought
21:05to light
21:06and the perpetrators
21:07were punished
21:08only during
21:09the DMK regime.
21:10So people
21:11who are appealing
21:11for the consciousness
21:12or for the soul
21:14of the women.
21:15They shouldn't
21:16forget the way
21:17a woman pleaded
21:18that time
21:19and it was
21:19hushed into darkness
21:20during the ADMK
21:22regime.
21:23So nobody
21:24forgets details,
21:25nobody forgets
21:26Rathas.
21:26The DMK functionally
21:28goes inside
21:28Anna University,
21:30molests and rapes
21:31children who are
21:32studying there
21:34and this government
21:34refuses a CBA inquiry
21:36wherein in Fulachy case
21:38our government
21:38agreed for a CBA inquiry.
21:51Tamil Nadu is not
21:52the badlands.
21:53Let's be very clear.
21:54There are no,
21:55there's not the badlands.
21:56Yes,
21:57we have our,
21:57there are societal issues,
21:59there are issues
22:00which get highlighted
22:00but the portrayal
22:03somehow that this
22:04is a bad land
22:04and the minute
22:05you're going to get there
22:06your life and liberty
22:07is at stake
22:07is a little bit
22:08of a grave exaggeration.
22:10I mean,
22:11I'm not also going
22:12to portray it
22:12as a land of honey
22:13and milk either.
22:14The truth lies
22:16somewhere in the middle.
22:16It's a fast growing state.
22:18It's got great economic growth.
22:19It's got its problems
22:20but it's a stable state.
22:22It's a progressive state
22:23and you know,
22:25and you know,
22:26there's stats which can,
22:27you can spin the stats
22:28the way you want
22:28but this election
22:29is a multi-cornered contest
22:31with a large formation
22:32led by the chief minister.
22:34There is a new fledgling party
22:35and then there is
22:36the NDA alliance
22:37and my reading is
22:39the large political formation
22:40formed by the chief minister
22:42will pip past the post
22:43and form a government comfortably.
22:45I hope you won't sidestep
22:45the Vijay question.
22:46What do you think of him?
22:47I think he's a popular movie star.
22:49He's a popular movie star
22:50but you know,
22:52he's got no specifics.
22:53Everything he says
22:54is motherhood and apple pie.
22:56You can't really argue
22:57with the generality he says.
22:58He's a popular movie star.
23:00He has definitely
23:01a fair amount of fans
23:03who will perhaps convert
23:05into a support base,
23:06perhaps into a vote base
23:08but seat conversion
23:09in a first past the post system
23:10is going to be complicated.
23:12I would hazard to say
23:13that he will do well
23:14in urban areas
23:15compared to rural areas
23:16and he will hurt
23:18both the formations.
23:19It will all depend
23:20on what kind of candidates
23:21he's going to put up
23:21in each constituency.
23:22He's going to struggle with that
23:23but I don't see seat conversion.
23:25I don't,
23:26so he will hurt both formations
23:28but he's not going to have
23:30an electoral success.
23:32He's going to be a damager
23:33and considering all these factors
23:35put together,
23:36I see the India bloc
23:38led by the DMK
23:39winning the elections
23:40and forming the government
23:41comfortably.
23:41There was a lot of talk
23:42that a deadly combo
23:43would be Congress and TVK.
23:45Congress is a universal donor
23:47except the BJP.
23:48Everybody wants us.
23:49Everybody wants you
23:50but national parties,
23:51do they even have relevance
23:52in Tamil Nadu
23:53is the other question
23:54that constantly comes up.
23:55National parties are necessary
23:56and are absolutely needed.
23:58There is a strong national sentiment
24:00in Tamil Nadu.
24:01I mean the Dravidian parties
24:03alone don't hold the sway.
24:05The Dravidian parties
24:06also need the national parties
24:09especially during general elections
24:11and during state elections.
24:12There is a vote
24:13for national parties
24:14in Tamil Nadu.
24:15Diminish us
24:16and to sort of ignore us
24:17will be at their own peril.
24:19I suspect for the first time
24:20I'll have the BJP
24:20and Congress on the same note ma'am.
24:22Do you think so
24:23that Dravidian parties yes
24:24also have a certain amount
24:27of support from national parties
24:28that's necessary?
24:29Yeah, that is proved
24:31because they are fighting
24:33with one Dravidian party
24:35and we are fighting
24:36with another Dravidian party.
24:37They are the power holders.
24:39They are the ones
24:39who call the shots.
24:40You don't ask for power sharing.
24:41Congress tried to fight for it.
24:42No, I don't want to tell about that
24:45because we want to win the race
24:47but not to confuse the state
24:48because they had
24:50more confusions
24:51until the last year.
24:52We don't want to do that.
24:53First of all,
24:55we want to root out the DMK
24:57because this just cannot be brushed away
25:00what these are isolated incidences
25:02whether it is Polachi
25:03they were telling
25:04but more incidents.
25:05Anna University,
25:06Anna Shiva
25:06are telling about that.
25:07Anna Shiva
25:08who is the sir?
25:09Till now it is not
25:11actually answerable
25:13by the government
25:14and apart from that
25:16not only this
25:16this is not only
25:17law and order problem
25:18debt of the government
25:2010.5 lakh crore
25:22multiplied in the five years
25:24and they are telling
25:25about drug manners.
25:26I can tell the data
25:27per day
25:29three cases are registered
25:31so within seven months
25:33700 cases has been registered
25:35on drug manners
25:36that one of the functionary
25:37was the drug mafia.
25:39So this is
25:40we cannot isolate it
25:41and apart from that
25:42everything
25:42there are promises
25:43they told 100 rupees
25:45incentive for gas
25:46they did not fulfill it
25:48and they told meter reading
25:49every month
25:50they did not fulfill it
25:51and they told
25:52they will reduce
25:53the petrol diesel phase
25:53did not fulfill
25:54apart from that
25:55they are giving
25:562,000 rupees to women
25:57and as survey says
25:59to the liquor shops
26:01government owned liquor shops
26:036,000 rupees
26:04has been spent
26:05for a drunkard
26:06drunkard husband
26:08head of the family
26:10so 2,000 has been given
26:11and 6,000 has been snatched
26:13so they are told
26:14they will reduce
26:14the number of the liquor shops
26:16so it is not only
26:17the law and order problem
26:18the administration
26:19and all the empathy
26:21towards the society
26:23the women
26:23so they are just
26:24portraying themselves
26:25as a very good governance
26:27but it is not that
26:28it is only
26:29the odd glitters
26:31are not gold
26:31it is not
26:32it is not gold
26:32it is not glittering
26:33it is only glittering
26:34so what we say
26:35the government
26:36even though the percentage
26:38is towards us
26:39perception is towards us
26:40I can very boldly say
26:42it is the period
26:43of NDA
26:43NDA will win
26:45because of the high
26:46anti-incumbency
26:47they cannot save
26:48women are not safe
26:49and lawlessness
26:50and what all the promises
26:52they have not fulfilled it
26:53and because of all these things
26:56and high corruption charges
26:58on the ministers
27:00ministers are getting incentives
27:02even for government jobs
27:05commissions are there
27:06one of the minister told
27:07there is going to be a commission
27:10for you
27:11no no
27:12let him get the commission
27:13so I can get the commission
27:15no but corruption
27:16ma'am corruption also
27:17is an allegation
27:18against your ally
27:19the AIA-DMK
27:20so again
27:21it will be incident
27:22versus incident
27:23in corruption
27:24on law and order
27:25the unfortunate reality
27:26is in Tamil Nadu
27:27the DMK
27:27AIA-DMK
27:28ideologically are similar
27:29and other aspects
27:30also many would argue
27:31are very similar
27:31no we can say
27:32double engine government
27:33because we have proved
27:35our double engine government
27:35in Andhra Pradesh
27:36in other places
27:37so we want to say that
27:39because the
27:40another thing
27:41I want to tell
27:42the core nature
27:44of the Tamil
27:46nature is tarnished
27:47by our chief minister
27:48for example
27:49he doesn't go
27:52and welcome
27:52our honorable chief
27:53prime minister
27:54and they
27:5589% of the people
27:58follow the
27:59sanadhan them
28:00they degrade
28:01so I'm
28:02why I'm telling
28:03Karthi you want to
28:04respond to this
28:05sanadhan them
28:06insulted
28:06Tamil Nadu
28:07we are for pluralism
28:07core nature
28:08of Tamil Nadu
28:09quickly I run out of
28:09time
28:10just a few sentence
28:11you know like
28:13we never boast
28:15that we are gold
28:15or whatever it is
28:16we are charcoals
28:18we are charcoals
28:20we proudly say that
28:21we don't say that
28:21we are providing a
28:23government which is
28:24like a gold
28:24we are the charcoals
28:26which can provide
28:27you know like the
28:28raw materials for
28:29any other thing
28:30like coming to
28:31so who is talking
28:32about corruption
28:33the BJP government
28:35which has the
28:36washing machine
28:37whichever ally is
28:38you know like all
28:39the corrupted persons
28:40who become friends
28:41with you
28:42you just wash out
28:43in your washing machine
28:44you take them out
28:45of your corridor
28:46of AD or whatever
28:47right
28:48and then you become
28:49they are all becoming
28:50you know like as if
28:51they are all the
28:51puritans
28:52and they are
28:54accusing our
28:55government to be
28:56the you know
28:57like the most
28:58karthi
28:58I can list out a number
29:00of ministers
29:01that I can list out
29:03I can have a number
29:04of list out of
29:05whatever it is
29:06even ministers
29:07from other part
29:07they have shifted here
29:08okay
29:09I've run out of time
29:10just quickly closing
29:11comments
29:11Kovej Satya
29:12beginning with you
29:13Hazard a guess
29:14on the numbers
29:15the common factor
29:17which DMK and Congress
29:18have formed an alliance
29:19is not to save the
29:20democracy but to save
29:22the dynastal of both the
29:23parties because they
29:24support dynasty
29:25the common ground
29:26where NDA and AADMK
29:27have formed an alliance
29:28is to put an end to
29:29the dynastal
29:30in Tamil Nadu
29:31yeah quickly
29:32Karthi
29:33closing comments
29:34these are all boring
29:35arguments of dynasty
29:36and all these usual
29:38things
29:38the BJP is not so
29:39relevant in a state
29:40election in Tamil Nadu
29:41as I said the
29:43the and there's no
29:44threat to the practice
29:46of the faith
29:46in Tamil Nadu
29:48and I don't think
29:49that will be an
29:49electoral issue
29:50the election will be
29:51decided by electoral
29:53alliances
29:54that's a very big
29:55factor in Tamil Nadu
29:56elections
29:56and the fact that
29:57we are going to have
29:58a clear three-cornered
29:59contest
30:00and it's
30:01and the third
30:02the third contestant
30:03will also poll
30:04significant votes
30:05that combined
30:06with the chief
30:07minister's image
30:08I mean you might
30:08say whatever you want
30:09about the government
30:10and about incidents
30:11the truth is
30:12when you measure
30:13chief minister
30:14candidate
30:14versus chief
30:15minister candidate
30:15the incumbent
30:16chief minister
30:17scores high
30:18he scores high
30:19in all parameters
30:20and he's been
30:21a consensus builder
30:22he's been an elder
30:22statesman
30:23he's not said
30:24one harsh word
30:25to anybody
30:25he's not ruffled
30:27anybody in the wrong
30:28way
30:28or he's not
30:29irritated anybody
30:30in the wrong way
30:30he's been a
30:32calm collected man
30:33his image
30:34large alliance
30:35and a multi-cornered
30:36contest
30:36is going to pull
30:37through the India
30:38alliance
30:38past the post
30:39we'll see
30:40in about one
30:40and a half months
30:41discrimination
30:42he's not even
30:42wishing us
30:43for Hindu festivals
30:44he's telling
30:45he's not discriminating
30:46we'll wrap this up
30:47I don't have time
30:48I wish we could
30:49drag this
30:49easily for another
30:5030 minutes
30:51but thank you all
30:51so much
30:52for joining us
30:53Nandri
30:53thank you for your
30:54time and for joining
30:55us
30:55we'll see you on
30:56the campaign trail
30:56as well
30:57very very soon
30:57thank you
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