00:01Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're joining us live here on India Today.
00:04This is Super 6. I'm Akshita Anandha Koppal in the studios to get you a roundup of what's happening in
00:09pole-bound Tamil Nadu.
00:10This is the last leg. The final few days is the political pitch in Tamil Nadu turning.
00:15Well, one thing's for sure. In this last leg, there's all-out campaigning happening.
00:18And on the show, we're going to be talking about, over the weekend, how there's been an outreach to the
00:23minority vote by both Vijay and Chief Minister Stalin.
00:26The crucial C vote. With Vijay visiting a church, with Chief Minister Stalin getting the support of Bishop, what really
00:33does that mean?
00:34Why does the 6% vote in Tamil Nadu mean so much? We'll get you those details.
00:38Also coming up on the show, my finale episode, my last ground report from Tamil Nadu.
00:44I've had an absolute ball of a time in Tamil Nadu getting you all of my reports.
00:49The last one is from my home, from Chennai. That's coming your way in just about 15 minutes from now.
00:54Let's begin first with the headlines.
01:01Biggest DMK vs. Vijay escalation two days before elections in Tamil Nadu.
01:06After Stalin, Udaini, they also attacks Vijay.
01:08He says Vijay is inaccessible, unlike DMK candidates in Perhambur.
01:12Call Stalin the real hero.
01:18Shocking TCS survivor account emerges.
01:20Disturbing claims of abuse, religious insults alleged by the survivors.
01:25One of the accused told them to wear burqa and avoid rape.
01:33It's all about spicy Jalmuri politics.
01:37In Bengal, ahead of elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slams Prime Minister Modi's Jalmuri break, hurls Natak and scripted episode
01:45jibe.
01:49The MC denies reports of IPAC shutdown in Bengal.
01:53Sources say new work-from-home directives were issued to IPAC employees on Saturday.
01:57And they were even told to avoid using official email ID for communication.
02:01This among agencies heat on IPAC.
02:08International headlines.
02:10Tsunami hits northern Japan after powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
02:14Waves of up to three meters could hit the Japanese coast soon.
02:17Prime Minister Takechi issues evacuation orders.
02:25Iran says no plans of peace talks for now accuses U.S. of violating the ceasefire from beginning.
02:32Move comes hours after Trump says peace delegation on route Pakistan for talks.
02:46This election season, there's been a big question over minority votes and who minorities will choose this term around with
02:53the entry of Vijay, with the entry of TVK.
02:56And what we've seen over the last few days is an all-out attempt to bag the Christian vote.
03:01About 6% of the population that is based on the 2011 census.
03:05So those numbers, of course, are going to be changing very soon.
03:09But that's what's up for grabs.
03:11You had Chief Minister Stalin getting the support of bishops at a crucial moment for the DMK and their allies,
03:17who have always been essentially the go-to parties and alliance for minorities previously.
03:21But now with Vijay's entry and a photo op that grabbed headlines of him praying in a church in Trichy,
03:28the question is, who will minorities vote this time and will that decide this election?
03:47Tamil Nadu's election battleground is now witnessing a mega-Christian outreach.
03:58With both the DMK and Vijay's TVK making a strong push for a small but crucial vote bank, just stays
04:05before polling.
04:07On Sunday, Vijay visited the St. Anthony's Church in Trichy and offered prayers, crawling on his knees along the aisle
04:14to seek divine blessing.
04:18A devout Christian, C. Joseph Vijay, the TVK chief, was seen in a deeply symbolic gesture
04:24that many believe is aimed at consolidating Christian support in key constituencies.
04:31But even as Vijay's outreach grabbed headlines, the DMK moved swiftly to reinforce its own hold.
04:43In a major show of support, senior bishops from multiple Christian denominations met Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,
04:50declaring that he remains the only leader protecting secular values in Tamil Nadu.
04:57The timing of that meeting is politically significant,
05:00coming amid growing chatter that Vijay could make serious inroads into the Christian vote base.
05:07Stalin also brushed aside Vijay's rise, saying every new entrant in Tamil Nadu attacks the DMK to stay relevant.
05:14If you are talking about the Zheemukha, you can talk to them in the same way.
05:18The Zheemukha is a key to your understanding.
05:21I am the only one to ask the Zheemukha.
05:24So, if anyone has come to the Zheemukha,
05:27or even if you can't stand as Zheemukha,
05:30the Zheemukha is a key to me.
05:32The Zheemukha is a key to the Zheemukha.
05:35You have the Zheemukha and the Zheemukha,
05:39the Zheemukha is a key to the Zheemukha.
05:47And the attack did not stop there.
05:50Deputy Chief Minister Udayaniti Stalin launched a sharper political strike calling Vijay
05:55inaccessible and lazy while warning voters not to confuse cinema image with political credibility.
06:36But Vijay is showing no signs of slowing down.
06:38The TVK chief intensified his campaign with a high-energy roadshow in Tiruvallur,
06:44turning the Tamil Nadu contest into a direct and dramatic fight for influence and for faith.
06:53As polling day nears, the fight in Tamil Nadu is no longer just about politics.
06:58It is now about who can win both trust and faith.
07:02Bureau Report, India Today.
07:07So why does the Christian vote matter?
07:10Why is every side wooing Christians in Tamil Nadu right now?
07:14If you look at the numbers, it doesn't look like much.
07:166% based on the 2011 census.
07:19I want to highlight here 2011.
07:21So obviously that number has gone up.
07:24They are also very influential in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
07:27Think Tirunilveli, think Kanya Kumari.
07:30In these districts, they actually are perhaps the biggest decider on who wins.
07:35And so what you see is in these districts constantly has been DMK and the Congress.
07:41The Congress has a big, big support base in the Christian community.
07:45And so that could get dented also with the entry of Vijay.
07:49But these are essentially the two parties.
07:51And so one alliance that could be dented if Christians choose to go with Vijay,
07:57choose to go with the TVK.
07:59Let me bring in on this broadcast, Sandeep Pastry, election analyst, is with us.
08:04We also have Mr. Shekhar Iyer, senior journalist.
08:08Mr. Shekhar Iyer, I'd like to begin with you first.
08:10Good evening.
08:11What do you make of this outrage to the Christian community?
08:13First of all, looking at what we've seen previously in Tamil Nadu,
08:17do they really vote in one block as one community?
08:20Or is it largely scattered based on who their candidates are?
08:25Well, during Jailalitha's time, it was the Christian vote was divided between both DMK and as well as ADMK.
08:34But traditionally, by and large, the Christian vote has been with the DMK for a long, long time, just as
08:40the Muslim vote has been.
08:41But this time, what has happened is, nearly a year ago, there was a lot of campaign, you know,
08:49under the auspices of several church denominations to the laity that if at all they had to choose an alternative
08:58to DMK
08:59because of governance issues, then they must prefer TVK, that is, the Tamruvitri Karagam of Vijay.
09:06And Vijay himself being Joseph Vijay, we have a point that he has been of late emphasizing a lot.
09:14Because, you know, the constituencies that he has chosen to contest, whether it is Parambur or Tiruchi East,
09:20these are constituencies which not only they themselves have a good percentage of Christian votes,
09:26but also the neighboring areas, the neighboring constituencies also have a...
09:30So, the DMK's worry has been ever since Vijay came into the forefront that their Christian vote bank could crack.
09:38No, sir, if you look at the two seats, Mr. Shekhar, you're right, you're looking at the two seats that
09:42Vijay is contesting,
09:43whether it's Parambur, which has a large Anglo-Christian population, which is why perhaps he's chosen that particular seat,
09:49and then in Tiruchi East, where DMK has benefited by consolidation of minorities.
09:54Irigo Irdia Raj is someone who's enjoyed the support of the Church of Christian Groups in Tiruchi East,
09:59which is again what Vijay is looking to break.
10:02But, Mr. Sandeep Shastri, you look at ultimately the number, the number of 6%.
10:06So, when people look at that number, they're going to ask, why does the Christian community then matter?
10:11Do the minorities really ultimately decide the fate of this election,
10:16when it seemingly is one that's going to go down to the wire, a close election?
10:23Akshita, I think the point which Shekhar ji is making is an important point.
10:29It's not just about 6%.
10:31In a close contest, in a fight where every vote becomes important,
10:38I think the Christian vote in that sense becomes crucial,
10:42and could be in some cases a tipping point when it comes to deciding who the winner is.
10:48But let me also make this point that the Christian community, when it votes while Shekhar ji is right,
10:56that it was largely divided between the ANNA DMK and DMK,
11:00and then consolidated towards the DMK.
11:03Let's also remember the Christian voting is a tactical voting.
11:06They will look to vote for not only the one they want to vote for,
11:11but the one they do not want to vote for is also a crucial factor in the way the Christians
11:17would look at their…
11:19Are you suggesting that that's essentially not going the NDA's way?
11:23It's a question of DMK or TVK?
11:26That's exactly the point.
11:28And when you look at the vote share that Vijay is likely to get,
11:33and the seed share that Vijay is likely to get,
11:35a lot of people are projecting that Vijay could best be a spoiler,
11:40but could not necessarily be a winner of the majority of the seed.
11:45So at the end of the day,
11:46we are likely to see a close contest between the DMK and ANNA DMK alliances,
11:52with the Vijay factor being a spoiler for both.
11:56So given this factor,
11:57again the Christian community will look at which is the winning horse,
12:02not in a constituency alone,
12:04but a winning horse across the state,
12:07and that big factor then becomes crucial.
12:09You know, I'm going to constantly say that this is an election.
12:11I've been on the ground for about a month.
12:13This is an election like no other in Tamil Nadu,
12:16because it's also one that seemingly is going to go down to the wire,
12:19going to be extremely close in a state
12:20that's always given a very, very clear mandate.
12:24Mr. Sandeep Shastri, Mr. Shekhar Iyer,
12:26I'm unfortunately out of time,
12:27but thank you very much for joining us.
12:29This is a conversation that hopefully we'll be able to touch upon
12:32in the coming days as well,
12:33as we count down to a polling day,
12:35which is on Thursday.
12:36But today, the focus is on Chennai.
12:38And before I get to my ground report from Chennai,
12:40I want to take a look first at the campaigns that are playing out.
12:43We've got DMK, TVK, both stepping up efforts
12:46in the urban hubs of Chennai.
12:49And so you've had Vijay already campaigning there
12:52with Adhavarjuna in Villiwakam,
12:54a seat that seeks a fight between Adhavarjuna and Karthik Mohan,
12:56high-profile seat.
12:58And I'll get you that ground report from that seat as well.
13:00Chief Minister Stalin, meanwhile,
13:02is also campaigning in Chennai,
13:05across Chennai, reinforcing his party's message
13:07and appealing to voters for continued support.
13:08Before I get in a live update on the Chief Minister's roadshow,
13:12let's take a look at this ground report
13:14by Anagar Keshav on Vijay's rally.
13:18That's Vijay arriving in his condo in Villiwakam,
13:21right behind me.
13:23This is election campaign vehicle arriving right there
13:26in Villiwakam, Sitko Nagar,
13:28where he's going to be campaigning
13:29for TVK's candidate, Adhavarjuna.
13:32In fact, he just seconds me from coming here
13:35so I can request my camera person to pan
13:36and show you that that Vijay just on his way.
13:40He's few meters away from the campaign spot over here
13:43and the energy is very high.
13:45People have come, women especially, have come.
13:48Women have come with whistles
13:50as a symbolic representation of TVK's
13:53the whistle election symbol.
13:55He's come along with Adhavarjuna.
13:57That's Adhav right there next to him.
13:59The candidate from the Villiwakam constituency
14:01are bringing him along with him,
14:04both of them raising their hands up in the air.
14:06And that's Vijay the campaign.
14:11Okay, and I'll bring in Pramod Madhav for a live update.
14:14Pramod, take it away on the road show by the Chief Minister.
14:20Certainly, Akshita, we are at Kulindo,
14:21at this location behind this.
14:23You could see that is the Chief Minister,
14:24MK Starril, who is along with Arvind Kajewal.
14:26And the important aspect here is that
14:28even Arvind Kajewal, who came over here,
14:30is very clearly saying that just to make,
14:31he also claimed the same kind of issue
14:33that Rahul Khandi said earlier,
14:35that it is like if NDA comes to power,
14:37the same kind of issue that occurred in Bihar
14:39will happen over here.
14:41Be it Arvind Kajewal or be it Raul Gwadi,
14:43they both say that if AIDMK comes to power,
14:45the actual control will go to BJP,
14:47and what you saw in Bihar will happen over here.
14:50Arvind Kajewal is actually voting for the Chief Minister,
14:53MK Starril, claiming that here,
14:55only if DMK comes back to power,
14:57the examiners will have development,
14:58and not just that,
14:59they are also stating that whatever,
15:01Arvind Kajewal claims...
15:02Thanks very much, Pramod,
15:03for that live report.
15:04We are going to continue tracking those images.
15:06Arvind Kajewal campaigning
15:07with Chief Minister Stalin there in Churnets.
Comments