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Piyush Goyal at Rising Bharat: “I don’t see any tie-up happening with Vijay. If he had good sense, he would have known he can’t be the CM…”
Piyush Goyal said people of Tamil Nadu want a change. (File)
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, during a conversation with CNN-News18’s Rahul Shivshankar at Rising Bharat, expressed confidence over the Bharatiya Janata Party’s performance in the Tamil Nadu elections.
“We have a strong alliance which is well-poised to win Tamil Nadu. People are tired of corruption of the DMK government, they are unhappy with the scams, anti-Bharat pronouncements of the ruling Karunanidhi family. People can’t accept the anti-Sanatan statements made by heir apparent and deputy CM. Any well-meaning Tamilian can’t accept Udayanidhi Stalin’s stance on eradicating the Sanatan, India’s ethos, like a mosquito,” said Goyal.
“They want a change and the AIADMK-led NDA alliance is well-poised to win Tamil Nadu and Edappadi Palaniswami will be the CM,” he said.
On Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and his prospects and statement that he would be “a king not the kingmaker”, Goyal said, “Everybody is entitled to a glorified view of their own self. He is a good, popular actor…But he has anointed himself as the king…film stars have had high rating of himself. Mr Kamal Haasan is an example. He got less than 2% votes. Vijaykanth ji had come. He couldn’t get into double digits…MGR or Jayalalithaa were in established parties. They had an established career for years before they became the CM. An upstart, without any organisational backing, is not going to be a winner. Something like that was said in Bihar too, but did he win?”
“I don’t see any tie-up happening with him. If he had good sense, he would have known he can’t be the CM…I have never met him, I don’t know him, but our doors are always open for good, well-meaning people…,” said Goyal.
If asked Vijay ticks those boxes, Goyal said, “We will have to examine if he approaches us.”
Positioned at a pivotal moment in India’s growth journey, the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026 brings together top national leadership and international delegates at Bharat Mandapam on February 27–28.
Anchored in the theme, “Strength Within,” the summit stands as one of the country’s largest platforms where governance, economic ambition, and strategic thinking converge, reflecting India’s expanding influence in global conversations.
Against this backdrop, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, giving direction to the summit’s central theme. His address will outline India’s long-term developmental roadmap, economic momentum, and strategic priorities in a rapidly shifting global order, while setting the tone for deliberations over the two-day gathering.
Over the years, the Rising Bharat platform has evolved into a credible venue for substantive policy dialogue, and the 2026 edition signals sharper engagement around the ideas shaping India’s next phase of progress. The theme salutes the collective strength within every citizen-the power that drives innovation, sustains democracy, India as a leading light on the world stage.
February 27, 2026, 13:27 IST
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