This is the first election for K Selvaperunthagai as TNCC president. Shouldering the responsibility of heading the TN Congress unit, Selvaperunthagai is not just focusing on his constituency but is travelling across the state campaigning for Congress candidates. There are only 10 days left until the TN election, and Rahul hasn’t visited the state yet. Is there a rift with Stalin?Rahul was busy campaigning for the elections in Kerala, Assam and Puducherry. He had no time to come to Tamil Nadu. There is no difference of opinion with Stalin, and they are set to share the stage soon. There will be an official announcement soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come to Tamil Nadu four times for this election.Modi visits Tamil Nadu only during elections. The people of Tamil Nadu know about Modi and his intentions. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Modi visited Tamil Nadu more than eight times, but it did not have any impact. It is not about the number of times Modi visits TN; it is the people’s love that matters. Our leader, Rahul, loves Tamil Nadu, and people here are affectionate towards him too. Senior party functionaries who were denied tickets are unhappy. What impact will this have on the ground?There will be grievances, since Congress is contesting only 28 seats and not everyone can be given seats. Since it is the largest democratic party, its functionaries are expressing their dissent in a democratic manner. The state Congress unit had no say in candidate selection. It was done by the party leadership in Delhi. It will not have any impact on the ground. What impact will Vijay have in this election?Vijay’s entry into politics will not affect our alliance. Ours is an alliance built based on ideology, and we have been together for a long time. People in the state trust us, and we have been winning election after election. Several new parties have joined our alliance. I am confident that, once again, we will win with a thumping majority. There are complaints that you haven’t been seen in the constituency over the past five years.People are not aware of the role of MLAs. There are ward members and local body representatives to address grievances. The role of MLAs is to represent their constituencies in the assembly and to legislate. I am gradually educating people in my constituency about my role. They now understand. Thol Thirumavalavan announced he would contest, but later withdrew. Will this affect your alliance’s winnability?I am not sure why Thirumavalavan withdrew from the election, but it will not impact our alliance. There was speculation that DMK was behind his decision.I don’t think so. Why should DMK influence Thirumavalvan’s decision to withdraw?
