- 3 months ago
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari will be sworn in as the next Chief Minister of West Bengal in Kolkata tomorrow.
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00:02Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news,
00:06newsmakers, talking points and the big talking point, it's going to be a grand swearing-in
00:12weekend. Thalapati Vijay will be sworn in in Tamil Nadu, Suvendu Adhikari in Bengal,
00:19all eyes on Kolkata and Chennai. Among my special guests, P. Chidambram, Tamil Nadu
00:26veteran Congress leader, Khushpu Sundar, will also be among my guests tonight. So a special
00:33focus as always this week on Tamil Nadu. But first as always, it's time for the nine headlines at nine.
00:42Decks are cleared for Thalapati Vijay to form a government in Tamil Nadu. Governor finally invites
00:50him after Vijay shows support of 120 MLAs after getting backing from Congress. VCK left
00:56parties and IUML. Oat-taking ceremony tomorrow at 11 a.m. Rahul Gandhi will also attend.
01:06Suvendu Adhikari to be sworn in as the BJP's first ever chief minister in Bengal. Suvendu's
01:12grand swearing-in ceremony at the same time, 11 a.m. in Kolkata. Prime Minister Modi,
01:17Home Minister Shah to attend the ceremony.
01:23Union Home Minister Amit Shah promises to end infiltration. Smuggling in Bengal under the new BJP
01:29government slams TMC and Congress over a vote-chory charges made against them.
01:37It's Congress versus Congress. The battle for the top post in Keralaam gets ugly. VD Sithishan
01:43supporters tear down posters of KC Venu Gopal. Congress high command to take decision tomorrow.
01:50State Congress chief warns against any indiscipline.
01:56Assam chief minister Hemant Obiswa Sarma likely to become Assam chief minister for the second time.
02:02BJP legislative party meeting to be held on May 10th. Oat ceremony expected on May 12th.
02:12Months ahead of the UP poll, Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav takes a jibe at the Congress,
02:17post images of Mamta and Stalin on Twitter, says we don't abandon people during their difficult times.
02:27A year after Operation Sindhoor, China confirms its role, claims it had sent experts to Pakistani
02:33air bases during the conflict with India, says its personnel gave on-ground technical support
02:38to their Pakistani allies.
02:42In a Hunter virus scare across the globe, World Health Organization warns 12 countries
02:47of a possible outbreak. This comes after a South Atlantic cruise ship with 150 people
02:52on board confirmed five cases.
02:56And BCCI issues strict guidelines to all IPL franchises, asking players to be vigilant
03:01against honey trapping, prohibits entry of unauthorized persons into players' roles.
03:19First, after a dramatic week where, remember, it started with election counting, we are finally
03:26reaching endgame and a battle of swearing-in ceremonies of sorts to take place tomorrow at
03:3111 a.m., Talapati Vijay, the actor-turned-politician of the TVK, will take oath as the Tamil Nadu
03:38chief minister. At about the same time in Kolkata, another slice of history being created with
03:44Subendu Adhikari, set to become the first BJP chief minister of West Bengal.
03:49So at the same time, 11 a.m. tomorrow, Kolkata and Chennai, both swearing-in ceremonies at the
03:56same time. Rahul Gandhi will attend Vijay's oath ceremony after the Congress decided to support
04:02the TVK. And Prime Minister Modi will attend Subendu Adhikari's oath ceremony in Kolkata
04:10after the BJP scored that big win in West Bengal.
04:15Let's go straight to our reporters. I want to go first to Indrajeet Kundu. He joins me from Kolkata.
04:22Indrajeet, all decks cleared now for the BJP, Subendu Adhikari, to be sworn in. Much talk also about
04:28deputy chief ministers being appointed and a pretty large cabinet. What are you picking up?
04:34Is it just going to be Subendu or will there be others in this ceremony planned for tomorrow?
04:45Well, as far as, you know, tomorrow's ceremony is concerned, till now, it seems like it could only
04:51be Subendu Adhikari. There is absolute clarity about that. Subendu Adhikari is the chief minister
04:56designate. He will be sworn in as the next chief minister, the first BJP chief minister of West
05:01Bengal. Now, Subendu Adhikari, along with the top brass of the BJP, are still in a huddle. There are
05:08multiple names that are being discussed right now. Of course, on the table is the proposal to have
05:13a deputy chief minister, or two, there is also a proposal perhaps to have a woman as a deputy
05:19chief minister, given the fact that the woman vote played such a crucial role in the BJP's victory
05:26here in West Bengal. Lots of speculations, lots of names doing the rounds. There is no clarity,
05:31of course, that whether or not the rest of the cabinet ministers will also be sworn in tomorrow,
05:36because hectic parlays are underway right now. We are given to understand that Subendu Adhikari
05:40will be holding fort in Kolkata tonight. He is not moving back to his residence in Kathi,
05:47in East Midnapur district. And of course, it's going to be a big ceremony tomorrow at the Brigade
05:52Parade ground. Massive preparations underway. We are here at the state BJP headquarters is buzzing
05:58with activity tonight itself. It's going to be a very, very busy night because the BJP really wants
06:04to put up a historic grand show at the Brigade Parade ground tomorrow, where chief ministers of
06:10at least 20 BJP and NDA rule states would be present along with multiple union ministers.
06:15And to top it all, the prime minister and the home minister.
06:19Well, what we are now going on is to Chennai, where we are getting another twist in the tail.
06:25Once again, the governor's role coming under scrutiny, because now Lok Bhavan sources are claiming
06:30that the VCK and IUML, which have already publicly said they are supporting Vijay,
06:35the governor's office saying the signatures are yet to come, letters of support it promised.
06:41TVK met the governor with 116 signatures and told him that he will and said he would bring
06:47the remaining signatures to. That is why Lok Bhavan is waiting for those two signatures
06:52and has not announced the oath taking date and time officially yet. Not surprisingly,
06:56because who wants 11 a.m. two ceremonies at the same time? So the possibility is that
07:03Vijay's ceremony will probably take place in the evening once those signatures are given.
07:09Akshita Nand Gopal joins us. Akshita, let's be very clear. VCK and IUML publicly have stated
07:15they've decided to support Vijay, but they haven't officially given the letters of support.
07:19So presumably the governor will only invite Vijay to be sworn in maybe tomorrow evening
07:26or day after and not at 11 a.m. as was earlier being thought of.
07:34So essentially right now, Rajdeep, it's wait and watch. We don't know the time in the sense that
07:39there's been no communication from the governor. So even if it's at 11 a.m. or in the evening,
07:43we don't know just yet. There's been no denial for 11 a.m. I will say that, but there's been
07:48no confirmation either. Right now, what's happening is that when Vijay went and met the governor,
07:53he said, look, I have the support of the Congress, the VCK, the left and the IUML.
07:59But the signatures he submitted were 116. What was missing? The signatures from the VCK,
08:04the signatures from the IUML, who was confirmed and kind of convinced last minute. The VCK was earlier,
08:10but they still hadn't handed over their letter of support. But it seems that Vijay wanted to catch
08:14a certain time because based on his astrologer's advice, he wanted to meet the governor at that
08:18time. So went ahead anyway and went with those letters and submitted it. The TVK is communicating
08:23to the governor that we will hand over the rest of the signatures as well. Reportedly right now,
08:28the IUML also has told the governor's office that we are on board. But till those official signatures
08:34don't come in, Rajdeep, you know, just going ahead and confirming your support doesn't work.
08:39So with the governor, those signatures are still pending. Once that comes in,
08:43we will expect the communication from the governor. That's why despite Vijay meeting the governor so
08:48far, Lok Bhavan hasn't issued any statement or press release on exactly what time the swearing in
08:54would happen. But I guess that now that it's already 9pm, past 9pm, we could expect some late
09:00night drama, some late night confirmation maybe.
09:03Well, what we are being told, Akshita, is that the governor's sources are saying, yes,
09:08the swearing in will take place tomorrow. It's not as if it won't take place tomorrow.
09:13Anagar joins us. Anagar, what you're gathering presumably is the swearing in will take place,
09:18but it won't take place necessarily at 11am. Who wants, maybe the BJP doesn't want the ceremony
09:23to clash with their big event in Kolkata. What are you picking up? When will the IUML and VCK
09:29officially send those letters?
09:33In fact, the support from the IUML and the VCK came quite last minute. And that explains
09:38why the TVK didn't have those required number of signatures. I just had with a source who
09:44was quite close to the governor. And what he told me was that, and that is a reason why
09:48they have not officially declared when the oath-taking ceremony will be. Because Vijay at the
09:53moment, on record has 116 signatures, but they do need two more. IUML has assured support
09:59and so has the VCK. And if these four signatures come in, it will run up to 120. And that's
10:07quite stable a government.
10:10But have the IUML and VCK publicly said they are supporting Vijay? Have they actually now,
10:18are they ready with their letters of support?
10:22Yes, both the IUML and the VCK have publicly declared that they will be going ahead and supporting
10:29Vijay in the government formation. Since it was quite last minute, the letters couldn't
10:35be delivered to Vijay. We can expect any moment from now, possibly later today, the letters
10:40could reach Vijay and by tomorrow it could reach the governor's office. And then we can expect
10:45a proper swearing-in ceremony time.
10:53I want to go to Akshita Nand Gopal on that. Akshita, what are you picking up on that? That
11:00the fact is that these parties are presumably part, do they want to join the government?
11:04Congress wants to join the government. Does the VCK want to join the government? Left
11:08parties presumably will give support from outside. Am I correct?
11:15That's right. Rajdeep, the left is from the outside. The VCK wants to be a part of the
11:20government. In fact, there have been reports suggesting that Tol Thirma Vallivan is really
11:23seeking a slice of the power pie, saying very clearly that we make the difference, so why
11:28not go all out? So much so that there were some reports suggesting that Thirma Vallivan is asking
11:33for the deputy CM post, though that's something that doesn't look likely at this point, considering
11:37they only have two to bring on to the table. But the TVK is desperate for those numbers.
11:43You know, if not for the VCK and the left, they had no other options at this point. And while
11:47everyone's wondering what clearly this latest twist means, because I think the wait has been
11:52quite long for Vijay swearing-in ceremony for the people of Tamil Nadu, we have to highlight here
11:57that at this point, it's just a question of some of those processes being set right, and some of
12:02those signatures to come in. So I think later tonight, we should have clarity on the swearing-in
12:07ceremony. Either way you look at it, Rajdeep, at this point, it's safe to say that there's no
12:12confirmation on the timing, on when exactly the swearing-in could happen. Vijay really pushed hard.
12:18The TVK has been counting on 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. It's an auspicious time, which is why in
12:23Bengal, too, you have that swearing-in ceremony at 11 a.m. So Vijay also wanted it at that
12:27exact time, but looks very unlikely now, because as I can tell you, I'm actually headed right
12:31now to the Nehru Indoor Stadium. The preps are underway, Rajdeep. It's been ready for the
12:36last two days, but obviously that last minute, setting up security arrangements, ensuring
12:40everything is in place, can't happen in a matter of hours, and the governor will be fully aware
12:45of it, considering he's in charge in Tamil Nadu right now. So it looks very unlikely that
12:49it will be 11 a.m., but maybe in an hour or so, we will get clarity as to exactly
12:53when.
12:53As far as those numbers go, you know, it's not expected to be any big surprise that TVK will
12:58fall short. Right now, they have, but that's only a question of some more time before those
13:02numbers fall in place.
13:04Okay, so it's a question of timing. Maria Shaquille is also with us. Maria, okay, okay, okay.
13:14Maria, 11 a.m. in Kolkata, is there a timing for Chennai?
13:20At the moment, Rajdeep, what Governor House sources are telling us is that as far as the
13:24number issue is concerned, that's not there anymore. The governor is convinced that Akhtar
13:30Vijay has the majority number, and he carried all the signatures. There was some minor confusion,
13:37more to do with paperwork. And now what we are being told is that the time at 11 a.m.
13:43was something that was proposed by Vijay and his team because of some astrological
13:49significance. But it has not been confirmed by the Governor's House. What we can tell our
13:54viewers certainly now is that the oath is going to happen tomorrow. The time has not been decided
14:00as of now.
14:02Okay, well, the general belief is why would the BJP want their thunder to be stolen in
14:09Bengal by Vijay having his ceremony at the same time. We'll wait and see about timing. But I think
14:14we should be very clear with our flashes saying as of now, Vijay does have the signatures. Only four of
14:20them have to be handed over to the governor, which is a formality. So it is Vijay in Tamil Nadu,
14:27not no Vijay in
14:29Tamil Nadu. It was a hectic day, in fact, for the actor-turned-politician. He and his associates
14:34finally gathered the support they needed to form a government. The first big breakthrough came
14:39when the CPI and CPM announced their backing. Take a look at just how the day unfolded.
14:53The suspense is finally over. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is now set to become the next Chief Minister
15:02of Tamil Nadu.
15:11After days of intense political drama, back-channel talks and high-stakes negotiations, the TVK
15:18chief gathered the required numbers on Friday. And within moments, the mood on the street flipped.
15:26The protest over the delay in inviting Vijay to form the government quickly turned into celebrations.
15:35What looked like a cliffhanger till the very last moment has now swung decisively in TVK's favour.
15:43The VCK and the left parties have decided to back Vijay's bid for power.
15:48Their support takes the TVK-led block to 118 seats, one above the required 117.
15:58Our Tamil Nadu unit of our party has taken a position in consultation with the national leadership of our party.
16:11We have agreed to extend support to TVK to form the government.
16:21The breakthrough comes after days of frantic political maneuvering.
16:25At one stage, there was even buzz around a possible DMK-AIA-DMK alliance,
16:31as rival camps explored ways to stop Vijay's rapid rise.
16:36But despite the pressure and political resistance, Vijay's camp managed to secure the numbers needed to capture Fort St. George.
16:46For the state's politics, this is a historic moment.
16:51A film superstar with no political lineage, no Dravidian legacy and a party barely two years old,
16:59is now on the verge of taking charge of one of India's fastest-growing states.
17:04But if winning the numbers game was Vijay's first test, governing Tamil Nadu will be the real challenge.
17:13From silver screen icon to chief minister, the expectations will be massive, the scrutiny relentless and the political honeymoon brief.
17:25Tamil Nadu may be entering a new political era and for Vijay, the biggest role of his life is only
17:33just beginning.
17:33On the verge of taking charge of one of India's first test, Bureau Report, India Today.
17:40Okay, so amidst all the high drama that's taken place in Tamil Nadu, joining me now is P. Chidhamram,
17:46Congress MP, former union minister and someone who has been in Tamil Nadu politics for 50 years.
17:53Did you ever think the day would come, Mr. Chidhamram, that someone from a non-Dravidian party in your lifetime
18:00would become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the manner that Thalapati Vijay is set to become tomorrow?
18:10There were one or two brief opportunities earlier, but never materialized.
18:18Mr. Vijay and his Tamil Nadu is the only organization which is broken through a barrier, a mental barrier,
18:30or a political barrier, or an imaginary barrier, and formed a government other than the DMK and the AIDMK.
18:42Okay, I congratulate them.
18:44So what changed, Mr. Chidhamram, according to you in Tamil Nadu, that in 2026, the voter decided to elect someone
18:50first time,
18:51a film star in his first election, ahead of the established two Dravidian parties?
18:56What changed according to you?
19:02No, actually, Mr. MGR was the first film actor to be elected as a chief minister.
19:10But he had spent long years in the DMK. He broke away from the DMK in 1973.
19:20He won a by-election in a Lok Sabha constituency shortly thereafter.
19:28And he stormed to power in 1977.
19:32So Mr. Vijay is actually the second one.
19:35But what distinguishes Mr. Vijay's victory is that a fledgling party, hardly two years old,
19:45with no organizational structure has broken through the so-called barrier and has been voted to government.
19:58So, in that sense, he is a pioneer. He is the first person to achieve that.
20:06So, it brings me, what changed? Why did he succeed where others had failed?
20:11Since the great MGR, several other film stars died.
20:14The Congress party also, as you said at one time, through the breakaway Tamil-Manila Congress,
20:19which you were part of, also tried to sort of build a base for itself.
20:24What has changed? Is it the youth vote? What is it according to you, in your view,
20:28looking at these numbers that made Vijay such a superstar in this election?
20:37I can only guess or put my finger on two factors.
20:45One, the explosive expansion of the social media.
20:51And two, Mr. Vijay's particular attraction to the youth and especially young women.
21:02Every category of women voted for him. But I think the youth and the young women voted in very large
21:12numbers.
21:12Those are the two factors I can put my finger on.
21:16I must ask you this, Mr. Chidhamram. The Congress has now gone in for a post-poll alliance with Vijay.
21:24Your party is being accused of backstabbing the DMK. You were allies with them for 20 years.
21:30You've backstabbed them. They are now going to sit separately from you.
21:34They don't want to be part of the India alliance also in parliament.
21:36Have you backstabbed the DMK by aligning with Vijay post-poll?
21:46Backstab is a strong word and I may submit it's a wrong word.
21:52See, immediately after the elections, it was pretty clear that the DMK or the DMK alliance,
22:00the secular progressive alliance, could not form a government.
22:04And Mr. Stalin himself said, we accept the verdict of the people. We will sit as a responsible opposition.
22:14So that chapter of the DMK able to form a government was over with Mr. Stalin's statement.
22:23Then the high command of the Congress party took a decision after receiving a letter from Mr. Vijay's TVK
22:33that we will support Mr. Vijay. I suppose I'm not part of the high command.
22:40I don't take these decisions. But I presume that two factors weighed with the high command.
22:48Now, do you endorse it? Do you endorse it, Mr. Chidambaram?
22:51Because the reports… Sir, do you endorse this decision to support Vijay and leave the DMK?
22:57Because let me be honest, the buzz is that Mr. Chidambaram was among those who opposed a pre-poll alliance
23:03with Vijay
23:03when some younger leaders from the Tamil Nadu unit wanted to tie up with him. Is that true?
23:12You have got your facts wrong and you didn't allow me to complete the answer.
23:18Please wait to complete the answer. Two factors weighed with the high command.
23:24I think, one, no party, nobody in Tamil Nadu wants another election. Number one.
23:34Number two, nobody in Tamil Nadu, no political party in Tamil Nadu wants a president's rule.
23:42A president's rule means effectively a BJP rule. So to avoid these two contingencies,
23:51we had to form a government. And the only one in a position to form the government was Mr. Vijay.
23:58I think the party, high command, decided that the only way that a government can be formed in Tamil Nadu,
24:07the only person who can form the government in Tamil Nadu and win a vote of confidence, Mr. Vijay.
24:14And therefore, they supported Mr. Vijay. Now, you are asking about pre-election.
24:23Pre-election meeting, there was one consultation. Everybody knows that. You look back on the newspapers.
24:32The 17th of January, the party called all the MLAs and all the MPs and some senior leaders.
24:41Now, as far as I'm able to gather, and I may be wrong, I don't think I'm wrong, but I
24:48may be wrong.
24:49All but one MLA decided in favor of the continuing in the DMK alliance.
24:57All but one MP pleaded that we should remain in the DMK alliance. That was my position.
25:07I don't hide it. That was my position. But I was in the company of nearly 16 MLAs and 9
25:18MPs.
25:18That was a decision taken by the high command. And we are bound by the decision.
25:26Now, you're saying something important. You're saying you were among the many MPs and MLAs
25:32who were in support of continuing with the DMK alliance ahead of the elections.
25:37In hindsight, therefore, did you get it wrong? Did all of you underestimate Vijay's popularity,
25:43which is why suddenly post-election, you've now rushed to his corner?
25:50No, no, no. Don't point your finger at me. I'm bound by the party's decision.
25:56Post-election, it was absolutely clear, unless you have any doubt,
26:02the post-election, the only person who can form the government is Mr. Vijay.
26:06And if we want to avoid President's rule, which is BJP rule, and which we want to avoid another election,
26:15the only way is to support Mr. Vijay to form a government.
26:21I hope you agree with that argument. Did you underestimate Mr. Vijay, sir?
26:26Did you underestimate the appeal of Vijay before the election? You got that wrong.
26:31Appeal of Vijay before the election. You got that wrong.
26:35Does you mean me personally or the collective Congress party?
26:40Mr. Chidham, you and the collective, both you and the collective.
26:48Part of the party, the high command and the party with the MLAs and MPs did not expect Mr. Vijay
26:59to come near to a majority.
27:02He didn't cross the majority. He came near to a majority. We made an error of judgment.
27:10But so did the DMK. So did the AADMK. So did thousands of political leaders and political workers.
27:24I'm not sticking out as a sore thumb. Collectively, the entire political establishment,
27:33did not think that Mr. Vijay will do so well. He did very well. But unfortunately, he did not cross
27:41the majority.
27:42My final question. Where does this leave the India Alliance? Mamata Banerjee has lost in West Bengal.
27:48The DMK has left you or you've left the DMK. Heading into the 2029 Lok Sabha election,
27:55will you concede that the India Alliance now faces a serious crisis?
27:58Will there be even an India Alliance in 2029? Will your alliance with Vijay last till 2029 also?
28:08I don't concede anything that you suggest. I don't concede anything.
28:14Mrs. Mamata Banerjee has said, after her election defeat, that she will work to strengthen the
28:24India Bloc. I read a statement from her. The DMK has not said anything about the India Bloc.
28:32The DMK has only said that the Congress and we have parted ways. But he has not said anything about
28:42the India Bloc.
28:43Mr. Elan Goganda, the spokesperson of the DMK has said, we are no longer part of the India Alliance.
28:49Please don't, please don't interrupt me. Please don't interrupt me. I don't interrupt your question.
28:55You must learn this habit. Mr. Vijay himself may be persuaded to join the India Bloc. So I don't
29:05predict a premature demise of the India Bloc. I think the India Bloc can be revived, can be strengthened, can
29:14be expanded.
29:15Okay, I'm going to leave it there, Mr. Chidamram. Interesting news points that you're giving us,
29:20particularly about what happened before the election. And in a way, you're being candid enough to accept that there was
29:26perhaps an error of judgment, a collective error of judgment in not going with Vijay. But I thank you
29:33for joining me on the show tonight. Thank you so much.
29:38Thank you so much. Thank you. Okay, let's go over now to BJP leader. Khusbu Sundar now joins me. BJP
29:46Tamil Nadu leader. Appreciate your joining us, Khusbu Sundar. You are among the few who yesterday openly came
29:52out from the BJP to say Vijay should be given a chance to form a government. The governor should
29:57invite Vijay. Because there was a belief that the BJP was silently backing the AIDMK to deny
30:05Vijay having an alliance with the Congress. Was that true or not that the BJP ideally did not want
30:13this Vijay Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu? Rajni, first I would like to know why would
30:19BJP interfere in Vijay taking over as a CM? He has won the election with 108 as a single largest
30:26party of Tamil Nadu. What does BJP go to gain by stopping Vijay from becoming a chief minister?
30:31You wanted to stop Vijay and the Congress. You wanted to stop Vijay aligning with the Congress
30:36because you fear it's a formidable alliance that would then go into the 2029 elections in Tamil Nadu.
30:41Congress, Congress with just five, all these years, they have not won in the last 59 years,
30:50Congress has not gone solo in any election. Kamraj was the last chief minister from a leader,
30:56in fact, from Congress who could lead the state. In the last 59 years, when Congress cannot stand on
31:05its own feet. They have been going back, you know, back riding, camel riding on
31:11either AIDMK or DMK. And you think with just five seats, we are going to be scared of them?
31:17I'm sure this sounds like a huge joke to me. But having said that, I think first we would like
31:23to congratulate Vijay for finally proving his majority and taking over. And what I hear that
31:29is that there's an oath ceremony tomorrow. So congratulations to him. The issue is Congress
31:35is scared. They don't backstab. Now they have gone a step ahead where they have actually stabbed
31:40right in the faces of DMK. They don't have the courage to stand alone. They don't win a single
31:45seat without the support of DMK. And they just for one seat or two, probably ministry birth.
31:51The problem with Congress is they are in power in, with all the issues, they are in power in Karnataka.
31:58They are in Telangana. And they have won Kerala. So now they want to form an alliance in Tamil Nadu
32:05with TVK to tell the world, see, we are in the south. What the Congress do not understand is they
32:11just have five seats after the decimal of Congress, the most outrageous defeat in West Bengal of
32:19Congress, where they've just won two seats. Who are they trying to fool? They're trying to fool
32:23themselves. They're falling into the rut and trying to fool themselves. And they're trailing the world,
32:27don't trust us. We are not trustworthy. We can backstab. We can actually look into your faces
32:33and stab you directly because we have that courage. For us, nothing else matters.
32:37For us. Ma'am, you're targeting the Congress and you're saying that the Congress was the one that
32:43It is. There's nothing to be targeted. Congress is to be targeted. Okay. The kind of doings
32:47what Congress is doing. I know you're a former Congresswoman, but I'm not going to go into the
32:51past. All I want to ask you. No, no, no. One minute, ma'am. No, you can go into the
32:55past. I
32:56walked out of Congress because I refused to be part of that rut. Okay. But the fact,
33:01Khushbu Sundar is then given what has happened in Tamil Nadu, Vijay and the Congress, the left and
33:07VCK now going to share power. Where does that leave the BJP, which tied up with the AIDMK,
33:13which ended up third? The BJP has also only won one seat. You keep saying Congress won five.
33:18You all only won one seat. Where does the BJP go now in Tamil Nadu? Because it seems a bridge
33:24too
33:24far. And the worry for you now will be if this alliance between Vijay and Congress holds,
33:29they could become a powerful counterweight to the Dravidar parties. Would you agree with that?
33:36That this alliance could be a challenge now to the existing players in Tamil Nadu and makes it even
33:40more difficult for the BJP to get an entry into Tamil Nadu? No, Rajiv, you have said yourself said it.
33:47If
33:48And there's one big if when it comes to Congress, they can turn codes anytime. Now, as far as BJP
33:55is
33:55concerned, we are not in a hurry. What were we 15 years back in West Bengal? We just had three
34:00seats.
34:01Then we grew slowly 15 years later with the single largest party, 204 seats in West Bengal.
34:06And the Congress is decimated. Give us time. We are working on it. We are not in a hurry. We
34:11are not
34:11going to stab in somebody's back or, you know, do a foul play and say that to me, power is
34:17the most
34:17important thing because I have to prove a point. No, we are not here to prove a point. We are
34:21here to
34:21serve the people. We are here to take the nation forward. And we are working towards that. So,
34:26don't... You're assuring there was no attempt made to keep Vijay waiting because the...
34:31So was the rumor mills that the governor who's a former BJP leader of Goa was being put under pressure
34:36from the center. Don't invite Vijay because he's taking Congress support. Let's wait till the AIDMK
34:43enters the fray. All of that is not true?
34:46No, it's definitely not true. I think some people who have been sitting with the idle minds,
34:51the devil's workshop. So I think too many idle mind who are there and sitting and talking about
34:55this because we are not going to gain anything by not allowing Vijay. We accept wherever we have
35:01lost it. We have lost with just three seats in Kerala. We accept that's people's mandate.
35:06We very graciously accept that. We don't have to fall into these dirty tricks and say that no,
35:11you stop him. No. BJP did not do that. BJP is the single largest democratic party in the country
35:17today. We have all over. Just few pockets here and there. We may not be there. Very tiny pockets.
35:22But then we rule. And today, when you look at West Bengal and Assam, how we have come back to
35:26power.
35:27People had dismissed us. They said we can never come back. We can never find a foothold in
35:31West Bengal. They said we'll never come back in Assam and see where we are today.
35:35Okay. So don't dismiss us. Okay. Nobody is dismissing you. I want to know,
35:39do you dismiss this Vijay Congress alliance or do you believe this alliance will last,
35:42given that it has such a wafer-thin majority? I don't trust Congress. Simple as that.
35:49Okay. So you believe Congress could ditch Vijay at some time. Am I correct?
35:54Yes. If DMK is going to come back to power, tomorrow AI, DMK and BJP are coming back to power.
35:58I wouldn't be surprised if Congress is going to come crawling to AI, DMK and say that,
36:04please take us back. Or the DMK. You know, there's a saying.
36:07Crawling back to the DMK, you're saying. But I want to ask you one thing. Away from all of this,
36:11in conclusion, you are part of the film industry. Here is a film star who's made it big.
36:16What is so special about Vijay? You must be knowing him. Give our audience an insight about Vijay.
36:21Are you surprised that a film star, first day, first show has such a blockbuster hit in politics?
36:29Vijay, everyone knows. Vijay is more like my younger brother. So I do keep in touch. I have
36:34kept in touch with him all these years. And I'm more than happy personally, apart from being part
36:39of BJP. I think personally, it gives me immense pride to see my younger brother scaling such brilliant
36:44heights, the way, the kind of power he's creating today, he's generated with the youth. It gives me,
36:51you know, like I said, I'm really proud of him. And Vijay, what I know of him, is quite capable.
36:57A man of
36:57few words. He's always silent. We don't hear him speak much. But knowing Vijay, he's a very, a man with
37:04a lot of
37:04patience and determination. So I'm sure that he's going to do well. What is it? But tell us something about
37:11him
37:11that, that we don't know. Since he's your younger brother, we should know something about Vijay,
37:16because so little is known about him. What is, what is Vijay like? What is Vijay like when, you know,
37:21what is that one, you know, is there something about Vijay that you believe has made him so,
37:26you know, other actors have tried in Tamil Nadu, not succeeded in recent time, not since the great MGR
37:31and Jailalita. So what is it about Vijay that made him so appealing to the people of Tamil Nadu?
37:38I think his honesty. That is what appealed to the people, the way he spoke, the way he presented
37:46himself. There was no hidden agenda when he spoke to them. And today, when you come to power with,
37:53by breaking every rule in the book of politics and election, I think there is something about you,
37:58which is very, very charming, appealing to the people, especially with the next generation,
38:03how they went all the way out and the women, how they were able to connect with him.
38:09What people don't know about Vijay is there's other side of him. And that's a very, very fun-loving
38:14man, which is behind what you see as a serious man today. He's an absolutely with a terrific sense
38:20of humor. And he's a very fun-loving person, but very few outsiders get to see that side of him.
38:26I have seen that side of him. So I know genuinely the kind of human that he is.
38:32You know, I just want to say, since you said he's very honest, he also told me when I met
38:36him that the
38:36BJP is my ideological adversary. The Davidia parties are my political adversaries. He doesn't seem to
38:43like the BJP too much. He seems to perhaps believe in a kind of secularism, which is very contrary to
38:49the
38:49BJP's vision. Does that trouble you at all? He seems to prefer Rahul Gandhi and the Congress to
38:56the BJP and Narendra Modi. No, no, that's because he doesn't know Mr. Rahul Gandhi or Congress.
39:01This is just the beginning. Like I said, don't trust the Congress. So Vijay, when I say honesty,
39:06the way he speaks to the people when it comes to working, when it comes to going down and working
39:11for the people is that honesty I'm talking about. You can be in politics second, you can have different
39:16opinions. And that is the best quality about India, where you have the, you know, very democratic
39:21society. You can still be friends. If Vijay is going to be in parliament, and if he doesn't like BJP,
39:25it does not mean that the one person who has won from BJP, Mr. Bojan Rajan, from Ooty,
39:33all the other AIDMKs. Today, he's taken the support of everyone who's been in alliance with DMK.
39:39And he said, my biggest enemy is DMK. But you still have taken support from the parties who have been
39:46you know, part of DMK today. So this is politics. So you don't say that everybody,
39:52there's nobody a permanent friend, there's nobody a permanent enemy when it comes to politics.
39:56When you talk about Vijay, I know there's other side of him, and I wish him all the best.
40:00Okay, you wish him all the best. Good to hear you say that. Good to hear ideological adversaries,
40:05but contemporaries when it comes, or certainly colleagues when it comes to cinema, wishing him well.
40:10Thank you very much, Kushpu Sundar, for joining me here on the show tonight. Thank you.
40:14Okay, now there is another twist in this Tamil Nadu tale, because source is now confirming to India today,
40:29that VCK, the two-member party, has made a big demand. It wants the deputy CM role for Thiruma, their
40:36leader.
40:37And the TVK is only ready to give the urban affairs minister post. So already demands being made on Vijay.
40:43Also, the IUML, which was reportedly had given an email supporting Vijay, has now claimed it is not
40:51actually giving support formally to Vijay. So suddenly, Vijay once again finds itself at 116.
40:58One shot of the magic number of 117. Joining me now is Pramod Madha. Pramod, one more twist in the
41:07tale.
41:08VCK wants Deputy Chief Minister post, and IUML is withdrawing support, or IUML is saying conditional support.
41:15What are you picking up, Pramod?
41:20Rajdeep, I have another twist for this tale right now. As like, Amma Makkal, Munnetra Karagam, CTV Dinagaran,
41:25has actually sent a letter to the governor, and I'm reading the subject, letter of support to AIADMK,
41:31to form the new government, with Thiru Edapadi K. Pandiswami as the Chief Minister.
41:36AMMK has one MLA, Rajdeep, and with that particular one MLA, now they have also sought this particular thing.
41:42We have TR Baloo over here. Let's just ask. Sir! Sir! TR Baloo, sir! Sir, did Thiru Edapadi K. Pandiswami
41:53meet?
41:54Sir, did Thiru Edapadi K. Pandiswami meet the Chief Minister? Sir, did Thiru Edapadi K. Pandiswami meet the Chief Minister?
41:58TR Baloo, sir. Rajdeep, so that has happened over here. This is MK Salins resident.
42:05Sorry, the former Chief Minister. We have also Poon Moody over here.
42:08It seems that the senior leaders have all also been here. That is Poon Moody.
42:15Careful, careful, careful. Sir! Poon Moody, sir!
42:21So, another important meeting apparently has occurred. That to late night, Rajdeep, around 9.30 over here.
42:26And one side, we have been very clearly said that Thiru Edapadi K. Pandiswami was here at the DMK President,
42:31MK Salins residence.
42:32And apparently now, we have been also informed that big demands are being made by TV and VCK.
42:37And that is about not just power sharing or something, but asking for the Deputy Chief Minister role.
42:43And even before, that twist could be actually resolved with the information. Now, we got the next twist.
42:48And this is about TTV Dinagaran. We have been informed that TTV Dinagaran, the leader of Amma Makkal Munetra Kadagam,
42:54has sent a letter to the Governor stating that Edapadi K. Pandiswami should be called in to form the government.
43:00And not just that, TTV Dinagaran's AMMK has only one MLA Rajdeep, that is of Kamraj.
43:05And keeping that in mind, now, TTV Dinagaran is raising this claim, Rajdeep.
43:09Right. But the fact is, Pramod, and correct me if I'm wrong, TTV doesn't make the difference because he was
43:15with the AID-MK alliance even before the election.
43:18The question arises, has the IUML done a U-turn? That's the big question. Why has the IUML done a
43:25U-turn?
43:31Rajdeep, we just saw the kind of leaders leaving MK's residence right now. And as we speak, more leaders also
43:36coming out.
43:37The important aspect here is that, like, very clearly, when these leaders do not want to talk to us,
43:41but we've been told that Thirma Wallavan, who was supposed to extend, you know, had a conversation,
43:46high-level meetings, multiple days of meetings, claiming that they will go ahead and they will apparently, you know,
43:52discuss on this and, like we said, Zoom meetings and such will occur, and apparently a kind of information was
43:57also given.
43:57But looks like that is Tirchi Sivar, the MP, that is also, he's also over here for this thing.
44:03But nobody wants to race. Sir, Tirchi Sivar, sir.
44:06Even they do not want to respond to this. One laugh to the leader.
44:09Senior leaders are leaving the residence of MK Stalin, Rajdeep.
44:12So something definitely has happened over here.
44:15And you asked if, why did IUML make a U-turn probably?
44:19This could be the reason behind it.
44:20IUML earlier itself said that they are actually with, they were with Karna Nidhi,
44:24they are with MKS, and they will remain with DMK. But later, they said, like, you know,
44:29in a span of half an hour, they said, like, support will be given for 2TBK to make sure that
44:33it's a stable government.
44:34This is the same explanation was given by, it was given by CPI, CPM, and also VCK.
44:40But it looks like VCK has not given the support letter so far.
44:44Has IUML given the letter?
44:47Has IUML given the letter or not?
44:53Rajdeep, so far, there seems to be no letters with the signatures of either IUML or VCK with the TVK,
45:00and that seems to be the reason behind all this confusion.
45:02I did check with TVK team, and they very clearly are stating that 116 is the number that has been
45:07given to the governor,
45:08and apparently they've told him that they will bring another 2 as well.
45:11But delay is still there. We've been told one team of TVK is still inside Rajmavan, waiting for that signature.
45:16But Tirumavallavan is not reachable, Rajdeep. So that seems to be the reason behind all these twists now, Rajdeep.
45:23Okay, we'll leave it there, Pramon Madhav. We'll wait and see how these twists play out in a moment,
45:28and where it goes, because at the moment, Vijay still seems just short of that magic number of 117.
45:35To West Bengal, where Mamta Banerjee's once right-hand man, now her successor, Suvendu Adhikari,
45:40marks will be the BJP chief minister sworn in tomorrow, the BJP's biggest breakthrough in eastern India.
45:47After defeating Mamta Banerjee twice and helping crack the Bengal code,
45:52Suvendu Adhikari is now facing his toughest challenge.
45:55Can he deliver Poriborthan BJP style in a politically volatile state?
46:06Suvendu Adhikari will be the next chief minister of West Bengal.
46:13The BJP leader met Governor Arind Ravi on Friday evening to stake claim.
46:19The nomination of Adhikari was announced earlier by Union Home Minister Amit Shah
46:24at the BJP legislature party meet in Kolkata.
46:50For the BJP, it is a historic occasion.
46:53The party will be forming a government in West Bengal for the first time.
46:57Its tally rising from just three seats in 2016 to 77 in 2021, and now 207.
47:08We will complete the promise that if your trust will not reach your trust,
47:17it will be less than ever.
47:20We will do the work of all the British people of the party,
47:32.
47:34.
47:35.
47:53Suvendu Adhikari's rise to CM post follows a long political career that started with the Congress in 1995.
48:00His father, Sisir Adhikari, a three-time MP, was a minister in the UPA government.
48:07The Adhikari's had joined the Trinamul Congress when Mamata Benerji formed the party in 1998.
48:14They spearheaded the Nandigraa Magitation Against Land Acquisition by the left government for an industrial project.
48:21Suvendu Adhikari quit the Trinamul Congress and joined the BJP in 2020.
48:27The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11am at the Brigade Parade Crown on Saturday.
48:33Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Ramit Shah, BJP President Nitin Nabin and several other senior ministers are scheduled to
48:41attend Suvendu Adhikari's oath ceremony.
48:45Bureau Report, India Today.
48:51What makes Suvendu Adhikari important to the BJP?
48:55Monodipa Banerji, senior journalist who's tracked West Bengal for years, joins us.
48:59Monodipa, the BJP could have had other options of their old guard, the likes of Dilip Ghosh.
49:05They've chosen someone who joined their party in 2020 from the TMC.
49:09What makes Suvendu Adhikari so important?
49:12Well, for the BJP, it was a fairly clear choice, and actually for all of us, too, who are watching
49:18the elections unfold.
49:20I mean, have you ever seen the Home Minister ever hand-holding a candidate at his nomination?
49:27And Amit Shah was here for the first time doing so.
49:30He was here besides Suvendu while he was going to file his nomination.
49:37So the signal was clear.
49:39Besides that, there's also the fact that Suvendu has been the face of the BJP for the last five years,
49:46ever since he joined the BJP in December of 2020.
49:50And then over the last five years, he has defeated Mamta Banerji not once, but twice.
49:572021, it was in a constituency that was a challenge for Mamta.
50:02She was new to it, and 2026, he has defeated her in a constituency that is her own.
50:10So given all that, Suvendu seemed pretty much the obvious choice.
50:14There was Dilip Ghosh, the former president of the BJP, state unit of the BJP, and the man who steered
50:23BJP to an 18 MP victory in 2019.
50:27He was not in the running, I'm told, by sources in the BJP, nor was Shukanta Choudhury, who's the current
50:35head of the state party.
50:37However, I beg your pardon, who was the previous head of the state party.
50:42But Chomik Bhattacharya, the current president of the state unit of the BJP, he was in contention till pretty much
50:51the last moment.
50:53That's what I'm hearing. What does Suvendu bring to the table that the others who fell by the wayside did
51:01not have to offer?
51:03And perhaps the most important factor was the fact that he had an experience in administration.
51:10He was Mamta Banerji's, you know, number two while he was in government with her.
51:15He was a minister of a significant portfolio, transport, for many, many years.
51:21And he also helped, organizationally, he helped Mamta Banerji run the party while he was in the TNC.
51:29So all these do qualify him, that's what the BJP seems to think, as the best bet for chief minister
51:37of West Rengal.
51:39There's also talk, Ponodipa, that he might become the home minister as well.
51:44Clearly, one of the big challenges will be law and order.
51:47One of the big challenges will be all the various promises the BJP has made.
51:51So he's Amit Shah's man, the union home minister's man.
51:54And he's also been Mamta Banerji's man.
51:56So he obviously knows the system.
51:58But is it possible that he could be not just chief minister, but also home minister?
52:03I mean, I don't see why not.
52:05In fact, I don't see any other person in the current lot of BJP leaders being considered for top portfolio,
52:12better equipped than he is.
52:14He has had experience in Mamta Banerji's governance.
52:17And also, I mean, the last few weeks, you know, just leading up to the election, we have seen the
52:26kind of management of IAS and IPS officers that the Election Commission has done as part of the election process.
52:36And I am almost 100 percent sure that Rubindu Adhikari played a role there.
52:42He knew exactly who is who and who needed to be shifted.
52:47So his knowledge of the West Bengal police and administration system is certainly much more extensive than anybody else's.
52:56Okay.
52:57Clearly, of course, he's got a tough road ahead.
53:00But he is, as you said, someone who's been an experienced administrator.
53:05Someone who's also become a bit of a Hindutva hero, hasn't he?
53:08He's open about his sort of Hindutva affiliation.
53:12Does that, again, also make him, in a way, suited to what the BJP's ideological worldview is?
53:22Well, when he was in the Trinamur Congress, there was never much spotlight on it.
53:27But once he joined the BJP, we also learned that as a youngster, he was, you know, he went to,
53:34he joined the RSS.
53:35If not joined, he certainly went to their staffs and all that.
53:39So he today claims a fairly strong link to the RSS.
53:43But the other factor that may have led Amit Shah to really sort of push Rubindu forward in the race
53:51for Chief Minister over Kamik Bhattacharya is the fact that, you know, there are many saying that Amit Shah is
54:00also putting his people in place ahead of 2029.
54:04When many changes can be expected in the lead to the parliamentary elections, a change of Prime Minister, perhaps, and
54:12Amit Shah would like to have his people in position, so that when the choice was to be made for
54:18the next Prime Minister, his men were in place.
54:22That's another line of thought.
54:24Interesting.
54:24Interesting.
54:26Interesting.
54:26The Game of Thrones at the national level being played through the stage.
54:31Monodipa Banerjee, good to have you on the show and thank you very much for joining us.
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