Jayanti trashes pre-poll surveys

New Delhi: As Tamil Nadu eagerly awaits the results of the polls, it appears that neither of the two big parties in the state Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna-Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is likely to emerge as clear winner.

That is the verdict of many of the pre-poll surveys. Of course, these rivals are not fighting alone. The DMK leads the Democratic People's Alliance (DPA), which includes the Congress, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and the Left parties. On the other hand, the AIADMK is joined by Vaiko's Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).

In a telephonic interview with Gulf News from Chennai, Congress spokeswoman Jayanti Natarajan had no doubts about the victory of the DPA. She says she is sceptical of all poll surveys because they fail to capture the complex scene on the ground.

Excerpts from the interview:

Gulf News: Now that you have gone through the campaign, what do you think will be the outcome?

Jayanti Natarajan: I have no doubt in mind that the Democratic People's Alliance (DPA) will emerge the clear winner.

How did Sonia Gandhi's rallies go? She addressed several of them last week. And what did she have to say?Sonia Gandhi's election meetings in Chennai, Tuticorin and Coimbatore went off very well. The people turned up at her meetings on their own. There is a natural bonding between the people of the state and the Nehru-Gandhi family. Sonia said at the meetings that the promises made in the DPA manifesto will be fulfilled. She also spoke of the performance of the DMK and PMK ministers in the UPA Government at the Centre.

The pre-poll surveys point to a very tough fight, and they seem to suggest a hung assembly. What is your view?
I think there will be a clear verdict in favour of the DPA. I am sceptical of all pre-poll surveys, and not just the ones about Tamil Nadu. I think the surveys cannot capture the complex situation on the ground.

Is it true that people in Tamil Nadu vote in unpredictable, and and that there is a close link between politics and cinema in the state?
There is nothing strange or eccentric about voter behaviour in Tamil Nadu. Yes. There is an emotional tinge in the people's vote. But it is a mature and intelligent electorate. They know what they want, and they express it without ambiguity. It is because voters in Tamil Nadu are intelligent and mature, that they vote differently in the assembly and parliament elections.

The people of the state do not vote for stars alone. They vote in political leaders. That is why, Shivaji Ganesan, whom I consider to be a great actor, did not ever win an election. It is a different case with MGR [late chief minister M.G. Ramachandran]. All his movies conveyed a political message. Jayalalitha has won because she is a political leader and not because of her glamourous background in films.

Rajnikanth does not have a political standing despite the fact that he is a much-loved and popular actor. So, it is not accurate to say that Tamil Nadu politics are influenced by the glamour and fantasy factor of films.

Do you get the feeling that there is a voter fatigue with regard to the two Dravidian parties DMK and the AIADMK and that people would like a third party?
I do not accept the word Dravidian parties. We are all Dravidians. The regional parties have a certain appeal to the people because they respond to their immediate demands in a way that a national party cannot hope to do. It is for this reason that regional parties have been winning in the state for the last few decades.

Is the Congress presence dwindling in the state? It is being said that the share of Congress vote in the state now stands at 5 per cent.
I too have read about that figure of 5 per cent in a newspaper report. But I do not accept it. It is wrong. The Congress share of vote is 15 per cent in the assembly elections, and 20 per cent in parliamentary elections. That figure has not dwindled. The party is present in all the constituencies in the state.