We will not encourage anything that pollutes the environment: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Tamilisai Soundararajan, a doctor-turned politician is pitted against DMK's Kanimozhi in Tuticorin as women power is on a spectacle in the coastal belt of southern Tamil Nadu. Excerpts from her interview:

Poll surveys are not in favour of the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu.

The results of the survey are not correct. We have sewed a huge coalition in the state. We have so many allies – DMDK, PMK, PT, John Pandian, and Sarat Kumar and so on. I am assured that this election will turn out to be in our favor.

Your allies faced hostile receptions in minority-dominated areas for their alliance with BJP.

It is all created exaggeratedly. It is an effort to construct an impression that the minorities are contrary to our alliance. The opponents are inspiring divisive politics. We brought in Triple Talaq law. Because of the support from the minorities, we won in Goa and Uttar Pradesh and other states.

Income Tax officials recently seized a huge amount of cash in Vellore district. Is cash for votes the norm?

Ward numbers are also written by the DMK workers on packs of money. When they could swindle so much when they are not in power for eight years in the state and for five years at the Centre, imagine how much they would if they were in power. Cash for votes should be stopped.

13 people were killed in police firing with your alliance partner AIADMK running the state. How will Tuticorin vote for you?

The police firing incident was ill-fated. Nevertheless, the episode is being showcased as pro-DMK and anti-AIADMK. Who opened Sterlite and expanded it is known by everyone. I don't want to discuss an issue which is sub-judice. We will not encourage anything that pollutes the environment is all that I can say. On the killing of 13 people, fishermen had disclosed that they were falsely motivated. Let me also bring this into light that the opponent (Kanimozhi) is not clear about Sterlite. The AIADMK government has also shut down the plant.

So, it's a battle of women in Tuticorin?

The contest is a very healthy one. There was a mutual refrain all along that women don't enter politics and don't become leaders. But here we are.