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By:

C.S. Krishnamurthy

21 June 2025 at 7:45:51 pm

When Politics Becomes Its Own Evidence

Tamil Nadu’s Assembly has recently offered something more revealing than a television shouting match. It has shown us what happens when allegations, evidence, history and political memory all enter the same room and nobody quite agrees on who should speak first. The latest TVK-DMK confrontation over corruption allegations is therefore about much more than corruption. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay used the Assembly to accuse the previous DMK regime of corruption, referring to material from...

When Politics Becomes Its Own Evidence

Tamil Nadu’s Assembly has recently offered something more revealing than a television shouting match. It has shown us what happens when allegations, evidence, history and political memory all enter the same room and nobody quite agrees on who should speak first. The latest TVK-DMK confrontation over corruption allegations is therefore about much more than corruption. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay used the Assembly to accuse the previous DMK regime of corruption, referring to material from the Enforcement Directorate and the Sarkaria Commission. He alleged that contractors were made to part with percentages of contract values as “party funds”. DMK members strongly objected, sought an opportunity to respond and later stormed the Well, resulting in their removal from the House. There is a deeper question beneath the noise. What exactly should an allegation in a legislature accomplish? If Vijay is merely repeating an accusation for political effect, then it is little more than electoral gains. But if he is placing documentary material before the public and the appropriate investigative agencies, then the matter deserves something more serious than a political counterattack. Equally, if the DMK says the allegations are false, or politically motivated, it has every democratic right to challenge them. But the strongest rebuttal is not simply, “You have no right to say this.” It is, “Here is why the evidence does not establish what you claim.” Political Shortcuts A politician can make an allegation. An investigator can investigate it. A court can adjudicate it. A citizen can question it. But none of these roles should be confused. The current Assembly drama appears to be suffering from this confusion. Vijay may have scored a political point by bringing old corruption allegations back into the spotlight, but it’s not a judicial verdict. Similarly, DMK’s denial or outrage does not, by itself, erase the possibility that wrongdoing may have occurred. Politics, alas, loves shortcuts. If a rival is accused, supporters immediately become prosecutors. If their own leader is accused, those same supporters suddenly become constitutional lawyers. The same document becomes “damning evidence” when it hurts the opponent, and “political garbage” when it does not. Our political spectacles have acquired an interesting grammar: my allegation is evidence, your evidence is allegation. Vijay’s government is now in the unusual position of being able to investigate allegations concerning a previous ruling establishment. That creates both an opportunity and a responsibility. If there is credible material, investigate it properly. If wrongdoing is established, prosecute it according to law. And if the allegations do not survive scrutiny, say so equally clearly. There is also a warning for the DMK. The instinctive political response to an accusation is often to attack the accuser. Sometimes that may be justified. But the public ultimately wants answers, not merely counter-accusations. Paper Trail If the allegation concerns contracts, party funds, tender procedures or unexplained financial transactions, the most convincing response would be documentary. Politics may thrive on rhetoric, but accountability thrives on paperwork. The Speaker’s handling of the recent confrontation also matters. The Assembly must remain a place where governments are questioned and opposition parties are heard. At the same time, legislators cannot convert every disagreement into a licence to disrupt proceedings. The reported eviction of DMK members shows how quickly substantive questions can disappear beneath procedural confrontation. That is perhaps the biggest casualty in the current episode. The public begins with a question about corruption and ends up watching a quarrel about who was allowed to speak. The original question gets lost in the noise. Tamil Nadu deserves better. The ultimate test, therefore, is not whether TVK can shout louder than DMK or vice versa but whether truth can survive politics. Otherwise, we may end up with a strange democratic situation where everyone produces evidence of something, except evidence of the thing actually being debated. Vijay has opened a legitimate political question, but he must now allow evidence to do the heavy lifting. DMK has every right to challenge the allegations, but it too must answer them with facts. And the Assembly must rise above the theatre of accusation and counter-accusation. Because corruption should not be defeated by the loudest speech, but by the strongest evidence. And if Tamil Nadu’s new political chapter is genuinely going to be different, perhaps that is the first test both sides should be willing to take. (The writer is a retired banker and author. He can be reached at krs1957@hotmail.com. Views personal.)

Discussions on among allies for govt formation: Ajit Pawar

Correspondent
Nov 26, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Deputy Chief Minister and NCP head Ajit Pawar on Monday said discussions were underway among the Mahayuti partners to finalise a formula for the new government formation in the state.


Speaking to reporters at Karad in Satara district, Pawar also acknowledged the contribution of the government's Ladki Bahin scheme, which provides financial assistance to women, in the Mahayuti's victory in the just-concluded state assembly polls.


The NCP leader also assured that the alliance was working cohesively following its resounding victory in the state assembly elections.


Pawar paid tributes to Maharashtra's first chief minister Yashwantrao Chavan at his memorial in Karad on his death anniversary.


In the state poll results declared on Saturday, the Mahayuti, which comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, bagged an impressive 230 of the 288 assembly seats.


The focus has been on BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is being seen as a strong contender to occupy the top post for the third time, as his party bagged 132 of the 149 seats it contested in the state.


Notably, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar has said his party legislators feel Eknath Shinde should continue as the chief minister of the state, where the ruling Mahayuti scored a landslide victory in the assembly polls.


Ajit Pawar said, "We will decide what formula to work out on the cabinet formation among the three parties."


Reflecting on the elections, he acknowledged the contribution of the Ladki Bahin scheme in the Mahayuti's win.


"We cannot ignore that Ladki Bahin helped us in this election. We are grateful to them (women voters)," he said.


Defending the scheme, Pawar, who is also the state finance minister, further said, "Had I been opposed to the Ladki Bahin scheme, I would not have presented it in the House. I discussed the scheme with several retired finance officers before finalising it."


Pawar also dismissed concerns raised by some opposition leaders over the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), pointing out that polls in states like Punjab, West Bengal and Telangana, governed by their political opponents, have been conducted with the same system.


Commenting on members of same families contesting against each other during the elections, Pawar expressed annoyance over repeated questions on it.


He then asked, "Why was my close nephew fielded? Atram's own daughter was fielded against him, and even Rajendra Shingne faced a similar challenge. I don't want to comment further on this. I have got tired of apologising for fielding my wife against Supriya. Yugendra was in business, then why was he prepared to contest against me?"


In the Baramati assembly seat, Ajit Pawar was pitted against his nephew and NCP (SP) candidate Yugendra Pawar.


In Aheri seat, NCP leader Dharamraobaba Atram's daughter Bhagyashree Atram contested against him on NCP (SP) ticket.

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