Chennai: Rajendran owns and runs a small teashop on Egmore's Montieth Road. On his shop radio, DMK Chief M K Stalin is explaining the party's election pitch of the Secular Progressive Alliance (the name for the DMK-led combine in Tamil Nadu). Stalin speaks about ridding people of GST ills, assures youngsters that a Cong-led UPA govt would generate jobs and reiterates the Cong' promise of R6,000 a month minimum income to the poorest families.

Smack in the middle of these heavy-duty issues that affect everyday life for the voter, Stalin promises the people of Tamil Nadu that if the SPA is voted to power, they would bring down cable TV rates to pre-TRAI rates of under '100 for all channels, which was the norm in the state till last year.