Biggest winner of 2024 election was our democracy: Kalli Purie at India Today Mumbai Conclave

Good evening, Mumbai.
Thank you for giving us such a warm welcome. I think we gave the thunders outside a run for their money with our thundery debates. The Met Department had given a red alert for Mumbai, but I’m not sure whether it was about the weather or the Conclave.
It’s nice to be back in your bustling city.
Last year, when we were here with our signature event, India Today Conclave, we were all in the frenzied run-up to an exciting general election. All the buzz was about two things:
One, whether PM Modi and the BJP would secure a historic third term.
And second, about democratic backsliding in India — tampered EVMs and a compromised Election Commission.
The noise was loud and vociferous from detractors of the government, especially from foreign media.
So, for me, the biggest winner of the 2024 election was our democracy.
A true celebration of free and fair elections, and in spite of the heat, dust, and long weekends, voter turnout at the elections was 65.79 per cent. And it forcefully shut down the false narrative that tried to tarnish our democratic process.
Here we are today, after that election and in the run-up to another.
Forget One Nation One Election — sometimes it feels like one nation, always in election mode.
I’m not complaining. Elections are the lifeblood of a newsroom like ours. My team thrives on it.
The Indian electorate is famous for being astute. They may not all have Harvard degrees — a subtle call out to the HBS gang here — but they know their politics. And they showed it to the world by creating a delicate, almost magical balance in Parliament.
For us as a group, the election was a showcase of our democratic newsroom. And that is not a claim or an opinion, but a fact.
We had the definitive Modi interview, for sure, but we also had every leader of the opposition speak to us — from Priyanka Gandhi to Akhilesh Yadav to Sharad Pawar to Uddhav Thackeray to Jagan. It was a phenomenal ride.
In this day and age of social media echo chambers and influencer elections, a media organisation committed to presenting all sides is essential.
It strengthens our purpose.
Conclave is a living experience of that — all sides of the story — which is what we tried to bring here for you in the last two days.
And Maharashtra’s election is such a thrilling story to tell. A multi-starrer with at least six superstars, new friendships, old enemies, alternative plotlines, and even some guest appearances. It’s a full potboiler.
You have heard the leaders of the six sides present their case. You are the judge, and you get to take part in this historic election soon.
I hope we did our job to help you choose well.
Now, I leave you to the other side of your vibrant state and what you do so well — entertainment.
Saif, the stage is all yours. Take it away.
Thank you, and until next time, good luck.