Residents of Anna Nagar, Chennai, engaged in a dynamic online interaction with candidates from the Tamil Maanila Congress (TVK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) during a forum organized by the Federation of Anna Nagar Residents Associations (FOARA). This event allowed residents to pose direct questions, particularly on the contentious issue of freebies, revealing significant ideological divides among the candidates. V K Ramkumar from TVK advocated for the necessity of freebies to improve socio-economic conditions, while S Shankar from NTK opposed them outright. Gokula Indra from AIADMK suggested that such decisions should be left to the government. Candidates also discussed their potential roles as opposition members, with Ramkumar proposing to leverage corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for local development. The forum emphasized the need for residents' input on major civic decisions, with candidates addressing specific demands related to infrastructure, including parking solutions and utility upgrades. Overall, the interaction marked a shift from traditional campaigning to a more policy-driven dialogue.