1 month ago
1
A multi-cornered fight is nether way for the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly and parties person released their manifestos to woo voters. Leading the battalion with its ‘superstar’ manifesto, the incumbent — Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) — promised free coupons to women, infrastructure projects and to combat against Hindi imposition. Its premier rival — All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) — has promised slew of freebies for each — women, students, differently-abled persons, elder citizens, fishermen, weavers and transgender persons.
The archetypal to merchandise its manifesto was Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), which going solo successful each 234 seats. The Tamil nationalist party, which is yet to triumph a spot since its founding successful 2010, has promised to prioritise women’s practice in the Assembly and Parliament. Other absorption areas are h2o management, climate resilience and payment schemes for fisherfolk, farmers and unorganised workers.
Making its starry debut this canvass season, actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has made a slew of promises for the State’s youth, alternatively than releasing a manifesto. On March 29, 2026, TVK promised collateral-free acquisition loans, incentives to companies hiring atleast 75% Tamil workers, a monthly dole to students, unemployed graduates and to beforehand ‘creatrepreneurs’.
Here’s a comparison of their promises to antithetic sectors:
Women
Since the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, absorption connected women-centric schemes person been the item of State polls, wooing voters and giving fiscal state to India’s largest number — women.
Following up connected its committedness successful 2021, the DMK has pledged to enhance its monthly payout under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. It has supplemented it with the Illatharasi scheme, which offers a ₹8,000-coupon to each “non-Income Tax paying” homemakers to buy any electronic appliances including washing machines, refrigerators, mixer-grinders, ovens, induction stoves and tv sets. The DMK has besides promised a subsidy of ₹1.5 lakh to women and transgender persons purchase new autos powered by electricity/CNG/LPG.
Similar to the DMK, its rival AIADMK excessively has promised a monthly cash transportation of ₹2,000 to women. Additionally, women tin avail free autobus rides, refrigerators, sewing machines, subsidised two-wheelers, interest-free loans to minorities to commencement businesses and financial assistance to purchase gold for weddings (Thalikku Thangam scheme).
Education
Focusing connected students, the DMK and the AIADMK have promised escaped laptops portion the TVK and the AIADMK person offered interest- /collateral-free student loans, monthly stipend of ₹2,000 and 75% preservation successful jobs for Tamil students. With an outlay of ₹200 crore, the DMK vows to modernise laboratories successful each authorities colleges by 2030 and has a imaginativeness to make Tamil Nadu a State with zero schoolhouse dropout.
AIADMK has promised to expand horizontal reservation for students of government schools successful admittance to the aesculapian courses from 7.5% to 10.5% and see climate change students’ curriculum.
Freebies
Across sectors, classes and occupation, all parties person promised fiscal assistance. DMK has curtailed its freebie promises successful comparison to 2021, promising stipends to elder citizens, persons with disabilities (PwD) and fishermen. However, the AIADMK has increased its database of beneficiaries promising payout to every ration card-holding family, fishermen, the elderly, widows, transgender persons, weavers and additional Thai pongal hamper isolated from the Pongal dole out. TVK’s monthly stipend are constricted to the younker — unemployed graduates, ITI and diploma-holders.
Apart from nonstop currency transfers, the AIADMK has besides promised escaped rooftop star sheet installation upto ₹2 kW, interest-free loans for unorganised laborers and PwDs, 3 escaped state cylinders annually to families, subsidised and tax-free fuel to fishermen. TVK has promised doorstep transportation of services generating 5 lakh jobs with a wage of ₹18,000.
Industry and infrastructure
As the ruling party, DMK’s manifesto has promised a slew of payment schemes to fortify antithetic concern sectors and caller infrastructure projects. Proposed schemes see — a ₹5-crore fund for the Folk Arts Welfare Board, beforehand accomplishment development, textile industry, MSMEs, milk production, foreign investment in the state and acquiring global intelligence properties to license to home manufacturers.
For the agriculture sector, some the DMK and the AIADMK person promised to summation procurement rates for paddy and sugarcane. DMK’s promises absorption on investment — a ₹100-crore money to promote agri-research, instauration of ‘Product of Tamil Nadu’ brand, mega agri-project worthy ₹2,000 crore and establishing 5,000 new enterprises successful agrarian areas to wean distant from agriculture. Similarly, the TVK has proposed a integer promotional run for Tamil Nadu’s culture via collaboration with 1.5 lakh ‘creatrepreneurs’.
Painting a contrasting picture, the AIADMK has doubled down on financial assistance, promising production subsidy of up to ₹15,000 per hectare and accident security screen of ₹25 lakh for fishermen.
Under infrastructure, some the DMK and the AIADMK person promised escaped lodging for Sri Lankan Tamils, cargo terminal in Thoothukudi, desalination plants successful each district and person each metropolis buses to electric. The DMK has promised to acceptable up an export cell, global cities near Tiruchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, and Salem and upgrade ports at Nagapattinam and Cuddalore.
The AIADMK’s infrastructure promises are majorly constricted to Chennai — Satellite Software Park, aesculapian tourism hub, Pharmaceutical Park and Tech city. However, it has promised to physique constabulary payment hospitals and multi-storeyed apartments successful Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli, Salem, and Vellore, textile parks in Aruppukottai and Ettayapuram and unfastened 200 Amma Mini clinics.
Relying connected the BJP, its spouse successful the Centre, the AIADMK has promised to implicit projects like Sarabanga lift irrigation scheme, Nagapattinam-Thoothukudi-Kanyakumari four-lane highway, Coimbatore and Madurai Metro obstruction projects
Others
Both the DMK and the AIADMK have made wide affirmations similar extortion of rights of spiritual and linguistic minorities and absorption to Hindi imposition.
Once again, hedging its stake connected the BJP, the AIADMK has pledged to facilitate “dual citizenship” to Sri Lankan refugees surviving successful rehabilitation camps and a Supreme Court seat successful Chennai.
While the DMK has remained mum connected imposing prohibition, AIADMK has promised to adjacent state-run liquor shops successful a ‘phased manner’ and the TVK has promised to ‘curb cause use’.
Polling to each 234 seats volition beryllium held connected April 23, 2026 and counting of votes volition beryllium done on May 4, 2026.
