Focus shifts to Vijay’s welfare promises after strong TVK poll performance
With TVK emerging strongly in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, attention has shifted to Vijay’s election promises, including monthly cash assistance for women, gold for marriage, education support, farm loan waivers, free healthcare and large-scale employment generation initiatives
Chennai: ‘Thalapathi’ (Commander) may have won the electoral battle, but a bigger challenge now awaits TVK chief Vijay — fulfilling poll promises, including the distribution of gold valued at around Rs 1.12 lakh per beneficiary and monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,500 for women.
The new entrant appears likely to emerge as the single largest party and form the government, and the focus has now shifted to actor-politician Vijay’s poll promises.
Vijay’s assurances in the party manifesto include Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women below 60 years, 8 gm gold for marriage and six free cooking gas cylinders a year per family.
By 6 pm, as per EC data, Vijay’s party had won 22 seats and was leading in 87 constituencies, but remained short of a simple majority of 118 in the 234-member Assembly.
The actor-turned-politician also assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides and interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh for women-run SHGs. He promised corruption-free governance if voted to power in his maiden electoral contest.
The manifesto also laid importance on education. To prevent school dropouts, mothers or guardians of children studying in government and state-aided schools will receive Rs 15,000 annually.
Vijay promised 100 special residential schools named after iconic leader K Kamaraj, who is credited with revolutionising education in the state, and higher education loans of up to Rs 20 lakh. The TVK founder also assured an AI Ministry, AI University and AI City.
The manifesto also placed strong emphasis on agrarian welfare.
The party promised a full waiver of agricultural cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres of land, while those holding more than five acres would receive a 50 per cent waiver. Additionally, the party promised a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
Addressing youth unemployment, Vijay pledged to create five lakh new government jobs and offer an equal number of stipendiary internships. Unemployed graduates will be provided monthly assistance of up to Rs 4,000. For government employees, the party assured consideration of the Old Pension Scheme and the regularisation of contract workers, including nurses.
On the health front, he promised a drug-free Tamil Nadu. Vijay also committed to modernising hospitals, providing free annual health check-ups and introducing a Rs 25 lakh family health insurance scheme.
The manifesto also included a Rs 3,000 monthly pension for the elderly and differently-abled persons, 200 units of free power, patta (land deed) regularisation and 100 per cent piped drinking water supply for all households.
Some of the policy interventions promised by TVK include a legal guarantee to provide essential government services, such as community certificates and land pattas, within a strictly specified timeframe.
Vijay also promised doorstep delivery of governance by implementing a system to deliver services, such as ration supplies, directly to the people. He further assured that ease of doing business would be a priority for his government and promised a strict guarantee that business licences would be issued within 21 days.
Elections to the 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu were held on April 23.
