AIADMK Releases 297-Promise Manifesto for Tamil Nadu Polls, Focus on Welfare Schemes

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has released the party’s Tamil Nadu Assembly election manifesto, listing 297 promises for the April 23 polls. The document centres on welfare, with a proposed monthly payment of Rs 2,000 to female heads of households and a one-time Rs 10,000 special assistance to every family to address financial stress.

The manifesto places women at the core of household support plans. AIADMK promises that every ration cardholder will come under a new direct benefit transfer system. The initiative proposes that the female head of each family receives monthly assistance credited into bank accounts, alongside other benefits tied to the ration card framework.

AIADMK manifesto and Tamil Nadu Assembly election welfare scheme focus

Palaniswami announced the "Kula Vilakku Scheme" as the main welfare plank for women. Under this programme, all ration cardholders are promised Rs 2,000 every month. The amount will move directly to the account of the woman recognised as head of the household. The manifesto states: "To foster economic equilibrium within society, a monthly assistance allowance of Rs 2,000 will be provided to all ration cardholders through the 'Kula Vilakku Scheme.' This amount will be deposited directly into the bank account of the female head of the household."

The Rs 10,000 special support payment is presented as a response to rising living costs and higher levies. The document sharply attacks the current government, declaring: "Under the administratively incompetent Stalin-led DMK regime--characterised by its lack of vision--the prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed over the past five years. Consequently, the public has been severely affected. Furthermore, various taxes--including property tax, house tax, electricity tariffs, and water charges--have been hiked. As a result, the daily financial burden on households has increased manifold. Therefore, with the aim of alleviating this burden on the people, a special assistance sum of Rs. 10,000 will be provided to every family," the manifesto read.

AIADMK manifesto and Tamil Nadu Assembly election welfare scheme details

Beyond cash transfers, AIADMK promises additional material benefits for ration cardholders. The manifesto says families will receive lentils along with rice and also refrigerators. The current free bus travel scheme for women will, if implemented, extend to men as well. Every ration cardholder is further promised three free cooking gas cylinders each year, adding another subsidy layer.

Tamil Nadu is scheduled to vote in a single phase on April 23, with counting on May 4. Under the NDA seat-sharing deal, the AIADMK-led alliance will contest more than 170 constituencies. BJP gets 27 seats, PMK 18 and AMMK 11. The party says alliance arrangements are designed to cover diverse regions across the state.

AIADMK manifesto and Tamil Nadu Assembly election alliance landscape

Alliance talks are continuing alongside the manifesto push. AIADMK is reported to be speeding up negotiations with G.K. Vasan's TMC (M) and other smaller parties. The party aims to confirm these partners by the end of Tuesday, tying up loose ends before the campaign enters its final stretch across Tamil Nadu constituencies.

The main electoral contest is expected between two large fronts. On one side stands the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes Congress, DMDK and VCK. On the other is the NDA grouping anchored by AIADMK, together with BJP and PMK. Actor-turned-politician Vijay, leading TVK, is preparing an electoral debut, turning the battle into a likely three-way race.

The manifesto rollout comes against a turbulent global backdrop referenced in related updates. Coverage around the time highlighted "US-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates," noting Amazon Web Services was "disrupted" after a drone strike in Bahrain. Reports also said Saudi Arabia was allowing United States base access, while the UAE shut certain Iranian assets, and possible US-Iran talks in Islamabad were described by the White House as "sensitive" and "fluid," with oil prices falling.

AIADMK’s manifesto positions welfare schemes, including the Kula Vilakku Scheme and the Rs 10,000 special assistance, as the core response to inflation and tax concerns. With alliances largely fixed, poll dates announced, and new entrants such as TVK joining the field, voters in Tamil Nadu now face a choice shaped by welfare promises, coalition arithmetic and broader political currents.