As actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) emerged as the single largest party in Tamil Nadu elections, it appears that his poll promises, including ensuring corruption-free good governance and ending the drug menace, struck a chord with voters who turned up in large numbers to vote.
Key promises include substantial financial aid for marriages, monthly assistance for women, support for indigent brides, and interest-free loans for women's self-help groups. The party also prioritised education with measures to prevent dropouts and financial support for students, alongside establishing residential schools and higher education loans.
Vijay's TVK had assured 8 gm gold for marriage, worth about Rs 14,000 (22 carat), and Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women below 60 years.
Vijay's party had also assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for women-run SHGs.
Laying importance on education, the party had promised to prevent school dropouts, and offered Rs 15,000 annually to mothers or guardians of children studying in government and state-aided schools.
The other promises in the TVK manifesto included 100 special residential schools named after K. Kamaraj and higher education loans of up to Rs 20 lakh.
The TVK founder also assured an AI Ministry, AI University and AI City.
In a bid to appeal to farmers in the state, the party had promised full waiver of agricultural cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres of land. TVK had also promised a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
The other promises made in the manifesto include a Rs 3,000 monthly pension for the elderly and the differently-abled, 200 units of free power, patta (land deed) regularisation, and 100 per cent piped drinking water supply for all households.
Vijay also promised a legal guarantee to provide essential government services like community certificates and land pattas, within a strictly specified timeframe. Doorstep delivery of governance by implementing a system to deliver services, such as ration supplies, directly to the people, and ease of doing business were also among the promises made by Vijay.
—With agency inputs
