The AIADMK Saturday released the first phase of its election promises for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, leading with a pledge to double monthly cash assistance for women heads of families to Rs 2,000 and extend free bus travel to men. These are alongside a broader women-centric welfare agenda and a slate of proposals that would expand or build upon schemes currently in place under the ruling DMK government.
Announcing the measures, the party’s General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami, said the AIADMK’s vision was “firmly anchored in inclusive growth, social justice, and economic security for every family in the State”.
The announcement was timed to coincide with the 109th birth anniversary of party founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran, a symbolic nod to the AIADMK’s welfare legacy.
“These promises reflect the AIADMK’s legacy of governance that puts people first. Our focus is on empowering women, strengthening livelihoods, ensuring housing for all, and restoring dignity to labour,” Palaniswami said.
At the centre of the first phase is the ‘Kulavilakku’ scheme. Under this, the party has pledged a monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,000 to all ration card-holding families, to be credited directly to the bank account of the woman head of the household. The proposal marks a doubling of the Rs 1,000 currently provided under the DMK government’s ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai’ scheme.
The AIADMK also promised to extend free bus travel to men travelling in city buses, while retaining the existing free travel benefit for women. At present, free bus travel is available only to women passengers under the DMK government’s ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme.
Housing features prominently in the party’s manifesto plank. Under the proposed ‘Amma Illam’ scheme, the AIADMK has said it would acquire land and construct free concrete houses for the houseless in rural areas, build and allot apartments in urban areas, and provide separate concrete houses for Scheduled Caste families when sons establish independent households after marriage. Similar objectives are currently pursued through the DMK’s ‘Kalaignar Housing Scheme’.
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Other promises include expanding the rural employment guarantee programme to 150 days, beyond the Centre’s announced increase to 125 days, and providing 5 lakh women with subsidised two-wheelers, with a subsidy of Rs 25,000 each.
Palaniswami said the announcements constituted only the first phase of the party’s commitments, with further proposals to follow on education, healthcare, agriculture, youth employment and industrial growth.
“The AIADMK will present a comprehensive vision for Tamil Nadu,” he said, “one that restores good governance, protects the vulnerable, and delivers real outcomes, not empty slogans.”
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
