CAA to Art 370, DMK makes promises on behalf of ‘an INDIA govt’ in manifesto
Releases names for 21 seats it is contesting in TN, 11 new faces among them
3 min read
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin with party leader TR Baalu and others releases the party's candidates' list and manifesto during a party meeting, in Chennai, Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (PTI Photo) The DMK Wednesday promised not to implement contentious issues like the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and Uniform Civil Code, and to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, if the INDIA bloc were to come at the Centre, in its manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha polls.
DMK chief M K Stalin also released a list of 21 candidates it is contesting, including 10 sitting MPs. Notable leaders like T R Baalu, Kanimozhi and A Raja have been renominated from their traditional seats of Sriperumbudur, Thoothukudi and Nilgiris (SC) respectively. The DMK is contesting 22 seats in the state.
In its stronghold of Chennai, the DMK has nominated senior leader Dayanidhi Maran from Chennai Central, Kalanidhi Veerasamy from Chennai North and Thamizhachi Thangapandian from Chennai South.
Other incumbents who have been retained include S Jagathrakshakan (Arakkonam), D M Kathir Anand (Vellore), K Selvam (Kancheepuram SC), and C N Annadurai (Tiruvannamalai).
Former AIADMK leader and Coimbatore Mayor Ganapathi Rajkumar has been nominated from Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat, amid speculation that the BJP may field its state chief K Annamalai from here.
Key figures omitted from the DMK list include controversial leaders S Senthilkumar, who was replaced in Dharmapuri with A Mani, and former AIADMK minister T M Selvaganapathy, apart from a former aide of AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, Thanga Tamizhselvan. Gautham Sigamani (Kallakurichi) and S S Palanimanickam (Thanjavur) also missed out, despite a good electoral record.
The DMK’s list features three women, 19 graduates, 12 postgraduates, six lawyers and two doctors. Two more candidates hold doctorates.
As a part of its seat-sharing agreement with allies, the DMK has left 10 seats, including the lone seat in Puducherry, to the Congress, and given 2 each to the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK while the IUML, MDMK and KMDK will contest one seat each.
In 2019, the DMK-led alliance, whose broad contours remain the same, had won 38 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. The DMK had won 26 seats at the time.
Releasing the manifesto, Stalin said his party was committed to fulfilling its electoral promises and to “boldly” address contentious national issues like the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), UCC, CAA and “One Nation, One Election”. It also promised that an INDIA bloc government would amend the Constitution in a way that states would be “truly autonomous”.
Tamil Nadu was one of the first states to pass a resolution against the implementation of CAA after the Centre notified its rules last week.
It also promised a monthly entitlement of Rs 1,000 for all women across the country by an INDIA government, declaration of Thirukkural as a national book, scrapping of the National Education Policy (NEP), a separate Railway budget, immediate implementation of 33% reservation for women, setting up of a development council of CMs and removal of legal provisions that grant more powers to governors among others.
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