Chennai, Jan 17 (IANS) Unveiling five key election promises with a strong focus on welfare, housing, employment, and women’s empowerment, the AIADMK on Saturday signalled the formal start of its poll campaign narrative ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The announcements were made by the AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, shortly after he paid tribute to party icons on the occasion of the 109th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR).

The five poll promises were released after Palaniswami garlanded the statues of MGR and former Chief Minister late J. Jayalalithaa at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai and addressed the media.

The first and most prominent assurance is the “Kula Vilakku Scheme”, under which all family ration card holders would receive a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000.

According to the AIADMK, the monthly financial aid would be directly credited to the bank account of the head of the family, with the objective of easing household financial pressure and restoring economic balance at the grassroots level.

The second poll promise extends free public transport benefits.

The AIADMK announced free bus travel for men in city buses, while confirming that the existing free bus travel scheme for women would continue without any changes.

If implemented, the move would make city bus travel free for both men and women commuters.

Housing forms the third pillar of the announcement through the “Amma Illam Scheme”.

Under this programme, the state government would purchase land and construct concrete houses for homeless people in rural areas.

In urban regions, apartment-style homes would be built on government-acquired land and provided free of cost to those without houses.

A special provision was also announced for Scheduled Caste families, under which married sons moving out of joint households would be provided individual concrete houses, AIADMK added.

The fourth poll promise focuses on rural employment.

The AIADMK committed to increasing the number of working days under the employment guarantee scheme from the existing 100 days to 150 days, going beyond the Centre’s proposal to raise it to 125 days, with the aim of strengthening rural livelihoods and development.

The fifth and final assurance is the expansion of the “Amma Two-Wheeler Scheme”, under which five lakh women would be provided two-wheelers along with a subsidy of Rs 25,000 each, intended to improve mobility, safety, and economic independence.

Together, the five poll promises reflect the AIADMK’s attempt to revive its welfare-centric legacy while setting a clear political agenda for the election season ahead.

–IANS

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