TVK’s poll promises of handouts, jobs in focus

A monthly handout of ₹2,500 for every woman in Tamil Nadu, ₹10,000 for unemployed graduates, a waiver for cooperative crop loans and a ministry of artificial intelligence — Tamil actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) made a raft of promises aimed at the southern state’s women, its farmers, and the younger population in its manifesto.

- HT Correspondent

Those promises appeared to click with Tamil Nadu’s voters.

Counting trends from the Election Commission of India (ECI) showed Vijay’s fledgling outfit leading in 107 of the state's 234 seats, breaking the decades-old duopoly of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Vijay, one of the state’s most popular actors, during the TVK’s election manifesto launch, said the document was based on the principles of the Tamil text Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar-aram (virtue), porul (wealth), and inbam (joy), qualities he called essential facets of politics and administration.

“TVK has adopted honest administration as its ideology. Even our party's first election manifesto is an assurance of honesty. We will not mislead like (incumbent Tamil Nadu chief minister) Stalin. We are not making a hurried manifesto filled with empty promises to the people,” Vijay said on April 16, when he launched the document.

The 95-page manifesto focussed squarely on welfare, from handouts to loans.