Published Feb 05, 2026 | 2:08 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 05, 2026 | 2:08 PM
AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (X)
Synopsis: The AIADMK has already unveiled a set of 10 promises ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, focusing on welfare, including monthly cash assistance, free LPG cylinders, and free bus travel for men, even as its rivals are yet to finalise their manifestos. However, a closer reading shows that most of the party’s commitments reproduce its 2021 Assembly election promises, with only minor changes.
From three free LPG cylinders a year to ₹2,000 a month for ration card-holding families, the Opposition AIADMK has begun laying out its manifesto for the crucial 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, well ahead of its rivals.
Former chief minister and party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami recently unveiled a set of 10 promises across two rounds of interactions with journalists starting on 17 January, placing welfare at the centre of the party’s campaign pitch.
However, a closer look at the announcements shows that most of the commitments are little more than a reprise of promises the party made earlier, particularly ahead of the 2021 Assembly election, alongside a few new additions.
The first promise Palaniswami offered was the Kulavilakku scheme, under which ₹2,000 a month would be paid to heads of households if the AIADMK returns to power.
The same scheme, however, already appeared in the AIADMK’s 2021 Assembly election manifesto.
“Under the Kulavilakku scheme, which aims to create economic balance in society, ₹1,500 per month will be provided as assistance to all ration card holders. The amount will be credited to the bank account of the woman head of the family, and in households consisting only of men, to the bank account of the male member,” the party’s manifesto ahead of the 2021 polls said.
The AIADMK has also promised free bus travel for men on city buses in the 2026 Assembly elections, going a step beyond the ruling DMK’s current scheme, which offers free bus travel for women.
This is an expansion of the party’s 2021 manifesto promise, which offered a 50 percent concession on city bus fares for women.
Another key promise made by the AIADMK is that, as livelihood assistance, three free LPG cylinders a year will be provided to ration card holders.
Compared with its 2021 manifesto, this promise is a downgrade. At the time, the party had pledged “six free LPG cylinders per year for rice ration card holders as livelihood assistance”.
The AIADMK also retained its 2021 promise to increase the number of workdays under the rural employment guarantee scheme. At the time it had said the Union government would be urged to extend the scheme to town panchayats and municipalities as well.
By the repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the introduction of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–G RAM G) Act, the Union government has already increased the number of guaranteed workdays from 100 to 125.
However, the AIADMK, an ally of the BJP, has committed to providing an additional 25 days of employment beyond that.
Another AIADMK promise concerns the “Amma Illam” scheme, under which the party said it would purchase land and construct concrete houses for rural residents who do not own a house, if it forms the government.
In urban areas, the government would similarly purchase land, construct apartment buildings, and provide the houses free of cost under the same scheme.
The AIADMK reproduced this promise word for word in its 2021 Assembly election manifesto.
Currently, houses are being constructed in Tamil Nadu under the Kalaignarin Kanavu Illam scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. However, these schemes do not provide free land. Only those who already own land can receive financial assistance under them to build houses.
The AIADMK has also announced that the old age pension under the social security pension scheme will be increased to ₹2,000 a month.
The same promise appeared in the party’s 2021 manifesto. It said elderly persons abandoned by their male heirs would be covered under the scheme, and that social security pensions for elderly widows, unmarried elderly women, women abandoned by their husbands, and transgender persons would be doubled from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 a month.
Currently, the old age pension under the Tamil Nadu government’s scheme stands at ₹1,200 a month.
Across parties, education loan waivers have become a routine election promise.
In this election as well, the AIADMK has said that “education loans taken by students from banks will be waived in order to protect the interests of students and parents”.
The same promise was made in the AIADMK’s 2021 manifesto.
Likewise, the DMK, in its 2021 manifesto, promised that “graduate education loans for students from schools in Tamil Nadu, who are under 30 years of age and unable to repay the loan within a year, will be repaid by the government”.
In February 2025, the DMK government waived education loans worth ₹48.95 crore, but only for students from Adi Dravidar, Tribal, and Christian Adi Dravidar communities.
Not all of the AIADMK’s announcements draw from its earlier manifestos.
The party has taken a firm stand in favour of Jallikattu, a contentious and often controversial bull sport that many consider part of Tamil tradition.
It has said ₹10 lakh will be paid as compensation to the families of players who lose their lives during Jallikattu events, and ₹2 lakh to those who suffer serious injuries.
The party has also announced that the existing online registration system for Jallikattu will be scrapped and the earlier system restored.
In addition, Jallikattu events held at officially permitted venues will receive a government grant of ₹5 lakh.
The AIADMK has also announced a new promise to provide interest-free bank loans to women from minority communities to start self-employment ventures.
Similarly, it has said loans taken by persons with disabilities from cooperative banks will be waived.
The party has also promised to revive the Amma Two-Wheeler Scheme, originally introduced in 2017 during the AIADMK’s previous term.
The scheme has not been in operation since the DMK came to power.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries received a subsidy of ₹25,000 or 50 percent of the vehicle cost to purchase a two-wheeler.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
