In Tamil Nadu manifesto, Congress vows to implement own farm laws, scrap NEET, ban alcohol

In the latest development in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, Congress has vowed to introduce new farm laws in place of the legislation passed by the Centre if voted to power, as it unveiled its election manifesto on Tuesday. Unveiling Congress' election manifesto, TNCC chief KS Alagiri slammed CM Edappadi Palaniswami for supporting the farm laws and claimed that the ruling AIADMK government favoured the laws and not the farmers. Congress is set to fight in 25 seats across Tamil Nadu along with DMK as elections are scheduled to be held in a single-phase in the state, with the polling of votes on April 6 followed by the counting and declaration of results on May 2. 

Congress unveils manifesto for Tamil Nadu elections

Speaking to the press after the manifesto launch, Congress leader KS Alagiri said that new farm laws will be introduced in place of the existing ones to 'protect the farmers'. The Congress leader claimed that the party would implement the findings of the MS Swaminathan report. Congress also echoed DMK's promise to ban NEET exams if elected to power and vowed to take steps to increase the 7.5% quota for govt school-going students in all vocational colleges, including medicine, to 10%. 

Further, Congress vowed to urge the Centre to include fishermen in the list of tribals as per the Mandal Commission, citing that they stayed away from the mainland and hence were required to be recognized. It also vowed to bring a complete ban on alcohol in the state if elected to power. The DMK ally assured to provide equal opportunities for women in education and employment while also promising to increase pension for senior citizens. 

Congress gets 25 seats under DMK alliance

Congress and DMK finalized the seat-sharing pact for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as the Dravidian party allotted 25 Assembly seats and the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha Constituency to the grand old party. TNCC chief KS Alagiri, Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao inked the seat-sharing pact with DMK supremo MK Stalin after meeting the latter in DMK's headquarters in Chennai on Sunday. Congress was involved in multiple rounds of talks with DMK to negotiate seat-sharing, with the former demanding more seats to contest in while the latter remained hesitant to do so.

Tamil Nadu Assembly polls

The two warring factions in AIADMK - of Deputy CM O Pannerselvam (OPS) and CM E Palaniswamy (EPS), reconciled after the party named incumbent E Palaniswamy as its CM candidate and O Panneerselvam as the chief of the 11-member steering committee. He has also announced a slew of social measures like Pongal gift hampers, farm loan waiver, free COVID-19 vaccines, passing school students, etc which has been slammed by DMK M K Stalin calling it 'pre-poll appeasement'.  Meanwhile, ex-CM Karunanidhi's successor - DMK chief MK Stalin eyes his maiden CM term as DMK cannot afford to lose a third straight Assembly election after sweeping the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with 38 seats.