DMK manifesto promises 75% Tamil quota, national recognition for Tirukkural & NEET ban

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMLK) chief MK Stalin unveiled the party's manifesto for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections on Saturday, announcing a slew of promises. Revealing the manifesto at DMK's headquarters in Chennai, party supremo MK Stalin promised to introduce legislation in the Tamil Nadu Assembly to ban NEET exams, among other vows once elected to power. Elections are scheduled to take place in a single-phase in Tamil Nadu, with the polling of votes on April 6 followed by counting and declaration of results on May 2. 

DMK unveils manifesto for Tamil Nadu polls

DMK supremo MK Stalin revealed that the party had prepared the manifesto, comprising of over 500 promises, after deliberations and discussions. DMK's manifesto promised to push the Centre to give national recognition to Thiruvalluvar's Tirukurral. The party promised to set up a separate bench to probe into the corruption charges against the AIADMK ministers and reiterated Stalin's promise to resolve grievances of the people of Tamil Nadu within 100 days of being elected to power under the campaign 'Ungal Thoguthiyil Stalin'. DMK also promised to provide a live telecast of the proceeding in the Tamil Nadu Assembly when elected to power.

DMK promised to slash the rate of Aavin milk by Rs 3 in the state and also assured of including milk in the mid-day meal scheme for school-going children. Further, Stalin said that the rates of petrol and diesel would be slashed by Rs 5 and Rs 4 respectively. DMK vowed to increase the representation for women in government institutions from the existing 30% to 40%. 

Stalin announced DMK's plans to set up 500 Kalaignar Unavagam (canteens) across the state and revealed that an extra kilo of sugar will be provided at ration shops along with the resumption in the provision of Urad dal. Stalin also revealed that a housing scheme will be introduced in the name of Kalaignar Karunanidhi to ensure that Tamil Nadu would be hut-free. DMK also planned to set up a desalination plant in coastal areas in order to use seawater for drinking and other purposes. Stalin detailed on DMK's plans to provide drinking water for the people of Chennai via taps, thereby getting rid of lorries that ferry water around the city. 

Stalin further said that a separate welfare board would be set up for journalists in Tamil Nadu. Further, he said that legislation would be passed to make Tamil a compulsory language till 8th grade including Central government schools. It also promised to provide a 75% quota to Tamilians in jobs. Stalin also promised to waive education loans of students below 30 years of age. 

DMK-led alliance

DMK finalized the seat-sharing pact with ally Congress after multiple rounds of negotiations and allotted 25 seats along with the Lok Sabha constituency to the grand old party. DMK also inked the seat-sharing agreement with Left ally CPI(M) after multiple rounds of deliberation, as the latter demanded more seats to contest from whereas the former refused to budge. Apart from Congress and CPI(M), DMK also sealed the alliance with Viduthalai Makkal Katchi (VCK), allotting them six seats for the Assembly elections.

Three seats were given by DMK to Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) while two seats were allotted to Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK). Stalin's party had also sealed the seat-sharing agreement with the Communist Party of India (CPI), giving them six seats. MDMK's chief Vaiko informed on Saturday that the DMK chief MK Stalin has signed an agreement by which 6 assembly seats have been allotted to MDMK. The Kongunaadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) finalized the seat-sharing pact with DMK chief MK Stalin on Tuesday, agreeing to field three candidates under DMK's symbol in the upcoming elections. KMDK general secretary NR Eswaran signed the seat-sharing pact at the DMK headquarters in Chennai along with other members of both parties. The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will be held on April 6 and the result will be declared on May 2. 

Image credits: @arivalayam / Twitter