Chennai: Ahead of the impending election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the DMK government of MK Stalin o Friday, sprang a huge surprise, by depositing Rs 5,000 each in the bank accounts of the 1.31 crore women beneficiaries of the flagship Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam (Kalaignar Women’s Financial Right Scheme), under which women were being extended Rs 1,000 a month.
In what is seen as a political masterstroke, the Chief Minister, taking a cue from Bihar where beneficiaries were given Rs 10,000 on the eve of the assembly election, has deposited the amount before announcing it through a social media post today morning, taking the wind out of the opposition sails.
Assembly poll is expected in April-May and as such this comes days ahead of the Election Commission of India announcing the schedule and the Model Code of Conduct coming into force.
“Our #DravidianModel Government has pre-empted the attempt to stop the financial assistance under the scheme on the pretext of election and has deposited the advance payments for February, March and April totalling Rs 3000 together with a special summer allowance of Rs 2000 for each beneficiary,” he wrote in a post on his ‘X’ handle.
“It has been deposited in each account this morning,” he added.
Promising to hike the financial assistance under the scheme to Rs 2,000 a month from the present Rs 1,000 on returning to power, the Chief Minister said this is a pledge given to ‘his sisters, with whose unflinching support’ the #DravidianModel 2.0 will certainly come
to power for a second successive term.
Since this was a bolt from the blue, the Opposition was taken aback. The AIADMK which has announced its first tranche of manifesto to rechristen the scheme as ‘Amma Kula Vilakku’ (Amma Family Light), and enhanced it to Rs 2,000 per month for all ration cardholders, has accused the DMK of copying it.
“The DMK is shamelessly copying what we have announced,” is the reaction of AIADMK leader Vaigai Selvan, a former Minister.
Seeing this as a sign of defeat, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani, in a statement said, “this is a clear indication of the DMK being afflicted by the fear of defeat in the election.” Interestingly this announcement precedes actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay’s rally at Salem later in the day.
