On Tamil New Year, a day chosen deliberately for its symbolism, the BJP unveiled its manifesto for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, promising free cooking gas, cash in the hands of women, and a sweeping assault on the ruling DMK. The document is as much a political offensive as it is a welfare programme.
Free LPG Cylinders, ₹2,000 Monthly Allowance: What BJP Is Promising Tamil Nadu Voters
The welfare centrepiece of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu manifesto is a trio of free LPG cylinders every year — one each on Pongal, Diwali, and Tamil New Year — a direct appeal to households grappling with rising living costs especially amid geopolitical tensions brought out by Iran-US war, and a calculated move to embed the promise in the rhythm of the state’s cultural calendar.
Beyond cooking gas, the party has pledged a monthly allowance of ₹2,000 to all women heads of families, alongside a one-time assistance of ₹10,000 to every household, measures designed to put money directly into the hands of those the BJP says have been neglected by the current government.
For the farming community, the manifesto introduces the Uzhave Thai scheme, which would provide a ₹₹3,000 top-up to the Centre’s existing PM-Kisan support, raising the total annual assistance to ₹9,000 per farmer. The scheme is an attempt to bridge the gap between central agricultural policy and the ground realities of Tamil Nadu’s farming households.
JP Nadda Unveils Manifesto on Tamil New Year, Calls It a “New Beginning”
The manifesto was unveiled in Chennai by Union Minister JP Nadda, flanked by Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, former state unit head K Annamalai, and senior leader Tamilisai Soundararajan.
BJP’s Nadda was deliberate about the timing. The party had chosen Tamil New Year to release its poll document, he told the gathering, calling it an auspicious occasion and framing the moment as what he described as a “new beginning” for the state.
Women’s Safety, Drug Eradication and Cultural Preservation
Beyond welfare transfers, the manifesto addresses law and order with a suite of institutional reforms. The BJP has promised zero-FIR reporting, victim and witness protection mechanisms, and special fast-track courts for heinous crimes, including sexual offenses — measures the party says are urgently needed to tackle what it describes as a rising tide of crimes against women in the state.
On the drug crisis, the manifesto proposes the creation of a dedicated Tamil Nadu Drug Eradication Department, backed by a specialized anti-narcotics task force to combat trafficking and substance abuse — a problem that has become an increasingly charged issue in the state’s political conversation.
On the cultural front, the BJP has made a specific commitment to ensure the resumption and protection of the tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Thirupuramkundram hilltop, pledging to preserve the practice for future generations — a promise aimed squarely at voters for whom religious and cultural continuity carries deep significance.
BJP Trains Its Guns on DMK: “Dynasty-Run Party” That Betrayed Tamil Nadu
BJP’s manifesto launch was as much a political prosecution of the DMK as it was a statement of intent. Nadda used the occasion to deliver a sustained attack on the ruling party, accusing it of betraying the people of Tamil Nadu across every major front.
“When I speak about the pulse of the people, there is deep resentment against the DMK. People will expose this unholy alliance,” Nadda said.
Calling the DMK a “dynasty-run party,” he alleged it had failed women, youth, farmers, and working sections of society in equal measure. He further claimed that over 8,000 murders had taken place in the last five years and that crimes against women had risen by 56 per cent under the current government — figures likely to be contested by the DMK in the days ahead.
Nadda also leveled allegations of systematic corruption, asserting that the DMK was “a party of corruption and commissions,” and claimed that more than 70 per cent of the promises made in its 2021 manifesto remain unfulfilled — a charge that strikes at the heart of the ruling party’s credibility with voters ahead of polling day.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections: Key Dates
With all 234 seats of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly up for grabs, polling is scheduled for 23 April, with vote counting set for 4 May. The BJP’s manifesto launch, timed to Tamil New Year and delivered with considerable fanfare, signals that the party intends to mount a serious challenge — and that it views the DMK’s record, rather than its own past performance in the state, as the central battleground of this election.
