AIADMK poll promises: three cooking gas cylinders, hike in old-age pension

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) made five more electoral promises, including the provision of three cooking gas cylinders each to rice-drawing ration cardholders every year, the waiver of educational loans drawn from banks, and the hike in old-age pension to ₹2,000 per month from ₹1,200 per month. The Tamil Nadu Assembly election is due in April-May this year.

Addressing the media after attending a meeting of district secretaries at the party headquarters in Chennai, Mr. Palaniswami announced that in the event of the death of a jallikattu participant while trying to tame the bull, the family of the deceased would be paid a solaitum of ₹10 lakh. Likewise, for the injured, ₹2 lakh would be given.

Besides, a subsidy of ₹5 lakh would be granted for the conduct of a jallikattu event at the government-sanctioned site and the manual system of registration would be brought back, replacing the current online system. Interest-free loans would be given to women self-help groups belonging to religious minorities, besides the waiver of loans taken by persons with disabilities from cooperative societies. 

With the latest round of assurances, the total number of poll promises made by the AIADMK has gone up to 10.  

Mr. Palaniswami said that under the present DMK regime, there was nothing about the State to take pride in. On the contrary, one had to “hang one’s head in shame.” Not a day has passed without any incident of violence against women, he contended. 

As for allusory references made by Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay to his party, the AIADMK leader said Mr. Vijay was apparently unaware of what was going on in the State as there was “little contact” between him and the outside world. “Let him hold a press conference first!” Mr. Palaniswami quipped.