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DMK election manifesto promises to enact law to reserve 75% jobs for Tamils
Stalin has primarily focussed on addressing youngsters through the education sector and women in his manifesto while also appeasing Hindus.
he Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) released on Saturday its manifesto for the April 6 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, promising a law to reserve 75% jobs for locals in the public sector and adding that a similar move will be attempted for the private sector, even as it pledged financial assistance of ₹25,000 to 100,000 for people going on pilgrimage to major Hindu temples, among others.
DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva said: “The government can only implement it within its limits which is the public sector but we will try to pursue it in the private sector too.” Siva who was part of the party’s eight-member committee formed to prepare the manifesto.
Releasing the manifesto that primarily focussed on addressing issues facing the youth, DMK president MK Stalin said: “Usually, the DMK’s manifesto is considered as the hero of the elections.” “This time many are saying our candidates list (of 173 released Friday) is the hero, so I’m releasing the second hero.”
The party has also promised to waive education loans of students aged below 30 and cut the prices of petrol and diesel by ₹5 per litre and ₹4 per litre, respectively.
Also read: Cut in fuel price - DMK releases manifesto ahead of polls
Keeping in line with the DMK’s campaign against the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on the issue of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the party has promised to bring a law against the medical entrance exam in the first assembly session. The NEET issue holds significance in the state as several students have died by suicide either because they failed to clear the exam or they feared they couldn’t realise their aspirations of studying medicine. Chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami attempted to circumvent this criticism by introducing a 7.5% horizontal reservation in medical colleges for government students who clear NEET.
The DMK is contesting the single-phase election in alliance with the Congress and the Left. Apart from these two, the DMK has also firmed up tie-ups with other parties including the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). It is contesting on 173 of the 234 seats and has allotted the rest to its alliance partners.
The election will be held in Tamil Nadu on April 6. This is the first assembly election after the demise of leaders J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi. The filing of nominations will start on Friday and the last day is March 19.
In its manifesto, the DMK has also offered several sops to women who outnumber male electorate (31.8 million female voters and 30.8 million male voters) in the state. The party has also promised to increase the maternity leave period from nine to 12 months, and quota in government jobs from 30% to 40%. An assistance of ₹24,000 has also been announced for pregnant women, along with ₹100 subsidy towards LPG cylinder.
State municipal administration minister SP Velumani, meanwhile, termed the manifesto “hollow” and “full of false promises”. The ‘Palaniswami wave’ is sweeping across Tamil Nadu and the AIADMK is sure to return to power, he added.
