AIADMK's Promises Ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections
As Tamil Nadu gears up for its assembly elections, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has unveiled a series of promises aimed at supporting families, job seekers, and small business owners. Key pledges include direct financial assistance, increased subsidies for fishermen, and loan waivers for small traders. Additionally, the state’s voter list has seen significant updates, with millions of names removed. This article delves into the details of these commitments and their implications for the upcoming elections.
| Feb 24, 2026, 14:36 IST
AIADMK's Election Commitments
As the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections approach, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the General Secretary of AIADMK, made several pledges to the public on Friday. These promises include direct financial assistance, increased subsidies, and loan waivers aimed at supporting families, job seekers, fishermen, weavers, and small business owners. He announced that every family in the state would receive a relief aid of ₹10,000. Graduates registered at employment centers awaiting jobs will be provided with a monthly support of ₹2,000. Additionally, those who have completed education up to the higher secondary level and are registered at employment centers will receive ₹1,000 per month.
Additional Support for Fishermen
Palaniswami also revealed plans for extra assistance for fishermen during the annual fishing ban period. The relief amount, currently set at ₹8,000, will be increased to ₹12,000. Furthermore, an additional ₹1,000 will be provided during the Thai Pongal festival, on top of the gifts distributed each year. The AIADMK leader stated that the free electricity limit for handloom weavers will rise from 300 units to 450 units, while the limit for power loom weavers will increase from 1,000 units to 1,400 units.
Moreover, he announced that loans taken by small traders operating shops on sidewalks in urban areas from cooperative banks will be waived. The Election Commission of India has published the final voter list for Tamil Nadu after a thorough special revision, revealing that over 7.4 million names have been removed from the voter rolls.
Voter List Updates
Archana Patnaik, the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, disclosed these figures during a press conference in Chennai. Earlier in the day, district electoral officers also released revised figures for their respective districts. The total number of voters has now decreased to 56.7 million. Before the revision, Tamil Nadu had 64.1 million registered voters. Following the updates, the total voter count stands at 56.7 million, comprising 27.7 million male voters, 28.9 million female voters, and 7,617 third-gender voters.