BJP's Tamil Nadu manifesto: Rs 2000 for women, free LPG cylinders, and rail revamp

BJP is contesting with the AIADMK in the National Democratic Alliance on 27 seats.

The party has promised three LPG cylinders free of cost, each on the occasions of Pongal, Tamil Puthandu and Deepavali.

In line with the BJP's Hindutva plank, the party announced that it will declare Thaipoosam as the state festival to honour Lord Murugan and will ensure that the tradition of lighting the Karthigai Deepam at the Thiruparankundram Hilltop is resumed and protected through the years.

This comes after Justice Swaminathan's order directing that the ceremonial lamp be lit on the Deepa Thoon (lamp pillar) located atop the Thiruparankundram hill. This had led to a tussle between the ruling DMK, which denied the permission, and the BJP, which demanded that the devotees be allowed to light the lamp atop the hill. The row escalated to contempt petitions and also echoed in Parliament last year.

Meanwhile, in its manifesto, the BJP has also promised to overhaul Tamil Nadu's rail network by enabling land acquisition at fair prices and expanding connectivity via projects like High Speed Rail Corridors (Chennai-Bengaluru, Chennai-Hyderabad), Coimbatore-Tiruppur Salem RRTS, Villupuram-Chennai Semi-Urban Rail, Hydro Power Train project and new Sleeper Vande Bharat trains linking Chennai with Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

For women, the party promised to tackle crimes against women through streamlined zero-FIR reporting, victim-witness protection, Special Fast-Track Courts for heinous cases including sexual offences, 100 per cent blind-spot-free CCTV in buses, schools and universities, and optimised Nirbhaya Fund utilisation. The BJP said it will empower women-led cooperatives, SHGs, and MSMEs with interest-free loans up to Rs 50 lakh for manufacturing units and a mandated 20 per cent government procurement quota.

Slamming the ruling DMK-led alliance, BJP President Nainar Nagendran said, "I wish everyone a Happy Tamil New Year on behalf of the BJP. In Tamil Nadu, a fascist, anti-people, and family rule is going on. With various strategies to defeat the DMK in the upcoming elections, the mega alliance led by the NDA will form the government after the elections. The DMK has not properly fulfilled even a single promise. The deteriorating law and order situation and the increasing crimes against women are examples of their rule. The AIADMK has already released its manifesto, and now we have released ours. The NDA will definitely form the government."

This comes in line with the manifesto released by the BJP's ally AIADMK, which promised Rs 2000 monthly to female heads of households. AIADMK has also promised that the ration card holders will receive lentils along with rice, and will also receive refrigerators. The party has promised to extend the free bus travel scheme to men, in addition to women. Three free cooking gas cylinders per year for every ration cardholder, the AIADMK said.

- ANI