Ambur (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 13 : All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that the AIADMK's two-phase announcement for the 2026 Assembly elections has created "fear" within the Stalin-led government, prompting DMK to announce the Kalaignar Women's Rights Scheme.
Speaking to reporters here, Palaniswami claimed that the Tamil Nadu government's decision to credit Rs 5,000 to women beneficiaries was driven by electoral considerations. "This announcement has come out of fear of defeat in the upcoming elections," he said.
He alleged that the Rs 5,000 grant, which combines three months of women's entitlement assistance with summer relief funds, was not introduced out of concern for public welfare. "The women's assistance amount was not given after understanding the difficulties faced by the people. It was released only after continuous pressure from the opposition in the Assembly," he said.
Targeting Chief Minister MK Stalin, the AIADMK leader accused the DMK government of delaying the scheme for 27 months. He further claimed that although the government had promised to extend the benefit to all eligible families, it was currently being provided to around 1.31 crore beneficiaries.
Drawing a comparison with the previous AIADMK regime, Palaniswami said that 52 lakh students were provided laptops during his tenure. He alleged that the present government was distributing laptops only to college students at the last stage to secure youth votes.
Palaniswami also accused the DMK government of acting in its political interest rather than focusing on public welfare. He asserted that the AIADMK would form the next government in Tamil Nadu and said the party would not be impacted by former ministers joining the DMK.
He further stated that officials allegedly involved in illegal mining would face legal action once the AIADMK returns to power. Responding to questions about attacks on journalists, he urged the media to report facts and alleged that DMK members were engaged in unlawful activities using corrupt money.
Former Minister KC Veeramani and party functionaries were present during the interaction.
Earlier in the day, Stalin announced that Rs 3,000 had been deposited in advance for February, March and April, along with a Rs 2,000 "summer special package." He asserted that his government acted ahead of attempts to "block" the scheme due to the upcoming polls and promised that under "Dravidian Model 2.0," the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance would be doubled to Rs 2,000 if re-elected.
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