Madurai, February 21 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said that welfare schemes, including the monthly allowance for women, would continue only if the people vote for the DMK in the 2026 Assembly election.
Comparing the upcoming election to "Tamil Nadu team" versus "Delhi team," Stalin, the president of DMK, accused the BJP government at the Centre of allegedly "taking away" what his government provided to the people.
"Women beneficiaries of 'Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai' immediately withdrew the Rs 5,000 deposited into their bank accounts as they were afraid that the Centre might take away the funds," Stalin said, referring to the state government crediting Rs 5,000 directly into the bank accounts of 1.31 crore women beneficiaries on February 13.
The sum included Rs 3,000, which was three monthly installments, and a special summer grant of Rs 2,000.
The Chief Minister had alleged that an attempt was being made to halt the scheme citing the upcoming elections.
"This shows the trust people have in us and the BJP. It is the DMK government that provides, and the BJP government that takes away from the people. You should tell this to the people," Stalin said while addressing a meeting of the party's booth-level agents, digital agents, and booth committee members here.
He said that social welfare schemes like the monthly allowance for women would continue only when the DMK remained in power for another term.
"Ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visits Madurai on March 1 what happened to the metro rail projects for Madurai and Coimbatore, why no special schemes were allocated for Tamil Nadu, why the AIIMS project did not take off, why exemption from NEET wasn't given to TN, and why central funds were withheld," the Chief Minister said.
On the Madras High Court directing the DVAC to register an FIR against Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru in an alleged cash for jobs scam, Stalin said that the DMK was not afraid of court cases or central agencies like the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
"We are not Palaniswami (AIADMK general secretary) to be scared of tricks. We have seen the Emergency," Stalin said.
He called upon the party members to undertake a door-to-door campaign highlighting the DMK government's achievements and to strive for the total victory of the DMK over the AIADMK in the upcoming elections.
The DMK should surpass its target of winning 200 seats. "There's no rest for me and you for the next two months, as the elections will be announced anytime. Meet people, be active in the field, and take our achievements to the people. Go in repeat mode, then our victory will also repeat," Stalin advised.
