As the 2026 Tamil Nadu elections approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its manifesto promising a monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 to all women heads of households and a one-time sum of Rs 10,000 to every household. 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.
BJP Promises Overhaul Of Tamil Nadu’s Rail Network
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.
BJP Promises To Tackle Crimes Against Women
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.”
AIADMK, BJP Manifestos For Tamil Nadu Elections 2026
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.
(With inputs from ANI)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
