CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday accused Chief Minister M K Stalin of using the advance disbursal of Rs 5,000 under the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (KMUT) scheme as an election-time inducement ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, and rejected allegations that the Union government had attempted to stall the scheme.

“Let the Chief Minister announce any scheme he wishes. But to claim that the Centre is trying to block it is completely untrue. It is against all norms to mislead people in this manner,” she said in a statement.

Questioning the timing of the payout, Tamilisai said the government had failed to release the benefit for two years after announcing the scheme. “Why was it not given earlier? Why are they distributing it in a lump sum now, just before elections? If this is not politically motivated, what is?” she asked, alleging that the ruling party had earlier deferred even Pongal assistance citing electoral calculations.

The BJP leader also linked the issue to the State’s liquor policy. “A survey says a family spends Rs 6,000 a month on alcohol. The government earns Rs 45,000 crore through TASMAC. You cannot weaken families through liquor sales and then claim to empower women with cash transfers,” she said, contrasting it with prohibition in Bihar.

She credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mudra scheme and Digital India initiative for fostering women’s entrepreneurship and enabling direct benefit transfers. “The next NDA government will ensure greater self-reliance and dignity for women,” she said, adding that Edappadi K Palaniswami had already promised to raise the entitlement to Rs 2,000.