2026 TN elections | DK Shivakumar unveils Cong manifesto, calls Vijay immature

CHENNAI: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar termed TVK president and actor Vijay an "immature politician" while speaking to reporters after releasing the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) election manifesto, which included several welfare promises and political postering.

The manifesto was unveiled at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Chennai, where Shivakumar asserted that the Congress remains firmly aligned with the DMK and expressed confidence that the alliance would secure a two-thirds majority in the elections.

Congress MP and TNCC election manifesto committee chairman Karti Chidambaram described the document as a "blueprint" for ideal governance. He highlighted the party's flagship promise of Rs 2,000 per month as a universal basic income for all family cardholders, to be directly credited to women's bank accounts, stating that it would boost the local economy.

The manifesto outlines 50 promises across 10 sectors. Key welfare measures include Rs 6,000 per year for landless agricultural labourers excluded from PM-Kisan and a Rs 2,000 monthly pension for the elderly and differently abled.

On the employment front, TNCC has pledged to fill 2.5 to 3 lakh government job vacancies within 300 days, including the recruitment of 40,000 police personnel. It also proposes district skill centres, public-private job hubs, and welfare frameworks for gig workers.

In education, the party promises district-level coaching centres for competitive exams, AI-powered classrooms, and the "Tuition Akka" scheme to provide free academic support for schoolgirls.

For women and marginalised communities, the manifesto includes free property registration, gender budget tracking, sanitary hygiene support, and entrepreneurship assistance for SC/ST communities. It also sets a target to eliminate child marriage by 2030.

On law and order, the party has promised stronger policing through recruitment, cybercrime monitoring in all districts, a unified emergency response system via the "TN 100" app, and fast-track courts for women, children, and SC/ST cases.