Promises to scrap 'One Nation, One Election', repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, and simultaneously award Indian citizenship to returning Sri Lankan Tamils are among the promises made by Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
The DMK is part of the Congress-led INDIA bloc formed in June last year to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party from claiming a third consecutive term.
The DMK has also vowed to remove Tamil Nadu from the scope of the NEET, or National Entrance Eligibility Test, which is administered for admission to medical courses. The state is a fierce critic of the exam; in February last year it moved the Supreme Court claiming the single-window common test is violates federal principles, since it takes away states' decision-making ability regarding education.
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Released by Chief Minister MK Stalin and senior leaders, including Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi, the DMK has laid out a strong agenda of reviewing the BJP's "anti-people laws", including the National Education Policy, which it has heavily criticised for imposing Hindi on the southern states.
"People's Manifesto", Says Chief Minister
"The DMK continues to do what we say... this is what our leaders taught us. We went all over the state and listened to the people. This is not just a DMK manifesto... it is the people's manifesto," Mr Stalin said, accusing the BJP of having "destroyed India" and failing to fulfil their promises.
The Chief Minister also took a jab at the Prime Minister, who has made six visits to Tamil Nadu this year. Mr Stalin remarked he would have happier had the PM "come during the time of floods".
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Mr Modi has been actively touring the southern states to boost the BJP's profile. The party has a negligible presence in Tamil Nadu; in the last election it got less than three per cent of the votes.
Kanimozhi To NDTV
DMK MP Kanimozhi, who has been nominated to defend her Thoothukudi seat, told NDTV the manifesto focused on protecting the federal nature of the country - a concern frequently also raised by Bengal's Trinamool, another INDIA bloc member, and the rights of state governments.
"Our promises are implementable if the INDIA bloc forms the (central) government," she said, expressing thanks to the DMK for re-fielding her from the Thoothukudi seat.
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The DMK today also released a first list of candidates for the 21 seats it will contest; Tamil Nadu has 39 Lok Sabha seats. The rest will go to the Congress and smaller parties, in allotments identical to the 2019 arrangement. Five years ago the DMK-Congress combine swept the state, winning 38 seats.
"We have seen how much the Dravidian model of government has done for the people of this state, and this manifesto will help us take our Dravidian model all over India. I am sure of securing not only all seats in Tamil Nadu, but a good number across the country too..." Kanimozhi said.
DMK Lok Sabha Manifesto Details
Among other big-ticket promises made by the DMK are drastic cuts to the prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG (cooking gas) to Rs 75 and Rs 65 per litre and Rs 500 per cylinder, free Wi-Fi services across the state, statehood for Puducherry, scrapping of the Uniform Civil Code, and the immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.
There is also a focus on students and women empowerment in the manifesto, which promises interest-free loans of up to Rs 4 lakh for students and Rs 10 lakh for women self-help groups.
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A raft of central government-backed research and higher education institutions, including IIMs and IITs, will be set up in the state, and college students will get 1GB of mobile data free, the DMK said.
A significant point is a two-year "cooling period" for judges looking to join private companies or political parties after their retirement. This point has been seen against the backdrop of former Bengal High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay stepping down and joining the BJP days later.
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Also significant is a promise to review the process by which Governors are appointed and to remove any immunity afforded to these posts. This is key because the Tamil Nadu government has been engaged in a running battle with Governors over the past few years, accusing the centre's representative of interfering in state governance and deliberately denying assent to key bills.
When Does Tamil Nadu Vote?
Tamil Nadu votes in a single phase on April 19, the first day of polling for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Results will be declared on June 4.
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