AIADMK promises Rs 2000 monthly aid for women and free bus travel for men

On Saturday, the AIADMK unveiled the first phase of its election promises for the 2026 Assembly elections in Chennai, pledging a monthly cash assistance of Rs 2,000 for women and free bus travel for men. Party General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami announced the welfare-centric proposals, which coincided with the 109th birth anniversary of party founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.

At the centre of the first phase is the ‘Kulavilakku’ scheme. Under this initiative, the party pledged to credit Rs 2,000 monthly directly into the bank accounts of female heads of all ration card-holding families. This proposal marks a direct doubling of the Rs 1,000 currently provided by the ruling DMK government under its ‘Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai’ scheme.

The AIADMK also promised to extend free travel on city buses to men, while retaining the existing free travel benefits for women. Currently, free bus travel is only available to women passengers under the DMK government's ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme. Additionally, the party pledged to provide 5 lakh women with subsidised two-wheelers, offering a subsidy of Rs 25,000 each.

Housing features prominently in the newly announced manifesto plank. Under the proposed ‘Amma Illam’ scheme, the AIADMK stated it would acquire land and construct free concrete houses for the houseless in rural areas, build and allot apartments in urban areas, and provide separate concrete houses for Scheduled Caste families when sons establish independent households after marriage. These objectives are currently pursued through the DMK’s ‘Kalaignar Housing Scheme’.

Furthermore, the party promised to expand the rural employment guarantee programme to 150 days, moving beyond the Centre’s announced increase to 125 days.

Palaniswami stated that the AIADMK’s vision is firmly anchored in inclusive growth, social justice, and economic security for every family in the state. He added that the focus is on empowering women, strengthening livelihoods, ensuring housing for all, and restoring dignity to labour.

According to Palaniswami, these announcements constitute only the first phase of the party’s commitments. Further proposals addressing education, healthcare, agriculture, youth employment, and industrial growth are expected to follow.