Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026: AIADMK releases manifesto; assures free refrigerators to women ration card-holders

AIADMK's 2026 manifesto promises free rations, women's benefits, education reforms, and economic growth initiatives for Tamil Nadu.

Releasing the AIADMK manifesto for the 2026 Assembly election, the party general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) announced the provision of one kg of pulse and one litre of cooking oil, free of cost, to ration card-holders under the public distribution system (PDS), along with free rice.

The distribution of free refrigerators to women beneficiaries of the PDS, the revision of electricity tariff on common facilities in multi-storey apartments, and the increase in horizontal reservation for students of government schools in admission to the medical courses from 7.5% to 10.5% are among the highlights of the manifesto. It contained 297 assurances.

Mr. Palaniswami told reporters at the party headquarters that if his party captured power, the government would do everything to augment the sources to fund all the welfare schemes. “Just as we, in the government, had managed the situation amid funds shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will do it this time too.”

As for agriculture, the party assured the electorate of steps to fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy at ₹3,500 a quintal (now, ₹2,545 and ₹2,500 for grade A and common varieties respectively) and a fair and remunerative price of ₹4,500 a tonne (currently ₹3,500) for sugar cane. Small and marginal farmers would get an annual production subsidy of up to ₹15,000 per hectare. A scheme, envisaging an accident insurance cover of ₹25 lakh, would be formulated for families of missing fishermen and those who died at sea.

Making it clear that there “is no change” in the party’s stand against the clauses of the National Education Policy detrimental to the two language formula, the manifesto said provisions of the policy that were not detrimental “can be accepted”. 

Among the other assurances given by the AIADMK were the revival of nearly 2,000 Amma Clinics; conversion of all city buses into electric vehicles; and a subsidy of ₹30,000 for 1 kilowatt (KW) and ₹60,000 for 2 KW of rooftop solar panels installed at houses.