Stalin Deposits Rs 5,000 to 1.31 Crore Women Ahead of TN Elections
Stalin Deposits Rs 5,000 to 1.31 Crore Women Ahead of TN Elections
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin deposits Rs 5,000 to 13.1 million women under Kalaignar Women's Entitlement, pledging to raise monthly aid to Rs 2,000 if DMK stays in power.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Friday credited ₹5,000 into bank accounts of 13.1 million women beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Women’s Entitlement scheme, a flagship DMK welfare program. The deposit covers the monthly entitlement of ₹1,000 for February, March, and April 2026, plus a one-time 'summer assistance' to help with rising household costs. In all, ₹5,000 was deposited into the accounts of 1.31 crore women across the state.
Stalin, in a video message posted on X, said the move was aimed at countering attempts by vested interests to freeze the scheme as the state heads into elections. He asserted that once DMK returns to power this year, the monthly entitlement would jump from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000. The Kalaignar Women’s Entitlement scheme was announced in 2021 and implemented in 2023. Opposition leaders from AIADMK-BJP criticised the timing, terming it a move born of 'fear of defeat at the hustings' and accusing the government of bending rules to suit political ends.
Political analysts say the cash handout underscores the DMK's strategy to anchor women's votes in a highly competitive electoral climate, while critics argue that the plan's short-term cash boost may not address longer-term welfare needs.
