Jaya promises free power up to 100 units, mobiles

In keeping with the practice of showering freebies on voters, the AIADMK on Thursday promised free mobile phones and set-top boxes, besides providing 50 per cent subsidy for women buying two-wheelers.

Releasing the party’s manifesto, AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa also promised free electricity up to 100 units for all households. “This would benefit 78 lakh people,” Jayalalithaa, seeking an unprecedented second consecutive term, said.

Providing one job for a person in a household, free internet connection to students in addition to the free laptops are among the promises the AIADMK has made in its manifesto.

"Free Wi-Fi connections will be provided at all important bus stands, commercial complexes, parks and other public places", Jayalalithaa said.

In what has been a stark contrast to the largely freebies-free manifestoes by other parties, the AIADMK also listed out Rs 500 gift coupons for ration card holders during Pongal festival to buy dresses at state-owned Co-optex outlets.

“Ten lakh houses will be constructed under the green house scheme for the poor,” Jayalalithaa said, adding free houses will be provided to the downtrodden people living in rented houses.

Adding nutritious breakfast to the midday meal scheme and distributing “Amma Banking Card” to provide Rs 1000 interest free loans to poor women are other significant promises in the manifesto.

Reaching out to the farmers, she said Rs 40,000 crore  crop loans to farmers in the next five years and creation of Amma Collateral Guarantee Fund with a corpus of Rs 100 crore to offer loans to small and medium start-ups.