DMK govt credits Rs 5,000 special assistance to 1.31 crore women in Tamil Nadu ahead of Assembly polls

Chennai: Placing women at the centre of the high-stakes 2026 assembly election battle, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu on Friday credited Rs 5,000 into the bank accounts of 1.31 crore beneficiaries of the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance scheme for women. Of this, Rs 3,000 covers advance payments for February, March, and April, while the remaining Rs 2,000 is a “special summer assistance.”

Chief Minister M K Stalin, while making the announcement in an early morning video message, also declared that the monthly assistance will increase to Rs 2,000 if the DMK was voted back to power in the April-May assembly elections.

The monthly assistance scheme named after late M Karunanidhi is one of the flagship program of the Stalin dispensation as the DMK makes a concerted effort to tap into the women vote bank, long held by its principal rival, AIADMK.

With newbie politician Vijay too holding appeal among women across sections, the DMK believes the “surprise bonanza” and the enhancement in the monthly assistance would ensure that women stay with the ruling party.

Stalin’s 4.5-minute video message seems carefully drafted to convey the message that the DMK was committed to not just implementing the scheme even while the state faces election but also enhance the amount. And the reason Stalin cited for the advance disbursal was also political – he accused the BJP and AIADMK of “conspiring” to stop the scheme for the next few months citing the assembly elections and the ensuing Model of Conduct.

“Hence, my government decided to credit Rs 1,000 each for February, March, and April and an additional Rs 2,000 to handle expenses during the summer. I can imagine the problems you will face if the monthly assistance is not credited for three months. That is why I have ordered that Rs 5,000 be credited into your bank accounts,” Stalin said.

“They (BJP) was trying to stop the scheme for three months by hiding behind elections. Our Dravidian Model government thwarted their designs,” he said.

Ever since assuming office in May 2021, Stalin has been focusing on schemes that directly benefit women such as the free travel for women in town buses, Rs 1,000 monthly assistance, and free breakfast for children in government schools that eases burden on women.

The new announcement cost the already debt-ridden exchequer of Rs 6,500 crore – the state’s overall debt currently stands at Rs 9.21 lakh crore. In January, the government had distributed Rs 3,000 each to over two crore families as Pongal gift.

The announcement by Stalin mirrors the Rs 10,000 assistance that the NDA government in Bihar provided to 75 lakh women boost self-employment and entrepreneurship in October 2025, ahead of the assembly polls. The cash transfer was said to be one of the key factors that helped the Nitish Kumar government come back to power.

Sources told DH that the government decided to disburse the monthly assistance scheme in advance for the remainder of its term, which ends on May 11. “That is the reason we didn’t disburse the money for May as it would not be proper and might attract legal scrutiny. And to compensate that, a special summer assistance component was brought in,” a source told DH, that the Chief Minister took the decision to disburse the advance amount as he didn’t want any obstacle in the form of a judicial order.

Prof Ramu Manivannan, who taught political science at the University of Madras, told DH that the announcement will certainly have an impact in the election as it is pressing loyalty from women towards the DMK. “Such announcements are a little alarming as we don’t how promises will be made in the future. Competitive populism weakens treasury management of the state,” Manivannan added.