Tamil Nadu Assembly poll: DMK to release election manifesto on March 11

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, leading party of the Opposition alliance in Tamil Nadu, will release its much-awaited manifesto for the April 6 Assembly elections in Chennai on March 11. Party President M K Stalin on Wednesday said the manifesto, which is being finalised, will be the “hero of the Assembly elections.”

The release of the manifesto will be preceded by a mega rally in Tiruchirapalli on March 7 during which Stalin will release his 10-year vision for Tamil Nadu. “I will release a vision document for the next 10 years. The vision will have two salient features – seven-point guidance and a long-term planning document,” Stalin said in the statement.

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Four days after the rally in Tiruchirappalli, the Central Tamil Nadu city considered lucky for the DMK, the party will release its manifesto on March 11. “The manifesto will be the hero of this election,” Stalin said, borrowing words from late M Karunanidhi who had described DMK's promise of colour television sets in 2006 as the “hero” that clinched the poll in party's favour.

Sources said the DMK's manifesto will have "ättractice announcements”, besides suggesting several measures to address problems like unemployment. “Unemployment is the biggest issue today, and the manifesto will address it. Besides, we have other announcements that will help the people,” a DMK leader told DH.

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DMK, which has been out of power for the past 10 years, is pulling all stops to win the April 6 Assembly elections. However, the party's decision to contest in 180 seats, allotting only 54 to others, has upset the alliance partners, including Congress.