Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin (ANI)
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday launched the party’s election manifesto portal 2026 at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, in Chennai, marking the beginning of preparations for the upcoming assembly elections.Stalin introduced the official email ID, WhatsApp number and social media platforms of the DMK Election Manifesto Drafting Committee, which is intended to collect ideas and suggestions from people across different sections of society for the party’s election manifesto.He also announced the launch of the “Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme,” which will extend the benefits of the Old Pension Scheme.Under the new scheme, government employees will be assured a pension equal to 50 per cent of their last drawn salary. To implement this, the state government will contribute the entire additional amount required to the Pension Fund, over and above the 10 per cent contribution made by employees.Addressing the gathering, MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said the party leadership wanted the manifesto to be shaped by public opinion.”This manifesto should be the people’s manifesto, which is what our leader advised us. Suresh Sambandham have created a portal, and we are going to launch it today, where people can give inputs. We thank our leader who came to launch the portal today. I also thank our CM for coming here after a big announcement on pensions,” she said.Kanimozhi said the DMK’s election manifestos have consistently focused on fulfilling promises made to the people. She added that the newly launched portal would allow common citizens from any sector to speak, write or upload their suggestions. “Today, we are launching a portal where common people who may be from any sector can talk, type and upload their inputs. Using AI, the portal will give us a recommendation,” she said.The launch comes a day after Congress MP Jothimani took a veiled jibe at DMK, warning that the Tamil Nadu unit of her party was being prevented from carrying out basic election-related responsibilities. She said the Congress was heading towards gradual destruction due to the selfish interests of a few leaders.“No political party would ever think of obstructing its parliamentary members from submitting the list of polling booth agents to the Election Commission at election time. Yet, in the Congress party, that is precisely what is happening,” she said, adding, “Tamil Nadu is facing an unprecedented peril from communalist, separatist, and violent forces.”Meanwhile, the BJP on Monday accused the Congress of exposing what it termed the DMK government’s “failure model” in Tamil Nadu. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan cited remarks by a Congress affiliate on rising state debt, questioned the stability of the Congress-DMK alliance, and sought responses from Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.Tamil Nadu is among the states where assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year.