Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026: party manifestos

Manifestos play a very important role in every election; They can even make or break political parties. In the 2006 elections, for example, the poll manifesto of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) promised free distribution of rice at ₹2 per kg, color television sets and gas stoves, among others. According to political experts, this ‘hero’ of the manifesto catapulted the party to power.

Cut to 2026, promises of prosperity continue to dominate the election manifestos of political parties contesting the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. While the AIADMK has made numerous promises to women, such as free refrigerators, LPG cylinders and ₹2,000 monthly allowance, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has proposed a major administrative overhaul, including the creation of multiple functional capitals in Tamil Nadu, to ease pressure on Chennai and improve access to governance. Meanwhile, the ruling DMK has promised a voucher worth ₹8,000 to all housewives who “do not pay Income Tax” to buy any electronic home appliance of their choice from the nearest stores.

Parties like AMMK, MDMK and TMC(M) also published their manifestos.