Caught Napping: Has DMK Succeeded In Wooing Women Vote Bank Of AIADMK?

The DMK, it must be acknowledged, has mastered the art of winning voters and influencing segments. Here, TASMAC, a company owned by the Tamil Nadu government, has a monopoly over wholesale and retail vending of alcoholic beverages. And TASMAC keeps the men coming unfailingly to quench their spiritual thirst, simultaneously filling up government coffers. TASMAC revenues keep zooming up every year, an abiding testimony to happy TN men. But the women are an unhappy lot as men save their income for slaking their thirst. And drunken behaviour had its social fallout in ill-treatment of women. But MGR cannily aimed his AIADMK welfare programmes at women, and Jayalalithaa too did likewise. AIADMK now headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) took this women’s loyalty for granted. Not anymore. After humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha EPS has been doing intense stock taking of defeat and strategic run up to 2026 Assembly election. Intense powwow with his core group has thrown up some clues as to why Camelot was lost.  Meanwhile, TN chief minister MK Stalin aims to make women in his state happy, and turn them into devoted vote banks. On 15^th of every month Rs 1000 is credited to the homemaker’s account by the TN government. After women, the government is focussing on youth and putting a stop to cash handouts. DMK’s Tamil Nadu Manavar (Student) Thittam Scheme has in one fell blow, the practice of cash out handouts during election time. DMK feels regular open payments from the exchequer is the best incentive for vote bank loyalty. Looks like Stalin and his party came up with creative solutions that have put EPS on the backfoot.