Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and actor-turned-politician Vijay has been granted permission by the Tiruchirappalli City Police to hold his election campaign in the city on Sunday, subject to 27 conditions imposed to maintain law and order.
According to official sources, Vijay is scheduled to arrive in Tiruchirappalli from Chennai by a special aircraft. He will begin his campaign in an open-top vehicle, addressing gatherings at key points including Wireless Road near the airport, KK Nagar Bus Stand, and Kottapattu.
The planned route of the procession will cover several prominent areas of the city, including the airport vicinity, Wireless Road, KK Nagar, Kajamalai, Kozhipannai Road, and Kottapattu, before concluding at the airport. The campaign has been permitted between 3 pm and 8 pm.
Election authorities and city police have cleared the event with strict conditions in place to ensure crowd management and public safety.
Earlier this week, Vijay released TVK’s election manifesto, unveiling a series of welfare-oriented promises ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections scheduled for April 23. Among the key announcements was a monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 for women heads of households and provisions of gold and silk sarees for brides from economically weaker families.
Positioning his party as an alternative to established political formations, Vijay emphasised what he described as “honest governance” and criticised rival parties for what he called repetitive and populist manifesto promises.
Outlining an extensive welfare agenda, the TVK manifesto includes collateral-free education loans of up to Rs 20 lakh, monthly stipends for unemployed graduates, large-scale internship programmes, and AI-powered coaching for competitive examinations.
In the social welfare segment, the party has proposed enhanced pensions for senior citizens, widows, and persons with disabilities, along with expanded healthcare insurance coverage and annual preventive health check-ups.
For youth employment, the manifesto promises monthly financial assistance for job seekers, startup and business loans, and structured internship opportunities for up to five lakh young people annually.
Agricultural measures include loan waivers for small and medium farmers, assured minimum support prices for key crops, annual financial assistance, and expanded crop insurance coverage. Fishermen’s welfare proposals feature seasonal relief payments, subsidised fuel, insurance coverage, and a statutory minimum support price for fish.
The manifesto also outlines reforms for government employees and workers, including a review of the old pension scheme, regularisation of contract staff, and revised wage structures for frontline workers.
TVK has also set out long-term economic goals, including positioning Tamil Nadu as a hub for artificial intelligence with dedicated institutions and infrastructure, alongside significant investments in MSME development and governance digitisation.
The party has proposed a “zero exclusion” model for public service delivery, ensuring doorstep access to government schemes and time-bound issuance of official documents.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The contest is expected to be primarily between the DMK-led alliance and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance, with TVK emerging as a new entrant in the electoral arena.
(With inputs from ANI)