Tamil Nadu BJP demands Rs 8,000 Pongal cash gift

Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday demanded that Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announce an increase in the Pongal cash gift from Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000, to be distributed along with the traditional Pongal gift hamper.  

The demand was made by Tamil Nadu BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad, who accused the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of deliberately denying people their rightful Pongal entitlements over the last four years.

In a statement, Prasad alleged that the DMK government was attempting to mislead the poor and needy by announcing a “paltry” Rs 3,000 cash assistance ahead of elections, while withholding amounts legitimately due from previous years. He claimed that the Pongal cash support announced for 2026 does not compensate for the steady reduction and denial of benefits since the DMK assumed office.

The BJP spokesperson compared the current dispensation with the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government, under which Rs 2,500 in cash was provided along with the Pongal gift hamper in 2021. According to him, the DMK reduced the cash component to Rs 1,000 in 2022 and 2023, provided no cash assistance in 2024, and continued a similar pattern in 2025. “From 2022 to 2025, Tamil Nadu families should have received at least Rs 10,000 in Pongal cash assistance based on earlier benchmarks. Instead, the DMK has deprived them of nearly Rs 8,000 during these four years,” Prasad alleged.

He described the current Rs 3,000 announcement as a pre-election exercise aimed at securing votes rather than a sincere welfare measure. The BJP maintained that combining the announced Rs 3,000 with Rs 5,000 representing arrears from previous years would ensure a fair Rs 8,000 Pongal cash gift for 2026. Such a step, the party said, would reflect genuine concern for people affected by rising living costs.

Accusing the DMK of undermining welfare commitments and damaging the State’s governance record, the BJP urged Chief Minister Stalin to immediately revise the Pongal cash assistance to Rs 8,000 and ensure its distribution along with the traditional gift hamper.

The party reiterated that restoring the full Pongal benefit was essential to deliver justice to the people of Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

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