In Tamil Nadu, freebies star in election script

THamizharasi, 56, a long-time occupant of Urappakkam close madras, has been receiving financial assistance of ₹1,000 per month for the yesteryear 23 months below the state government Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (a cash handout to women that serves 11.5 million beneficiaries) and uses free bus travel, made available through the Vidiyal Payanam scheme launched in ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme launched in May-June 2021, for work and to visit her daughters.She also lives in a house built under a government scheme, Kalaignar Kanavu Illam Scheme formally announced in FY2024-25.Thamizharasi says the schemes have made her worry less about money. “ I can visit my daughters at will without caring about additional cost.”Both the cash handout and the free travel were made possible by schemes launched by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) after it won the 2021 assembly elections. To be sure, welfare schemes are not new to a state that pioneered them under the two Dravidian parties, the DMK and its rival , the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. They have also now become near-universal templates across India, in elections at all levels.Nor is the state new to freebies -- households in the state have received, over the decades, everything from colour television sets to kitchen appliances.This election too, cash handouts and freebies are very much at play.Leader of opposition and general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Edappadi K Palaniswami, announced that his party would provide free refrigerators to ration card holders and expand the benefits of the free bus travel scheme to include men.But the incumbent has an edge when it comes to welfare schemes and handouts -- simply because it can transfer real money instead of promises.In Bihar, for instance, a cash handout to women ahead of the election announcement is seen as one factor in the re-election of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state (although he has since resigned as chief minister and moved to the Rajya Sabha).In Tamil Nadu too, the M K Stalin led DMK timed a cash handout ahead of the election announcement.Thamizharasi says she was surprised in January when she received ₹5,000 as immediate cash assistance to celebrate the Pongal festival (the state’s biggest festival).She gets subsidised ration every month and free electricity, and her daughters received free medicines and food supplements during their pregnancy. “Education, books, uniforms for my grandchildren are provided free,” she added, admitting that such schemes have been around in the state for decades.“Even Amma (former chief minister J Jayaliliathaa of the AIADMK ) gave free washing machines and mixer grinders.” She is a testament to the age-old ethos of welfare politics to woo voters, hallmark of Dravidian politics.In 1949, former Chief Minister C N Annadurai launched the DMK and prioritised sectors such as education, healthcare, and social welfare. He started subsidised rice schemes in the 1960s.After being expelled from the DMK by the then chief minister M Karunanidhi in October 1972, actor M G Ramachandran launched the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1972 and came to power in the 1977 elections defeating DMK.MG Ramachandran, fondly called MGR, strengthened and expanded the mid-day meal scheme at primary level in 1982 (it was originally introduced by K Kamaraj, a Congress leader and former chief minister of the state) to encourage school enrolment and improving nutrition. The scheme was extended to urban areas in September 1982 and two years later, its coverage was made universal. He also started providing free electricity to farmers.On his return to power in 1989, Karunanidhi, chief minister Stalin’s father, extended free electricity scheme to cover all poor.In 2006, he also distributed free colour television sets, branded “Kalaignar TV” .Political analyst Mahesh Sethuraman added that Jayalalithaa branded the welfare schemes after herself. Many schemes sported the name Amma (mother), as she was referred to by supporters. She launched Amma Canteens providing subsidised food, and Amma Water, and gave out LPG cylinders, computers, mixers, even washing machines.“If Kalaignar gave TV, Amma distributed washing machines. With introduction of such populist measures, Tamil Nadu can be considered as a pioneer of freebie politics in India,” Sethuraman said.Stalin has continued with this legacy, introducing free bus travel for women, the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai scheme, and the Pudhumai Penn scheme which provides ₹1,000 to girl students who had studied from Class 6 to 12 in government run schools.According to budget documents for 2025-26, nearly ₹98,857 crore goes towards social welfare schemes with a whopping ₹13,807 crore alone earmarked for the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam scheme. The debt of the state which stood at ₹5,60,000 lakh crore in 2021-22 grew to around ₹9,52,374 lakh crore in 2025-26.Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu while presenting the interim budget said it is projected to reach ₹10,62,248 lakh crore for 2026-27. As a proportion of state GSDP, the debt stands at about 26.43 per cent.Despite high debt, Tamil Nadu is much better than Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Punjab on debt-GSDP ratio, a measure to evaluate state’s financial help, according to PRS Legislative study.Sethuraman said many of these schemes were aimed at reducing income inequality and improve living conditions. The question remains whether these schemes have achieved its objectives although studies show that income inequality in Tamil Nadu is less than that in some other states.“Distribution of such financial assistance by borrowing would ruin State finances. Somebody has to pay back the exchequer,” political analyst Sumanth Raman cautioned.To be sure, the current Union government has also popularised welfarism and cash handouts.Some of the central welfare and cash handout schemes operating in Tamil Nadu include PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi which provides ₹6,000 annually to farmers in three installments, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana which offers financial assistance for building permanent houses among others.The Multi-Dimensional Poverty is Tamil Nadu has reduced from 4.76% of the state’s population in 2015-16 to 1.43% in 2023 as compared to national reduction from 24.85% to 11.28% during the same period, as per a NITI Aayog paper published in 2025.The reduction in Maharashtra was 14.80% to 5.48%, in Karnataka from 12.77% to 5.67%, in UP from 37.64% to 17.40 %, in West Bengal from 21.29% to 8.60%and Madhya Pradesh from 36.57% to 15.01%. To be sure, 2023 numbers are estimates based on National Family Health Surveys conducted in 2015-16 and 2019-2020.