TVK chief Vijay promises ₹25 lakh medical insurance, free power in Puducherry

Puducherry: Actor-turned-politician Vijay on Saturday made a series of big-ticket promises ahead of elections in Puducherry, including ₹25 lakh medical insurance for every family and free electricity up to 200 units for Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.

Addressing supporters, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief said his party is committed to people-centric governance, adding that “TVK candidates stand for the people, with the people.”

Other big promises by TVK included the formation of Puducherry University of Applied Sciences and Arts, local body elections within six months of forming the government and efforts to secure full statehood for Puducherry.

Taking a dig at national parties, Vijay said that despite being in power at the Centre, both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (Congress) failed to grant full statehood to Puducherry.

He also criticised alliances in the Union Territory, calling the All India NR Congress-BJP tie-up an “exhausted alliance”, while describing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Congress alliance as “confused,” similar to the political situation in Tamil Nadu.

He urged voters to support TVK's "whistle" symbol in the Union Territory to usher in a "one-finger revolution", an apparent reference to a dialogue from one of his movies.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is contesting independently in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly general elections scheduled for April 9, with counting of votes on May 4.