Chennai: A new political party — Tamil Nadu Mahatma Gandhi Makkal Katchi — has been floated in the state ahead of the May 16 Assembly election with an aim to provide a corruption-free governance.
According to the party founder C. Thankappan the party would contest from all the 234 Assembly constituencies in the state with the promise of providing a transparent, honest and corruption-free governance. He would contest from Madurai Central after seeking the blessings of Goddess Meenakshi Amman in the Temple City.
He also released his party’s election manifesto, which assured five days job a week under the Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee scheme with weekly wages ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 500 per person depending upon the nature of work. If his party was voted to power in the election, TNMGMK would extend Rs 10,000 as loan to small and retail traders.
Establishing two PDS outlets, government fair price shops, medical shops and canteens in each wards of the state, the manifesto promised scrapping of entrance test for engineering and medical admissions, conducting marriage of girls from poor families at a cost of Rs. three lakh by the government.
In addition to setting up of industries in all the districts, the party would address the grievances of the farmers, initiate measures to make former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse face trial in the International court of justice for killing hundreds of innocent Tamils during the final phase of the ethnic war in the island nation besides finding a permanent solution to the problems of fishermen.
