BJP leader and Mylapore candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday actively participated in numerous election campaigns across the constituency to secure a win in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Sarath Kumar backs candidate, praises dedication
Joining the campaign in Soundararajan’s support, actor and BJP leader R. Sarath Kumar praised her approach, noting that she raises public issues with immense dedication and discipline. During his address, Sarath Kumar asserted that the development seen across Tamil Nadu is the result of Central government schemes rather than the efforts of the state government.
“She is going to address all the issues here. She takes up issues with a lot of dedication and discipline and gets results...All the development you see in Tamil Nadu is due to Central schemes, not the state government. She is not a normal human being, according to me, she is a workaholic and what she says. She will definitely be implemented in Mylapore,” said Kumar.
Debate over development and Centre-state roles
Kumar also stressed that the development reflected in Tamil Nadu is the result of the Central Government schemes.
“How does the DMK party say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving fake promises to Tamil people. What do they have. Let them keep improving in all this? For 11 years it’s been given, 11 lakh crore is given to Tamil Nadu . All Metro and whatever the name and you see, all the development you see in Tamil Nadu right now is from the center government. Even Jal Jeevan water reached the villages, It is a central scheme. DMK is trying to say that this is their scheme, but no, this is central government schemes. Everything which is done in state of Tamil Nadu is because of the central government, not because of the state government,” added Kumar.
Modi criticises DMK over scheme implementation
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, accusing it of hampering the implementation of central government schemes, depriving the public of the benefits.
Virtually addressing the party’s booth workers in Tamil Nadu at the ‘Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot Samvad’ programme, PM Modi alleged that the DMK government failed to conduct proper surveys that resulted in eligible people being deprived of schemes like PM Awas Yojana and PM Mudra Yojana.
“Under the Mudra scheme, millions of youth and small traders have received loans without a guarantee. A large number of women have also benefited from it. But it is unfortunate that due to the attitude of the DMK government, many poor families could not avail the benefits of the PM Awas Yojana. Proper surveys were not conducted, names of eligible people were not included... If this work had been done, then millions of families in Tamil Nadu would have received pucca houses.” PM Modi said.
Direct benefit schemes highlighted
The Prime Minister assured BJP workers that the government has always ensured that the benefits of schemes are availed by the people and has taken steps to cut out middlemen. He highlighted the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, where people have received financial assistance directly to thier bank accounts.
“Our approach has been to ensure that the benefits of schemes reach farmers directly, without any middlemen. In Tamil Nadu, thousands of crores have been transferred directly to farmers under PM Kisan. Under the Fasal Beema Yojana as well, claims worth thousands of crores have been settled, and that money has gone directly into farmers’ accounts,” he said.
Polling schedule and electoral contest
Tamil Nadu polls are scheduled to be conducted in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.
The main contest is the elections is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.
Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with TVK, which may turn the contest into a three-way fight.
Published on April 13, 2026