Pongal 2026 seems to be a bumper season for citizens of Tamil Nadu. With the Assembly elections just a few months away, DMK politicians are reportedly showering them with more gifts under the guise of Pongal.
We just saw how mixer grinders were distributed in Tamil Nadu under the name of Udhayanidhi Stalin – the appliances carried his stickers.
These freebies or rather ‘gifts’ are being distributed apart from the ₹3,000 Pongal Parisu which is given along with 1 kg rice, 1 kg sugar, one sugarcane for ration card holders across the state.
In this series, it has been reported that several DMK ministers are also doing the same.
In Trichy West, the constituency of DMK minister KN Nehru, thousands of premium Pongal gift hampers have been distributed across more than 23 wards over the past few days. Party functionaries said each ward was tasked with distributing between 2,500 and 3,000 boxes, taking the total well beyond 60,000 hampers in the constituency.
Local DMK organisers said the kits contained four stainless-steel plates, four tumblers, two cooking pans, a shirt, a pant and a saree, packed in boxes displaying images of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, KN Nehru and MP Arun Nehru. Residents who received the hampers said the combined market value exceeded ₹2,500 per household.
#DMK Minister K.N. Nehru rolls out Rs.2,500 worth premium Pongal hampers across Tiruchy West, 4plates, 4 tumblers, two cooking pans, pant & shirt- Saree, the 2026 Assembly race has quietly begun in every ward. Across over 23 wards aimed to give 3k boxes in each wards covering its… pic.twitter.com/tYJMQBzSgu
— Pearson abraham/பியர்சன் (@pearsonlenekar) January 12, 2026
A DMK ward secretary in Trichy West said the instruction from the party leadership was not to refuse anyone willing to accept the gift, including voters belonging to other parties. He said cadres had been asked to distribute the kits widely and that additional stocks were being supplied whenever ward units ran out.
DMK functionaries said that unlike previous years, when Pongal gifts were restricted to basic items such as sugarcane or cooking pots, the 2026 cycle was being marked by a significantly more expensive and branded package.
Responding to criticism that the distribution was election-oriented, DMK Trichy city district secretary M Anbazhagan said the gifts were meant to acknowledge grassroots workers and their families. He said the government had already announced a ₹3,000 Pongal cash assistance and that party leaders were separately doing their part for supporters.
In Karur, DMK sources said former minister V Senthil Balaji was preparing to roll out a similar Pongal gift campaign in the coming days, reinforcing the sense that the festival had become an early vehicle for voter mobilisation.
In Chennai, DMK IT wing deputy secretary Karthik Mohan posted photographs on social media showing Pongal gift boxes being distributed in Anna Nagar wards 105, 107 and 108. His post said residents had been receiving gift kits since 8 January 2026. Party sources said each box contained a 10-piece cooking set with pots, plates, tumblers and ladles, with all sides of the box listing the DMK government’s achievements.
Source: The New Indian Express
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