Barely weeks after assuming office, Chief Minister S Joseph Vijay’s government is once again facing fresh criticism over what can be described as a growing pattern of scaling down major election promises after coming to power.
In its April 2026 manifesto, TVK had promised a sweeping farm relief package that included a full waiver of cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres, a 50% waiver for larger farmers, annual assistance of ₹15,000 for every landholding farmer, ₹10,000 yearly support for farm labourers, 100% crop insurance coverage, five lakh solar pumps, and higher minimum support prices for paddy and sugarcane.
But the crop loan waiver announced by the Vijay government on Monday, 25 May 2026, fell far short of that promise.
As reported in News18/ANI, the government announced that only crop loans up to ₹50,000 taken through cooperative banks would be fully waived for marginal farmers. Farmers with larger loans would receive only partial relief on a graded basis, with those owing more than ₹1 lakh receiving just ₹5,000 in waiver support.
The scheme applies only to loans taken between 1 May 2025 and 28 February 2026 and is expected to cost the state ₹2,044.46 crore.
TVK minister CTR Nirmalkumar claimed the move fulfilled an election promise and said around 14.22 lakh farmers would benefit from the waiver scheme.
However, the original manifesto had promised a full waiver based on landholding size, not a capped and graded waiver linked to loan amounts. Several other major promises made to farmers including annual financial assistance, MSP guarantees, solar pumps and full crop insurance were absent from the announcement.
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The controversy has also revived criticism over the Vijay government’s first major post-election decision on electricity subsidies.
During the election campaign, TVK repeatedly promised “200 units free electricity every month” for households. But after assuming office, the government’s first order implemented 200 free units only once every two months, and only for households consuming less than 500 units during the bi-monthly billing cycle.
This distinction fundamentally reduced the value of the subsidy because Tamil Nadu follows a two-month billing system. Middle-class households consuming above the 500-unit ceiling were also excluded from the benefit.
With the crop loan waiver now similarly diluted from its original campaign pitch, the Vijay government is increasingly coming across as one which promises one thing and delivers something else or underdelivers.
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