A viral social media reel featuring a child describing gifts received under the DMK government’s Pongal distribution scheme has sparked fresh political debate, as the state moves closer to the 2026 Assembly elections.
In the widely shared video, the child is heard saying, “Hi friends. Yesterday my grandmother went and got the token for the Pongal gift. Udhayanidhi Stalin gave a mixer grinder. They gave three jars. They gave a veshti. They gave a saree. Everything was good. We are happy.”
The video has drawn attention to the scale and nature of the DMK government’s Pongal distribution programme this year. Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had announced ₹3,000 as Pongal Parisu along with 1 kg rice, 1 kg sugar, one sugarcane for ration card holders across the state. In addition to the cash assistance, reports have emerged from several districts that households are also receiving consumer appliances such as mixer grinders as part of the festive distribution.
According to local accounts circulating on social media, the appliances being distributed carry photographs of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin pasted on them, further adding a political dimension to what is officially described as a welfare initiative.
With the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections approaching, the Pongal distribution drive and the branding of welfare goods have come under scrutiny from opposition parties and political observers, who allege that the ruling DMK is using state resources and festive schemes to bolster its public image and electoral prospects.
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