DMK’s Chennai manifesto | Ezhilan Naganathan explains party’s final-phase pitch

With just days left for polling, the DMK has unveiled a Chennai-specific manifesto, highlighting key promises and achievements tailored for the city, triggering a debate over its timing and intent.

In this exclusive conversation with The Federal, Thousand Lights MLA Dr Ezhilan Naganathan explains why the party felt the need for a separate focus on Chennai, what it means for voters, and how DMK plans to deliver on major infrastructure projects despite funding challenges.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Is this the first time DMK has come up with a special manifesto for Chennai, and why now?

See, DMK and Chennai have a long relationship. We were the first regional party to take up local body elections before Assembly polls, and we won there. So Chennai has always been close to DMK.

But here, we have already given an elaborate manifesto. The chief minister had already released a manifesto earlier. Because this is the last phase of elections in Chennai, we are highlighting what is already in the manifesto.

The various announcements we made are already existing. We are just elaborating on those points. The CM has taken responsibility to speak about what has been done and what needs to be done in every sector across Tamil Nadu. Now that we are in the final phase, this is about highlighting achievements and what we will upgrade going forward.

Is this move a response to surveys suggesting DMK may not sweep Chennai like in 2021?

No, the Opposition will always say something. We want to clearly tell the people of Chennai what has already been promised. It is the duty of any political party to make things clear so that the mandate is restored.

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Chennai has always been a bastion of DMK, and it will continue to be.

How will you complete Metro and infrastructure projects despite delays in central funding?

That’s a good question. The Union government is putting a lot of conditions. For example, under the PM housing scheme, they give only Rs 1.5 lakh per unit, while the state government bears Rs 13.5 lakh.

We want the Centre to participate more, and we will push for that. At the same time, Tamil Nadu’s own tax revenue is about 75 per cent, so we are self-sufficient. That is why we are boldly taking up projects like Chennai Metro Rail.

Pending central dues of around Rs 65,000 crore have already been infused because we don’t want people to suffer. We want the project completed on time. The state is in constant negotiation with the Union government and will continue to press for funds.

Can Tamil Nadu execute these projects without central support if needed?

We are not Uttar Pradesh, which depends on 53 per cent of Union government grants. We are not Gujarat, which relies on 70–80 per cent on central support and political push.

We are Tamil Nadu. We are self-sufficient to manage our affairs, and we will also pressure the Union government to do its part.

What are your key promises for the Thousand Lights constituency?

In Thousand Lights, we have taken a 360-degree approach. People have asked for a physiotherapy centre, so that is one key focus.

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Second, we want to create a citizen governance portal in every apartment complex. This will connect people directly to departments like electricity board, slum board, metro water, and corporation services. Citizen governance at the doorstep will play a vital role.

We are also expanding programmes like Leader in Me, which focuses on personality development for school students, and increasing smart classrooms.

In housing, we have completed 1,000 houses in the first phase. In the second phase, another 1,000 houses for the urban poor will be developed. We want to create a better environment for the working class in Chennai.

Your professor campaigned for you — how did that happen?

My wife is a doctor, and a group of doctors wanted to campaign, so I created a separate campaign trail for them. It was a surprise for me when my professor showed up one day to campaign.

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I was on my regular campaign trail when I started getting WhatsApp videos and messages. It was really unexpected. I am grateful to my professor for coming at this age and campaigning in the heat. It was a blissful moment for me.

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