Puducherry polls: PMK to go solo for 16 May elections

Puducherry: On Sunday, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) announced that it will go it alone in the Union Territory for the 16 May Assembly polls and released its first list of candidates for 20 out of the total 30 seats besides vowing to implement prohibition, if elected to power. At a press conference, PMK general secretary Vadivel Ravanan introduced the nominees for the 20 seats and also released the party’s election manifesto. Names of the candidates for the remaining ten seats would be released in course of time after getting formal approval by party founder S Ramadoss, he said.

The PMK’s poll manifesto for Puducherry promises to bring in legislative measures to protect fertile lands by preventing their conversion for other purposes. Free education would be available for poor students from primary school upto higher education levels. An industrial park would be set up exclusively for educated women to augment their skills and make rapid progress in their careers, it said. Vadivel Ravanan said a separate state level university would be set up here. Total prohibition would be enforced in the UT to prevent casualties arising out of alcoholism and protect health of the people. The party would bring in a separate budget for agricultural sector besides sugarcane farmers have been assured of a price of Rs 4,000 for a ton of cane supplied by them to the mills. Right to Education would be implemented, he said. Protection of well-being of the marginalised and depressed sections, uninterrupted medical facilities to the poor, incentives to proficient sports persons by granting Rs 10 lakh for those emerging victorious at national and international levels, encouragement of farming activities through incentives and job opportunities to the youth are other highlights of the manifesto.