Trichy East (Tamil Nadu)

TVK Party president Vijay on Friday filed his nomination to contest the upcoming assembly elections from the Trichy East constituency. He had earlier filed his nomination for the Perambur seat on March 30.

Vijay is contesting from two seats, Preambur and Trichy East- against DMK's incumbent MLAs RD Sekar and Inigo S Irudayaraj, respectively. The Perambur constituency used to be a CPI(M) bastion till 2016. RD Sekar has held the seat since winning the bypolls in 2019.

A TVK carcade was present at Tiruchirappalli Airport, where party cadres gathered to welcome the leader ahead of his official engagements.

On March 30, Vijay unveiled the party's manifesto for the upcoming elections, promising "anti-drug protection zones" and a monthly assistance for students.

Addressing a press conference in Chennai, Vijay stressed his vision for a drug-free and self-reliant Tamil Nadu. He said anti-drug protection zones" will be established in all schools and colleges across the state. "Our primary goal is to create a drug-free Tamil Nadu," he asserted.

He also assured that all government examinations will be conducted on time without delays.

Vijay announced a monthly assistance of Rs 4,000 for graduates and Rs 2,000 for diploma holders.

Outlining his broader vision, he said, "Our long-term goal is to transform youth from job seekers into job creators." He promised the "Local Employment for Local People" scheme, stating that steps will be taken to ensure 75 per cent of jobs in Tamil Nadu are given to Tamils.

Further, Vijay unveiled the "Creative Entrepreneurs Scheme", aimed at transforming Tamil Nadu into a global hub for creators. Under this initiative, efforts will be made to develop 1.5 lakh creators into entrepreneurs, along with the establishment of 500 creative schools across the state.

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Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, covering a total of 234 constituencies in the State. Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

The main electoral contest in the State is expected between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which also includes Congress, DMDK, and the VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the BJP and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.