Pongal Gifting Frenzy: TN Parties Shower Voters with Steel Plates to Cricket Kits Ahead of Polls

• Tamil Nadu's harvest festival, Pongal, has become a major political outreach event with extensive gifting by DMK and AIADMK.
• Gifts range from stainless steel plates, Pongal pots, ghee, rice, and sarees to cricket kits, far exceeding previous years.
• The state government announced Rs 3,000 cash assistance for ration card holders as part of Pongal celebrations.
• DMK leaders like K N Nehru and S Regupathy distributed household items and vessels, branded with party leaders' images.
• AIADMK leaders, including C Vijayabhaskar and SP Velumani, distributed elaborate Pongal kits and cricket kits respectively.
• BJP criticized the giveaways as election-oriented, while DMK defended them as a long-standing tradition and a reflection of public goodwill.

Why It Matters: Tamil Nadu parties are engaging in unprecedented Pongal gifting to influence voters ahead of upcoming Assembly elections.