"Tragedy & Welfare in TN: Death at TVK Chief Vijay's Rally Due to Heatstroke; CM Stalin Transfers ₹5000 to 1.31 Crore Women"

A 37-year-old man died of heatstroke at a rally organized by Tamil Nadu's Chief of Tamil Nadu, TVK, Vijay Vijay, in Salem. Police said Suraj, a resident of Maharashtra, collapsed after complaining of chest pains during the rally.

Suraj died on the way to the hospital in an unconscious state. He had been living in Salem for several years. Police said Suraj had recently undergone angioplasty. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

On September 27 last year, a stampede broke out during actor Vijay Vijay's rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu. The crowd suddenly went out of control, resulting in the deaths of 41 people and injuries to several others.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Friday that his government had deposited ₹5,000 into the bank accounts of 13.1 million women in the state under the Kalaignar Women's Rights Scheme.

Promised ₹2,000 per month if returned to power

Stalin said that ₹3,000 has already been disbursed for the February, March, and April installments. Additionally, ₹2,000 has been provided as a summer special package. This means that each beneficiary woman has received a total of ₹5,000.

The CM promised that if his party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), returns to power, the monthly assistance of ₹1,000 for women will be increased to ₹2,000.

He said that some people wanted to withhold funds from this scheme, citing the elections, but his government had already sent the money so that women would not face any problems.

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan described Stalin's move as motivated by election fear and fever. Soundararajan said that the state government was unnecessarily blaming the central government.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has a total of 234 seats, and elections are expected to be held in the first six months of this year. Stalin's party last won a majority in 2021.

AIADMK promises ₹2,000 pension

Ahead of the elections, the opposition AIADMK has promised to increase the pension for the elderly, widows, disabled, and transgender people from ₹1,200 to ₹2,000. It also promises to waive students' education loans, provide three free gas cylinders a year to ration card holders, and provide interest-free loans to women.

Financial assistance to women in other states -

West Bengal: The Lakshmi Bhandaar scheme was launched in 2021. Under this scheme, women received ₹500 per month. However, this amount has now been increased to ₹1,500 ahead of the assembly elections.

Madhya Pradesh: The Ladli Behna Yojana was launched before the 2023 assembly elections. Under this scheme, women received ₹1,000 per month. This amount has now been increased to ₹1,500.

Himachal Pradesh: The Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana was launched in 2023. Under this scheme, ₹1,500 is transferred to women's accounts every month.

Jharkhand: The Chief Minister Mainiyan Samman Yojana was launched in the state in August 2024. Under this scheme, women were given ₹1,000 per month. Before the 2024 assembly elections, Chief Minister Hemant Soren increased the amount to ₹2,500.

Kerala: The Stree Suraksha Yojana was launched on December 22, 2025. Under this scheme, women and transwomen will receive ₹1,000 per month. The scheme was implemented by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government ahead of the assembly elections.