Bribing of voters at the cost of Aam Admi in Tamil Nadu

AIADMK manifesto for April 13 Assembly elections on Thursday promised 20 kg of 
free rice for ration-card holders, laptops for students from classes XI, free 
fans, mixers and grinders to all and mineral water to BPL families.
In a bid to woo women voters, Ms. Jayalalithaa promised four gms of gold for 
 ‘Mangalsutra’ free of cost to poor, besides cable TV connections at subsidized rates.
AIADMK if voted to power would provide free bus passes to all citizens aged over 
58, a sugarcane procurement price of Rs 2,500 a tonne, a restructured health 
insurance scheme for all and a special scheme for the welfare of Sri Lankan 
Tamil refugees, now lodged in camps across the state, she said.
Four sets of uniform and footwear for students, 20 litres of mineral water a day 
to Below Poverty Line families, six months  maternity leave for women and Rs 
12,000 as pregnancy allowance have also been promised.
The party assured assistance ranging from Rs 1000-Rs 5000 for students from 
class X onwards in government and private schools, with a view to bring down the 
school drop-out rate.
Old aged persons abandoned by their wards would be lodged in homes and provided 
three meals a day, free medical aid and library facilities, according to the 
manifesto.

Comments by  S. C. Maheshwari : Friends,

No doubt it is an attempt to bribe the voters & ultimately Aam Admi will have to foot the bill. A silver lining also is emerging. after years of hard work by AISCCON, RREWA & Bharat Pensioners Samaj, at last Politicians have  started  realizing the vote value of Seniors. Reference to Seniors in General & Rail budgets too indicate the same. View  ppt to know how much is Elderly  vote value. Link : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22740206/Elderly%20vote%20power.ppt