Chennai: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) released its manifesto ahead of the coming general elections, promising chief ministers a say in the appointment of governors and restricting the latter’s powers — an unprecedented promise by any party in India’s history, and one that points to the country’s fraying federal fabric.

The party, which governs Tamil Nadu, said in its manifesto that it would amend the Constitution’s Article 361, which shields a governor from criminal proceedings, apart from scrapping of the National Education Policy, 2020, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, and the “One Nation, One Election” proposal. It also opposed the imposition of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

The promises related to gubernatorial office come against the backdrop of the DMK government’s frequent run-ins with governor RN Ravi. The DMK has accused Ravi of being an agent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological fount, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The Tamil Nadu government’s battle with Ravi, which has reached the Supreme Court, mirrors the experience of some other states governed by parties opposed to the BJP, such as Kerala,Telangana, West Bengal and Delhi (it has a lieutenant governor being a Union territory with an elected assembly).

In the latest episode of its ongoing fight with Ravi, the Tamil Nadu government accused him of attempting to run a parallel government as it approached the Supreme Court on Monday against his refusal to swear in K Ponmudi as minister after the court suspended the DMK leader’s conviction in a disproportionate assets case.

“It is not only a DMK manifesto but the people’s manifesto. When the BJP came to power in 2014, they destroyed India. None of the election promises were fulfilled. We have formed the INDIA bloc, and we will form our government in 2024. It is DMK that makes the manifesto before elections and continues to do what we say; this is what our leaders taught us,” DMK president and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said.

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The party also released the names of its candidates for the 21 Lok Sabha seats it is contesting — of the 39 seats in the state, its partners are contesting 18 — including 11 new faces.

Fielding 11 fresh faces, the DMK retained 10 incumbents. Those seeking re-election include DMK’s Delhi face Kanimozhi (from Thoothukudi), Kalanidhi Veerasamy (North Chennai_, Thamizhachi Thangapandian (South Chennai), Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), parliamentary party leader TR Baalu (Sriperumbudur), S Jagathrakshakan (Arakkonam), Kathir Anand (Vellore), A Raja (Nilgiris).

The son of former Tamil Nadu minister K Ponmudy who is the incumbent Kallakurichi MP, Gowtham Sigamani has lost his ticket. Dharmapuri MP S Senthilkumar who became infamous after referring to north Indian states as ‘gaumautra states’ in Parliament was also dropped.

“In its 2021 election promises, DMK lied and cheated by saying that it will reduce cooking gas, petrol and diesel prices, three years after coming to power, it did not say anything about it, and now it is not ashamed to make the same false promise for the parliamentary elections?” said BJP’s Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai adding that people are aware that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win a third straight term. “People are not ready to believe DMK’s plays anymore.”

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The DMK, which is part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), has also promised statehood to the Union territory of Puducherry and exemption for aspirants from Tamil Nadu from the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). It has pledged Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils and a Supreme Court bench in Chennai, the elimination of toll plazas on the National Highways, Minimum Support Price for farmers, educational loan waivers and LPG cylinders at ₹500, petrol at ₹75 and diesel at ₹65.

The manifesto claims that institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Reserve Bank, the University Grants Commission, the Indian Medical Council, the Election Commission of India, and the Union government’s educational boards are in danger under the BJP government. “After a change in administration, these constitutional institutions will operate autonomously and without political interference, as designed in the Constitution.”

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The DMK said that if the INDIA bloc was voted to power, the new Union government would re-establish the Planning Commission. It added that the INDIA alliance government would review all “people-unfriendly laws” introduced over the last 10 years, and education and health care would be included in the state list. Both are currently in the concurrent list.

“The introduction of the Uniform Civil Code will be strictly prevented to preserve the secular nature of India as stated in the Constitution’s preamble,” the manifesto said.

The DMK promised to have written and oral examinations in Tamil and other state languages for all Union government jobs and examinations conducted by bodies such as the Union Public Service Commission. “Tamil will be declared as a co-official Language in Union government offices in Tamil Nadu, ensuring that all Union government offices, institutions, and nationalized banks in Tamil Nadu operate in Tamil as well, with relevant amendments to Section 343 [official language] of the Indian Constitution to be introduced by the new government,” it said.

“The new government in the Union will issue orders to accept Tamil as a court language in the Madras High Court. The completion of the Sethusamudram Project, to ensure the economic development of southern Tamil Nadu and to secure the nation’s safety, will be a priority for the new government formed in the union, promising decisive actions.”

Lawmaker Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, who headed the DMK’s election manifesto committee, toured the state meeting people to understand their requirements before drafting the document. DMK president and chief minister MK Stalin released the manifesto along with the list of the Lok Sabha elections.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the DMK-led alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in the state, winning 38 out of the 39 seats.