Over the years, Tamil Nadu has become one of the most politically corrupt States with the two major Dravidian parties indulging in “patronage politics”. The freebie formula has now hooked a majority of voters. If, in 2006, the DMK started the free TV set scheme, the AIADMK, in 2011, tried to do one step better with a slew of free items which mesmerised voters, especially from the lower strata and who form the core of the State’s vote bank. Sadly, the freebie culture has only put an end to any attempt at having a progressive, well-rounded, welfarist ideology (“ >Emptying the coffers in bid to lure voters ”, April 17).
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
