Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) (English: National Progressive Dravidian Federation) is a regional political party formed by Tamil film actor Vijayakanth in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, along the lines of the regional Dravidian parties, on 14 September 2005 at Madurai. The party head office is in Koyambedu, Chennai.

DMDK poster in Thanjavur

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
AbbreviationDMDK
SecretaryVijayakanth
FounderVijayakanth
Founded14 September 2005 (2005-09-14)
HeadquartersKoyambedu, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
IdeologyEmployment
Social welfare
Populism
Secularism
Social democracy
Political positionCentre
ECI StatusState Party[1]
AllianceAIADMK+ (2011)
PWF (2016)
NDA (2014-2016 and 2019-present)
Election symbol

Nagara[2]
Website
www.dmdkparty.com

This party contested all 234 seats in the state elections in May 2006 with Vijayakanth contesting Vridhachalam. The party polled almost 30 lakh votes (a total of about a 10% share). All the candidates of the DMDK, with the sole exception of Vijayakanth, lost the elections in 2006. In by-elections to Madurai Central assembly constituency, DMDK secured around 17,000 votes, which was 2,000 votes less than All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). DMDK secured many seats in Local Body elections. Vijaykanth and his party contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls as an independent party in all 39 constituencies in the state, winning no seats. The party won 29 seats in the 2011 assembly election and became the official opposition party with Vijayakanth as the Opposition Leader.

Electoral performance
YearGeneral ElectionVotes PolledSeats WonSeats Contested
200613th Assembly27,64,2231234
200915th Lok Sabha31,26,117039
201114th Assembly29,03,8282941
201416th Lok Sabha20,79,392014
201615th Assembly12,34,3840104
201917th Lok Sabha9,29,590[3]04

2009 Lok Sabha Election

DMDK contested all 39 seats independently in Tamil Nadu in the 15th Lok Sabha election and lost all of them. The party, however, made strong inroads in the heartland of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). The party polled 30.73 lakh votes of the total of 3.02 crore valid votes polled in the state representing roughly a vote share of 10.09%. This is higher than the 8.38% vote share polled by him during the 2006 assembly election. It polled more than one lakh votes in nine constituencies, more than 75,000 in 19 constituencies and more than 50,000 in 35 constituencies including Puducherry.

Though his party did not win any seat, it appears to have made the difference between winning and losing for several candidates by having a vote share larger than the margin of victory. Except LK Sudhish and Austin in Kanyakumari and K Pandiarajan in Virudhunagar constituency, none of the other candidates had a standing of their own and observers believe the votes polled by him indicate the public support for his candidacy.[4]

2011 assembly election
Main article: 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election

DMDK had remained unaligned and contested all the previous elections independently until 2011 election. In an effort — claimed by the party — to defeat the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, it allied with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam front in a decision made on 25 February 2011.[5] It won 29 of the 41 seats contested making it a second largest party in Tamil Nadu next only to its ally ADMK pushing DMK to third position. Thus, the party became the official opposition party with Vijayakanth becoming the opposition leader. The large victory also earned recognition and a permanent election symbol from the election commission.[6] On 21 February 2016 Vijayakanth lost leader of opposition post after 8 DMDK party MLAs resigned.[7]

2014 Lok Sabha Election

DMDK fought Lok Sabha Election through an alliance with BJP led NDA.[8] MDMK, PMK, KMDK and IJK led Social Democratic Alliance are the other allies of NDA in Tamil Nadu. In the NDA alliance, this party is the one with highest number of seats which are 14 in number. Despite the big hype, the party lost all 14 seats to AIADMK candidates. But this is the first time in 52 years that DMK alliance was pushed to third place by the number of seats and this election had given the confidence to most parties that future of Tamil Nadu lies in coalition government.

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, 2016

For the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, the DMDK has decided to contest the polls along with the People's Welfare Front (PWA) – an alliance of four parties including CPI(M), CPI, Vaiko’s MDMK and Thol Thirumavalavan’s Dalit party VCK, known as Captain Vijayakanth Alliance[9] The DMDK performed poorly in the election by not winning even a single constituency and losing deposit in majority of its places. DMDK also witnessed a vote swing of -5.8% from 2011 General elections.

2019 Lok Sabha Election

DMDK is contesting Lok Sabha elections with National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

After several rounds of talks with different political parties, at last DMDK got four seats in the NDA alliance.

The move comes after the DMDK’s attempts to make an alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which has already entered into a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and several others, failed.

Captain Vijayakanth wants to prove his vote bank strength in this election .

On March 18, 2019, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has announced its list of four candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Azhagarsamy will contest polls from Virudhunagar, LK Sudhish from Kallakurichi, Ilankovan from Tiruchi and Mohan Raj from Chennai (North).

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References
  1. "List of Political Parties and Election Symbols main Notification Dated 18.01.2013" (PDF). India: Election Commission of India. 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  2. "List of Political Parties and Election Symbols main Notification Dated 10.03.2014" (PDF). India: Election Commission of India. 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  3. http://results.eci.gov.in/pc/en/partywise/partywiseresult-S22.htm?st=S22
  4. "DMDK improves poll showing". The times of India Chennai edition. 18 May 2009. p. 3.
  5. "Vijayakanth's party to join hands with AIADMK to 'oust DMK'". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
  6. "தே.மு.தி.க.,வுக்கு தேர்தல் கமிஷன் அங்கீகாரம்: சின்னத்தை இழக்கிறது பா.ம.க.,". Dinamalar. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  7. "Vijaykant loses Opposition leader post; after 8 rebel MLAs resign". Register India. India. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. http://news.oneindia.in/india/confirmed-dmdk-bjp-form-alliance-in-tamil-nadu-for-lok-sabha-polls-1402705.html
  9. "TN polls: Joining the Third Front, Captain Vijayakanth worries DMK and AIADMK".
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