Tamil Nadu 2026 Elections: MDMK Dissatisfaction Over Seats and Symbol

A senior leader of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has expressed disappointment over the number of seats given to the party in its alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

A. Arjunaraj, the presidium chairman of MDMK, spoke to reporters after holding discussions with DMK leaders about seat sharing. He said that the party has been given only four seats, which is less than what they expected.

He explained that while the party is thankful for getting the seats they requested, they are not fully satisfied with the total number. According to him, the number of seats does not match the party’s strength and support among voters.

Another concern raised by Arjunaraj is about the election symbol. Out of the four seats given to MDMK, the party has been asked to contest three seats using the DMK’s ‘rising sun’ symbol instead of their own symbol. He said this is disappointing because the party wants to contest under its own identity.

“We are happy that we got the seats we asked for, but we are not happy with the number of seats. We are also upset that we cannot use our own symbol in all the seats,” he said. He added in a lighter tone, “We are weeping, but with a smile,” referring to a popular Tamil song.

In the previous 2021 Assembly elections, MDMK had contested six seats, all using the DMK’s symbol, and won four of them. Despite that success, the party had hoped for better representation this time.

This issue shows the challenges smaller parties face in alliance politics, especially when negotiating seat sharing and maintaining their identity. As elections approach, such concerns may continue to shape discussions within alliances.