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Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

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Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
AbbreviationMDMK
General SecretaryVaiko
Parliamentary ChairpersonVaiko
Lok Sabha LeaderDurai Vaiko
Rajya Sabha LeaderVaiko
FounderVaiko
Founded6 May 1994; 30 years ago (1994-05-06)
Split fromDravida Munnetra Kazhagam
HeadquartersThayagam,
12, Rukmini Lakshmipathi Salai, Egmore, Chennai – 600008, Tamil Nadu, India.
Student wingMDMK Student Wing
Youth wingMDMK Youth Wing
Women's wingMDMK Women's Wing
Labour wingMarumalarchi Labour Front
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[1]
Colours  Red
ECI StatusUnrecognised parties[2]
AllianceI.N.D.I.A.
Seats in Lok Sabha
1 / 543
Seats in Rajya Sabha
1 / 245
Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
0 / 234
Election symbol
Party flag
Website
www.mdmk.org.in

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (transl. Renaissance Dravidian Progressive Federation; abbr. MDMK) is a political party active in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was established by Vaiko in 1994 after he left the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The headquarters of the party is called Thayagam, which is located at Rukmini Lakshmipathi Salai, Egmore, Chennai.

History

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Formation

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Vaiko was a member of Rajya Sabha and a party activist of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Vaiko was a member of the party from his initial student days and actively participated in the party agitations and courted imprisonment several times. He was elected thrice to the Rajya Sabha. In 1994, he was forced out of the parent body as he was seen as a threat to DMK chief Karunanidhi's son, M.K. Stalin. Vaiko along with some district secretaries announced the decision to start a rival party, which became the MDMK.

Support for Sri Lankan Tamils

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Vaiko voiced support for Tamils during the Sri Lankan Civil War, including for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam specifically and their goal of secession from Sri Lanka.

Support for the Mullaperiyar Dam

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The Government of Kerala was keen to demolish the Mullaperiyar Dam because of safety concerns. However, the dam's reservoir is a prime source for irrigation for more than 8 districts including Theni. As a result, Vaiko led an agitation against the Kerala government.

Split in MDMK

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With the looming possibility of a vote of confidence in Parliament against the UPA, two party MPs, L. Ganesan and Gingee N. Ramachandran, claimed that they enjoyed the support of the majority of party cadre and decided to pledge support to the UPA government. They later withdrew their claim and joined DMK when it was found that they had forged letters of support of party executives.[3]

Boycott of Assembly Election 2011

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Due to issues in seat sharing, MDMK quit the ADMK Alliance and boycotted the 2011 Assembly elections of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Sanchi Protest

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The MDMK protested the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh in September 2012. Vaiko and his party members traveled to Sanchi. People who traveled through roadways were stopped by the police near Gadchiroli. Some party members tried to reach the spot by rail and air but they were detained by police before reaching Sanchi.[4]

MDMK snap ties with NDA

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The MDMK left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in December 2014, accusing the BJP of acting against Tamil interests. This came after heavy criticism of the party from BJP lawmaker Subramanian Swamy.[5]

Party flag and symbol

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The election symbol is a top. The colour of the top and bottom panel is red and middle panel is black. The party has a weekly journal called Sangoli which carries news and write ups for party workers.[6] In 2024 Parliament Election, the eci allotted Matchbox with stick symbol for contesting in Trichy.

Election history

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Lok Sabha election
Election Year Election Votes polled Won Change of Seats Alliance Result
1996 11th Lok Sabha 552,118
0 / 15
No Change MDMK-CPI(M) Lost
1998 12th Lok Sabha 1,602,504
3 / 5
Increase3 NDA Government
1999 13th Lok Sabha 1,620,527
4 / 5
Increase1 NDA Government
2004 14th Lok Sabha 1,679,870
4 / 4
No Change DPA Government
2009 15th Lok Sabha 1,112,908
1 / 4
Decrease3 TF Opposition
2014 16th Lok Sabha 1,417,535
0 / 7
Decrease1 NDA Lost
2019 17th Lok Sabha 563,591
1 / 1
Increase1 UPA Opposition
2024 18th Lok Sabha 5,42,213
1 / 1
Increase1 INDIA Opposition

Tamil Nadu

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Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Election Year Election Votes polled Won Change of Seats Alliance Result
1996 11th Assembly 1,569,168
0 / 177
No Change MDMK+ alliance Lost
2001 12th Assembly 1,304,469
0 / 213
Decrease213 MDMK+ Lost
2006 13th Assembly 1,971,565
6 / 35
Increase 6 AIADMK Front Won
2016 15th Assembly 2,300,775
0 / 29
Decrease 6 PWF Lost
2021 16th Assembly 4,86,976
4 / 6
Increase 4 SPA+ Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ogden, Chris (20 June 2019). A Dictionary of Politics and International Relations in India. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-253915-1. Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil: 'Renaissance Dravidian Progress Federation') A political party. It was established in 1994...
  2. ^ "List of Political Parties and Election Symbols main Notification Dated 18.01.2013" (PDF). India: Election Commission of India. 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Indian Prez summons PM: Trust vote likely on July 21 or 22, Singh garners enough votes - Asian Tribune". Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Despite heavy security, MDMK men sneak in Bhopal ahead of Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit". The Economic Times. PTI. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Vaiko's MDMK snaps ties with NDA, hits out at Modi govt". The Times of India. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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