MNM allotted battery torch symbol for LS polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has allotted the battery torch symbol to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This symbol will represent MNM across all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the region. Led by actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, MNM is gearing up for the electoral battle, yet to finalize its alliance for the parliamentary polls. Speculations suggest the party may join the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance, but formal discussions are yet to take place between the two parties. Meanwhile, DMK has initiated seat-sharing talks with its allies. MNM previously contested using the battery torch symbol in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 State Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party secured a vote share of 3.77 percent, while in the 2021 State Assembly elections, it garnered a vote share of 2.68 percent.