In a recent development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Madras High Court that the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) cannot be allotted the pot symbol for the upcoming elections as it is contesting in only one constituency. According to the ECI, the ‘Top’ symbol, which the party had requested, is neither reserved nor a free symbol, and a party can only claim a reserved symbol if it contests in at least two seats in the polls. The announcement has sparked controversy and drawn criticism from the MDMK leadership, particularly its general secretary and Tiruchy Lok Sabha candidate, Durai Vaiko.
Addressing the media, Durai Vaiko squarely blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the alleged bias in denying the MDMK its preferred symbol. He accused the BJP of orchestrating the entire fiasco as an act of political vendetta. He characterized the denial of the symbol to the MDMK as a deliberate and unjust action intended to undermine the party’s electoral prospects. Despite the setback, Durai Vaiko affirmed the MDMK’s determination to contest the elections and assured that they would make the best of the symbol allotted to them by the Election Commission. He emphasized the party’s readiness to leverage technology and innovative campaigning strategies to effectively communicate their message to the electorate within a short span of time