MDMK’s general body to take a decision on alliance on Saturday

With speculation rife that the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) will join the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led alliance, MDMK chief Vaiko on Friday (June 26, 2026) convened the party’s high-level committee to decide on switching alliances.

The final announcement on moving away from the DMK-led front will be made on Saturday after a meeting of the MDMK general body in Chennai.

There are expectations that the MDMK may ask its two MLAs — T.M. Rajendran  (Kadayanallur) and Senthil Selvan (Sirkazhi) — to resign from the membership of the Assembly as they had contested on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in the 2026 election. But Mr. Senthil Selvan has reportedly decided to stay on as an MLA.

The MDMK joined the DMK-led alliance in 2017, and has stayed in the coalition for four elections: the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 2021 and 2026 Assembly elections. Except in 2024, its candidates contested on the DMK symbol. In the 2024 election, Mr.  Vaiko’s son Durai Vaiko contested on a separate symbol and won from Tiruchi.

The issue of the party contesting on its own symbol persisted in the 2026 Assembly election, too, but the MDMK eventually fielded its candidates on DMK ticket.

Tamil Nadu’s changing political landscape has resulted in almost all of the DMK’s allies moving to the TVK. The DMK will be left with fewer allies, if the MDMK walks out of the alliance.