Political circles have been taken aback by reports that the DMK-led alliance has offered DMDK 10 seats—seen by many as an unexpectedly generous allocation.
DMDK’s high point came in 2011, when it won 29 seats and Vijayakanth became Leader of the Opposition. Since then, the party’s vote share has fallen sharply, touching just 0.43% in the 2021 Assembly election.
After Vijayakanth’s death in 2023, many assumed the party would fade away. However, Premalatha, who took over the leadership, is credited with keeping the organisation intact and negotiating alliances for both 2024 and 2026. The party’s vote share rose to 2.61% in 2024 after aligning with the AIADMK, higher than its 2.39% in 2016 when it led the People’s Welfare Front—raising questions about how much of the increase is driven by alliance strength.
The DMDK’s entry into the DMK alliance has also triggered discontent. The article notes resentment among alliance partners and within the DMK over seat distribution, DMDK contesting under its ‘Murasu’ symbol while some others are pushed to use the DMK symbol, and the perception that a Rajya Sabha seat for a party without MLAs reflects excessive political accommodation.
At the same time, the piece argues that ‘Captain Magic’ was rooted in Vijayakanth’s personal charisma and may not transfer fully to his successors, even if his image is used in campaigning. With internal dissatisfaction potentially affecting campaign work, the alliance faces a risk that the move could backfire—reviving the central question of whether DMDK still has an independent vote base today.
