Functionaries of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) have urged chief coordinator Seeman to reconsider the party’s long-standing decision to contest elections alone, citing a sharp fall in vote share in the latest Assembly election.
NTK has been fighting elections independently since 2016. The party’s vote share rose from 1.10% in the 2016 Assembly election to 3.89% in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, then climbed further to 6.72% in the 2021 Assembly election and 8.22% in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, helping it gain recognition as a political party.
However, party members said the vote share has now dropped from around 8% to about 4%. They pointed out that candidates who had finished third in some constituencies earlier were unable to even save their deposits this time, and attributed the setback largely to the emergence of TVK led by Chief Minister Vijay.
According to some NTK office-bearers, the party no longer holds the position it once had as a major third force in Tamil Nadu politics, though it still retains pockets of support. They argued that alliances with ideologically aligned parties are necessary to improve prospects in future elections.
They also flagged election funding as a growing burden, alleging that adequate support is not provided from the party leadership and that many candidates are spending personal money despite repeated defeats. They said a change in strategy is needed to address both electoral and financial pressures.
