MDMK principal secretary Durai Vaiko on Thursday said political movements should not contest elections using another party’s symbol, arguing that it weakens a party’s distinct identity.
Speaking to reporters at Coimbatore airport, he said his earlier remark that contesting under the DMK symbol was “unfortunate” was a factual statement. A party’s flag and symbol, he said, are its core identifiers, and using another party’s symbol dilutes its uniqueness.
Durai Vaiko also pointed to what he described as a key procedural requirement: when a candidate contests as another party’s candidate, they must first resign their basic membership from their original party and then become a basic member of the party whose symbol they are using.
Explaining why the MDMK contested under the DMK symbol, he said the decision was driven by last-minute compulsion. He added that the distress felt by party workers and office-bearers was “their misfortune,” reiterating that a movement should not fight under another movement’s symbol even if the leadership does not accept the view.
