Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
Abbreviation	DMDK
Founder	Vijayakant
Founded	14 September 2005; 19 years ago (2005-09-14)
Headquarters	125/7, Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Koyambedu, Chennai – 600107, Tamil Nadu, India.
Student wing	DMDK Student Wing
Youth wing	DMDK Youth Wing
Women's wing	DMDK Women's Wing
Labour wing	Desiya Murpokku Union Federation
Ideology	Populism Secularism Dravidianism Social democracy
Colours	Yellow
ECI Status	State party
Alliance	AIADMK-led Alliance
Seats in Lok Sabha	0 / 543
Seats in Rajya Sabha	0 / 245
Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly	0 / 234
Number of states and union territories in government	0 / 31
Election symbol
Party flag
Website
www.dmdkparty.com
Elections

The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India. Its name means "National Progressive Dravidian Federation." The party was started by Vijayakant, a famous Tamil film star and politician. He was also known as "Captain."

The DMDK was founded in Madurai on September 14, 2005. Vijayakant led the party until December 14, 2023. Now, his wife, Premallatha Vijayakant, is the general secretary and leads the party. From 2011 to 2016, the DMDK was the main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The party's main office is in Chennai.

What the DMDK Believes In

The DMDK has several important goals for Tamil Nadu and India:

• They want to protect the Tamil language and encourage people to learn all languages.
• They aim to create a state where no one lives below the poverty line. They believe in honest and kind politics.
• They want to stop bribery and corruption, which slow down progress in Tamil Nadu. They also want to end dishonesty and selfishness in politics.
• They work to stop terrorism and those who support it, so all religions can live together peacefully.
• They want to solve water sharing issues with neighboring states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Puducherry. They hope to connect rivers to use water that is currently wasted.
• They want to improve education in Tamil Nadu. This includes practical education and job-focused training to help students build better futures.
• They aim to make Tamil Nadu the top state in India for creating jobs.
• They want to ensure farmers get fair prices for their crops.
• They plan to help the weaving industry by modernizing it and creating new programs for weavers.
• They believe women should be treated with the same respect as men. They want to make Tamil Nadu a better place through love, good values, and strength.

Party History

The Vijayakant Years (2005–2023)

Dr. Vijayakant
Founder of the party

The DMDK was started on September 14, 2005, by Vijayakant. He was a very popular actor and politician. He became the party's first president.

In the 2006 state election, the DMDK ran for all 234 seats by itself. Vijayakant won the only seat for the party in the Vriddhachalam area. The party got 8.38% of all votes.

In the 2009 national election, the party ran for 40 seats without any allies. They did not win any seats.

In the 2011 state election, the DMDK joined forces with other parties, including J. Jayalalithaa's All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). This alliance won a huge victory. The DMDK won 29 out of the 40 seats it ran for. This made them the second-largest party in the assembly. Vijayakant became the Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu. This was a first for an actor in India. The party also received the permanent election symbol of a Nagara (a type of drum) from the Election Commission of India. Vijayakant stepped down as Leader of the Opposition in 2016.

After 2014, the party's performance began to decline. In the 2014 national election, the DMDK joined an alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They ran for 14 seats but did not win any.

For the 2016 state election, the DMDK formed an alliance called the "Captain Vijayakant Alliance." However, the party did not win any seats and lost many of its deposits.

In the 2019 national elections, the DMDK again joined the BJP-led alliance. They ran for four seats but lost all of them.

In the 2021 state election, the DMDK allied with other parties but lost all 60 seats it contested.

Vijayakant passed away on December 28, 2023, after a long illness.

The Premallatha Vijayakant Era (2023–Present)

On December 14, 2023, Vijayakant announced that his wife, Premallatha Vijayakant, would become the party's general secretary. Since Vijayakant's death, Premallatha has been fully leading the party.

In the 2024 national election, the DMDK joined the AIADMK-led Alliance. They ran for five seats, including Virudhunagar, where Vijayakant's son, V. Vijaya Prabhakaran, ran. The party did not win any seats in this election.

Party Leaders

Presidents

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office
			Started	Ended	Total Time
1		Vijayakant (1952–2023)	14 September 2005	28 December 2023	18 years, 105 days

General Secretaries

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office
			Started	Ended	Total Time
1		S. Ramu Vasanthan (1955–2009)	14 September 2005	17 July 2009	3 years, 306 days
2		Vijayakant (1952–2023)	1 June 2014	14 December 2023	9 years, 196 days
3		Premallatha Vijayakant (1969–)	14 December 2023	Still in office	1 year, 237 days

Important Members and Positions

Leaders of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu

The Leader of the Opposition is the head of the largest party that is not in power.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Time in Office			Assembly (Election Year)	Constituency
			Started	Ended	Total Time
1		Vijayakant (1952–2023)	27 May 2011	21 February 2016	4 years, 270 days	14th (2011)	Rishivandiyam

Images for kids

• 

  DMDK poster in Thanjavur

See also

• Politics of India
• Elections in India
• Politics of Tamil Nadu
• Elections in Tamil Nadu
• List of political parties in India
• List of political parties in Tamil Nadu