Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil: திராவிட முன்னேற்ற கழகம்) (literally "Dravidian Progress Federation") (founded 1949, Madras Presidency, India) is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry , India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam (known as Justice Party till 1944) headed by Periyar. Since 1969, DMK is headed by M Karunanidhi, the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. DMK holds the distinction of being the first party other than the Indian National Congress to win state-level elections with clear majority on its own in any state in India.
Justice Party
DMK traces its roots to the South Indian Liberal Federation (Justice Party) formed in 1916, by P. Thiyagarayar, Dr. P.T. Rajan, Dr. Natesanar and few others. The Justice Party, whose objectives included social equality and justice, came to power in the first General Elections to Madras Presidency in 1920. E. V. Ramasami Naicker, a popular Tamil leader of the time, who had joined Indian National Congress in 1919, to oppose what he considered as the Brahminic leadership of the party.Naicker's experience at the Vaikom Satyagraha made him to start the Self-Respect Movement in 1926 which was rationalistic and "violently anti-Brahminic". He quit Congress and in 1935, he joined the Justice Party. In the 1937 elections, the Justice Party lost and the Indian National Congress under C. Rajagopalachari ("Rajaji") came to power in Madras Presidency. Rajaji's introduction of Hindi as a compulsory subject in schools led to the anti-Hindi agitations, led by Periyar and his associates.
Dravida Kazhagam
In August 1944, Periyar created the 'Dravida Kazhagham' out of the Justice Party and the Self-Respect Movement at the Salem Provincial Conference. Dravidar Kazhagam insisted on an independent nation for Dravidians called Dravida Nadu consisting of areas that were covered under Madras Presidency.
Dravida Munnetra KazhagamOver the years, many disputes arose between Periyar and his followers. In 1949, several of his followers led by C. N. Annadurai, decided to split from Dravidar Kazhagham, after an aged Periyar married a young woman Maniammai and anointed his young wife to act as his successor to lead the party, superseding senior party leaders. Until then E. V. K. Sampath, the nephew of Periyar, was considered as his political heir.
Annadurai, on 17 September 1949 along with V. R. Nedunchezhiyan, K.A. Mathiazhagan, K. Anbazhagan, N.V. Natarajan, E. V. K. Sampath and thousands of others in Robinson park in Royapuram in Chennai announced the formation of the DMK.
Karunanidhi's presidency
MGR's exitM. G. Ramachandran (MGR) who was a popular actor and the then party treasurer had played a vital part in popularizing the party's ideologies. The political feud between MGR and the party president Karunanidhi emerged as an aftermath of the latter calling himself "Mujib of Tamil Nadu". In 1972, MGR called for a boycott of the party's General Council. With the crisis falling into call for corruption probe by MGR, he was eventually suspended from the General Council. Thus emerged a new party All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
Post-MGRIn April 1974, the DMK government brought in a resolution in the House urging the Centre to accept the Rajamannar Committee recommendations on state autonomy and amend the Constitution of India
After MGR's death in December 1987, AIADMK split into two factions between Janaki (MGR's wife) and Jayalalithaa. DMK returned to power in 1989 State assembly elections. Karunanidhi took over as chief minister in January 1989. Subsequent to this, the LTTE "sent personal emissaries to Karunanidhi for seeking his active support in their battle against the IPKF"
Then in 1991 elections are arranged to be held for both State and Central government. In 21 May 1991 Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai in an election campaign meeting. It was later found the he has been killed by suicide bomber from LTTE, citing IPKF atrocities in Srilanka as a reason.
This led to sympathy wave favor of AIADMK – Congress alliance and DMK is deprived of any seats in the Parliament. This brings the rise of political rival J.Jayalalithaa to the DMK.
In 1996 election DMK came to power and M Karunanidhi form the government in the State. In 2004 parliamentary elections, DMK formed a alliance with Congress – Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and swept a grand Victory, the alliance won all 40 seats including Puducherry. This enable 7 ministerial post in the Central government and influential power to DMK.
Two years later 2006 same alliance won in the state assembly election and DMK formed the government in the state. Mr. M Karunanidhi become fifth time the Chief Minister of the State.
Party Symbol
The party's election symbol is the sun arising from between two mountains, called the Rising Sun.
DMK's worst poll performance ever in this state was registered in 1991 and its peak in 1971.
Madras State
Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
1962 | 3rd Assembly | 3,435,633 | 50 |
1962 | 2,315,610 | 7 | |
1967 | 4th Assembly | 6,230,552 | 137 |
1967 | 5,524,514 | 25 |
Tamil Nadu
Year | Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won | |
1971 | 5th Assembly | 7,654,935 | 184 | |
1977 | 6th Assembly | 4,258,771 | 48 | None |
1980 | 7th Assembly | 4,164,389 | 37 | |
1984 | 8th Assembly | 6,362,770 | 24 | |
1989 | 9th Assembly | 8,001,222 | 150 | None |
1991 | 10th Assembly | 5,535,668 | 2 | |
1996 | 11th Assembly | 11,423,380 | 173 | |
2001 | 12th Assembly | 8,669,864 | 31 | |
2006 | 13th Assembly | 8,728,716 | 96 | |
2011 | 14th Assembly | TBA | TBA |
Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won | |
1971 | 5,622,758 | 23 | ||
1977 | 6th Lok Sabha | 3,323,320 | 2 | |
1980 | 7th Lok Sabha | 4,236,537 | 16 | |
1984 | 8th Lok Sabha | 5,597,507 | 2 | |
1989 | 9th Lok Sabha | 7,038,849 | 0 | |
1991 | 10th Lok Sabha | 5,601,597 | 0 | |
1996 | 11th Lok Sabha | 6,967,679 | 17 | |
1998 | 5,140,266 | 5 | ||
1999 | 13th Lok Sabha | 6,298,832 | 12 | |
2004 | 14th Lok Sabha | 7,064,393 | 16 | |
2009 | 15th Lok Sabha | 7,625,397 | 18 |
Puducherry
Year | Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
1974 | 3rd Assembly | 47,823 | 2 |
1977 | 4th Assembly | 30,441 | 3 |
1980 | 5th Assembly | 68,030 | 14 |
1985 | 6th Assembly | 87,754 | 5 |
1990 | 7th Assembly | 101,127 | 9 |
1991 | 8th Assembly | 96,607 | 4 |
1996 | 9th Assembly | 105,392 | 7 |
2001 | 10th Assembly | 83,679 | 7 |
2006 | 11th Assembly | 7 |
Year | General Election | Votes Polled | Seats Won |
1984 | 97,672 | 0 | |
1989 | 9th Lok Sabha | 157,250 | 0 |
1991 | 10th Lok Sabha | 140,313 | 0 |
1996 | 11th Lok Sabha | 183,702 | 0 |
1998 | 12th Lok Sabha | 168,122 | 1 |
