In Tamil Nadu, several political outfits have cropped up rapidly over the years, but many could not withstand the test of time — after short stints, they were either merged with other parties or with the parent party from which it initially split. Many of these parties, formed as breakaway groups of major political parties, wound up after a short while.
Among the early parties in Tamil Nadu that have now become defunct is the Commonwealth party, launched by M A Manickavelu Naicker, which existed in the State from 1951 until it was merged with the Congress party in 1954. Similarly, Tamil Nadu Toilers Party was formed by S S Ramasamy Padayatchi and was merged with the Congress in 1954 but it was revived in 1962. After the party faced total rout in the 1967 Assembly elections, it was merged with Congress again.
Tamil Arasu Kazhagam was a political party launched by M P Sivagnanam, popularly known Ma Po Si. It was involved in the agitations to change the name of the State from Madras State to Tamil Nadu and contested the 1967 Assembly elections under DMK’s rising sun symbol. Later, when M Karunanidhi decided to lift prohibition, the party aligned with the AIADMK of MGR. The party became defunct after Sivagnanam’s demise in 1995.
In the 1980s and 1990s, many new political outfits cropped up and eventually shut shop after a while. One such party was the MGR-ADMK, formed by S Thirunavukkarasar, a splinter group of the AIADMK. It was merged with the BJP in 2002. However, after a stint as Union Minister, Thirunavukkarasar joined the Congress.
Another short-lived party was MGR-SSR Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, launched by veteran actor late S S Rajendran, after the demise of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran. Since his political fortunes were not good, the party was dissolved. His son is now in the AIADMK.
MGR Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam was yet another party which was formed by a film personality — director and actor K Bhagyaraj in 1989.
Touted as the political heir of former MGR, Bhagyaraj launched his party with great expectations, only to realise that politics could not be his forte.
His political venture became a failure and the party is defunct now.
One more failure in Tamil Nadu’s political arena was Tamizhaga Munnetra Munnani, launched by thespian Sivaji Ganesan in 1988. The party lost all seats it contested in the 1989 elections.
Sivaji Ganesan himself was defeated by a DMK candidate in Thiruvaiyaru constituency. But unlike the other politicians, Sivaji Ganesan, true to his outspoken nature, admitted his fault and said, “Many of the functionaries with me were professional politicians and they had to remain in politics to keep their political ambitions alive. I was compelled to start a party for their sake.”
Later, on an invitation from the then Prime Minister V P Singh, he merged his party with the Janata Dal.
Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s attempt to run his own political outfit also became a short-lived one.
The Congress Jananayaka Peravai (Congress Democratic Front) was launched by him 2001 as a splinter group of the Tamil Maanila Congress, when the TMC allied with the AIADMK. In 2004, the CJP was merged with the Congress.
Former TNCC president Kumari Ananthan launched his Gandhi Kamaraj Desiya Congress in 1980 but was not successful. Later he made another attempt by launching Thondar Congress in March, 2001 and after an electoral defeat, within a few months, the party was merged with the Congress.