CHENNAI: MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Wednesday announced that the party will contest on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in all the four constituencies it was allocated as part of the Secular Progressive Alliance.
As a part of the DMK-led SPA, MDMK was allocated four seats of which the party had earlier decided to contest on the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol from three constituencies and on an independent symbol in the Sirkazhi (SC) constituency to retain the party’s registration. However, on Wednesday, Vaiko announced that the party would contest from the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in all the four constituencies for the welfare of the alliance.
Reacting to it, DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin, in a post on X, called it a “magnanimous decision”.
Speaking to TNIE on the shift from the ‘Matchbox’ symbol to the ‘Rising Sun’, MDMK state youth wing secretary P T Aasaithambi from Kuthalam in Mayiladuthurai said, “Win or lose, we were ready to contest with our own symbol.
However, DMK advised us to contest on the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol in this constituency, citing the current political climate and the limited time available to familiarise voters with the ‘Matchbox’ symbol. They did not want this to affect our winning chances and decided after analysing the opposition candidates.”
He added that party cadre were prepared to campaign effectively regardless of the symbol, pointing out that they had previously established recognition for their symbol. “When our leader Durai Vaiko contested from Tiruchy in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, we took the symbol to the people quickly and secured a massive victory by consolidating 5.4 lakh votes,” he said.