CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday allotted the ‘whistle’ symbol to actor-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) following the party’s application seeking a common symbol for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Party sources described the allotment as a key organisational milestone for TVK, which is preparing to contest its first Assembly election.
Party cadre also expressed happiness over the decision, stating that the symbol aligns with the party’s messaging of alertness, accountability and people’s participation.
The whistle, they said, was chosen for its simplicity and ease of recall, making it convenient to communicate to voters across both urban and rural constituencies.
“The whistle is something every common person can relate to. It represents questioning, awakening and calling out injustice,” a senior party functionary said.
Since its launch, TVK has been focusing on strengthening its grassroots presence across the State. The party has undertaken membership drives, internal organisational meetings and outreach programmes aimed at familiarising cadres and supporters with its ideology and political objectives. According to party leaders, efforts are underway to establish booth-level structures in all constituencies.
With the symbol now finalised, TVK is expected to intensify its preparations for the 2026 polls. Party sources said the coming months would see increased focus on voter outreach initiatives, cadre mobilisation and campaign planning. The whistle symbol is likely to feature prominently in campaign material, publicity drives and organisational activities.
According to party sources, TVK had shortlisted 10 symbols from the list of free symbols notified by the ECI and submitted its request in the second week of November last year. In addition to the shortlisted symbols, the party had also proposed a few newly designed symbols created by its members and submitted them in illustrated form to the Commission for consideration.