Tamil Nadu has a multi-party system. The Election Commission of India accords recognition to national-level and state-level political parties based upon objective criteria. A recognised political party enjoys privileges like a reserved party symbol, free broadcast time on state-run television and radio, consultation in the setting of election dates, and giving input in setting electoral rules and regulations. Other political parties that want to run in local, state, or national elections must register with the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India recognises registered parties as recognised state parties if they meet the relevant criteria following a Lok Sabha or Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. The recognised-party status is reviewed periodically by the Election Commission of India.
Prior to the 2016 amendment, which went into effect on 1 January 2014, if a political party failed to meet the criteria in the subsequent Lok Sabha or Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, they lost their status as a recognised party. In 2016, the Election Commission of India announced that such a review would take place after two consecutive elections instead of every election. As a result, a political party must retain its recognised party status even if it fails to meet the criteria in the next election. However, if they fail to meet the criteria in the subsequent election following the next election, they would lose their status.
National parties Political partyFlagElectoral symbolFoundedFounderTN unit leaderSeatsLok SabhaRajya SabhaTamil Nadu Legislative AssemblyAam Aadmi PartyAAP26 November 2012Arvind KejriwalS. A. N. VasigaranBahujan Samaj PartyBSP14 April 1984Kanshi RamP. AnandanBharatiya Janata PartyBJP6 April 1980Atal Bihari VajpayeeNainar NagenthranCommunist Party of India (Marxist)CPI(M)7 November 1964E. M. S. NamboodiripadP. ShanmugamIndian National CongressINC28 December 1885Allan Octavian HumeB. Manickam TagoreNational People's PartyNPP6 January 2013P. A. SangmaG. Srinivasan
State parties Political partyFlagElectoral symbolFoundedFounderLeaderSeatsLok SabhaRajya SabhaTamil Nadu Legislative AssemblyAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra KazhagamAIADMK17 October 1972M. G. RamachandranEdappadi K. PalaniswamiCommunist Party of IndiaCPI26 December 1925M. N. RoyM. VeerapandianDesiya Murpokku Dravida KazhagamDMDK14 September 2005VijayakantPremallatha VijayakantDravida Munnetra KazhagamDMK17 September 1949C. N. AnnaduraiM. K. StalinNaam Tamilar KatchiNTK1958S. P. AdithanarSeemanTamilaga Vettri KazhagamTVK2 February 2024C. Joseph VijayC. Joseph VijayViduthalai Chiruthaigal KatchiVCK1982M. MalalchamiD. AmukurajahThol. Thirumavalavan
Unrecognized parties Political partyFlagFoundedFounderLeaderSeatsLok SabhaRajya SabhaTamil Nadu Legislative AssemblyAll India Forward BlocAIFB22 June 1939Subhas Chandra BoseP. V. KathiravanAll India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnettra KazhagamAIPTMMK24 February 2026V. K. SasikalaV. K. SasikalaAmma Makkal Munnettra KazagamAMMK15 March 2018T. T. V. DhinakaranT. T. V. DhinakaranIndhiya Jananayaga KatchiIJK28 April 2010T. R. PaarivendharT. R. PaarivendharIndian National LeagueINL23 April 1994Ebrahim Sulaiman SaitM. Muniruddin SharifIndian Union Muslim LeagueIUML1 September 1951Muhammad Ismail SahibK. M. Kader MohideenMakkal Needhi MaiamMNM21 February 2018Kamal HaasanKamal HaasanManithaneya Jananayaga KatchiMJK28 February 2016M. Thamimun AnsariM. Thamimun AnsariMarumalarchi Dravida Munnetra KazhagamMDMK6 May 1994VaikoVaikoPattali Makkal KatchiPMK16 July 1989S. RamadossAnbumani RamadossPuratchi Bharatham KatchiPBK26 January 1978Poovai M. MoorthyM. Jagan MoorthyPuthiya TamilagamPT15 December 1997K. KrishnasamyK. KrishnasamySocial Democratic Party of IndiaSDPI21 June 2009Erappungal AbubackerV. M. S. Mohamed MubarakTamil Maanila Bahujan Samaj PartyTMBSP5 July 2025Porkodi ArmstrongPorkodi ArmstrongTamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)TMC(M)29 March 1996G. K. MoopanarG. K. Vasan
See also Elections in India Elections in Tamil Nadu List of political parties in India
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