Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Abbreviation

DMK

Founded

1949

Founder(s)

C. N. Annadurai

Main base

Tamil Nadu

Election symbol

Rising Sun

TN Assembly 2026

59 seats

Founded by C. N. Annadurai on 17 September 1949 after breaking away from E. V. Ramasamy (Periyar)'s Dravidar Kazhagam. The DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu in 1967, ending Congress rule in the state, and was led for five decades by M. Karunanidhi. M. K. Stalin, party president since 2018, was Chief Minister from 2021 to 2026. In the 2026 Assembly election the DMK won 59 seats and is the largest opposition party.

Milestones

• 1949 Founded by C. N. Annadurai
• 1957 First contests elections
• 1967 Wins Madras State Assembly election; Annadurai becomes Chief Minister
• 1969 M. Karunanidhi becomes Chief Minister and party leader
• 2019 Leads alliance winning 38 of 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu
• 2021 M. K. Stalin becomes Chief Minister
• 2024 Alliance sweeps all 39 Tamil Nadu seats
• 2026 Wins 59 seats; largest opposition party in the Assembly

Election record at a glance

• Contested 16 Lok Sabha general elections under this name, from 1962 to 2024.
• First won Lok Sabha seats in 1962 (7). Best result: 25 seats in 1967. Total seats won across all elections: 189.
• Highest vote share: 3.84% in 1971.
• In 2024 it contested 22 seats in 1 state/UTs and won 22, with 1.82% of all votes polled.
• In Tamil Nadu (Madras State before 1969) it has won 188 Lok Sabha seats in total; best: 25 in 1967.