TVK moves EC seeking common symbol for party to contest 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections

Chennai: Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on Tuesday moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking a common symbol for the party to contest the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The party applied for a symbol on the first day the ECI began accepting requests from registered political parties in this regard.

A delegation from the TVK headed by its joint general secretary C T R Nirmal Kumar submitted the petition before the ECI. “We have chosen 10 from the list of common election symbols allotted by the ECI for registered political parties and independent candidates. We have given our preferences in the petition and we hope to get one from the 10,” a source in the TVK told DH.

The application was filed on the first day to ensure that no other political party stakes claim for the symbols they have chosen. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Tamil nationalist party, Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK), could not get the farmer symbol, which the outfit got for three elections, as it didn’t apply on time.

“These common symbols are allotted on a first-come first-serve basis and that’s why we didn’t want to waste time. An election symbol is very important and we have the onerous task of taking it to about 6 crore voters in all 234 constituencies,” the source added.

While party leaders refused to disclose the preferred symbols, sources said they have taken enough care to see that the symbol resonates with the sentiments of the masses. “Mike, ring, diamond, and cricket bat are some of the symbols that were suggested by our party leaders,” another source said.

Vijay, who commands a massive fan following across Tamil Nadu, has already announced that his party, TVK, will contest the 2026 assembly elections independently.