NTK determined to retain its vote share even if it means contesting in new symbol

It lost its well-publicised ‘sugarcane farmer’ symbol after the Election Commission Of India allotted it to the little-known Karnataka-based Bharatiya Praja Aikyata Party

Despite losing its well-publicised ‘sugarcane farmer’ symbol, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) said it was determined to retain the “hard-earned vote bank of 6.58%”, which it secured in the last Assembly election, even if it meant contesting on a new symbol.

NTK earlier unsuccessfully approached the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to Election Commission Of India (EC) to restore the symbol and has decided to approach the Supreme Court, hoping for relief.

NTK chief co-ordinator Seeman had criticised the EC’s decision to allot the symbol to another party even before the elections were announced. Many in the party view the decision as an attempt to lure the NTK voters “,who are staunchly anti-DMK and the larger Dravidian eco-system centred around Periyar and former Chief Minister Annadurai, towards the BJP”, which hopes to become the third largest party in the State.

NTK’s treasurer R. Ravanan said the party would not choose to ally with bigger parties due to the now-famous ‘sugarcane farmer’ symbol being allotted to the little-known Karnataka-based Bharatiya Praja Aikyata Party. “There is no chance of us allying with anyone else. We are 100% sure about contesting alone. We are not the first party to go through this ordeal. Both the VCK and the MDMK have also lost its symbol in the past. So, we will contest the election on a new symbol if it comes down to that,” he said.

Other NTK leaders and cadre argued that if the NTK failed to win its case in the Supreme Court, the party’s “strong presence on social media and its young voterbase” would make it possible to popularise a new symbol.

NTK spokesperson Idumbavanam Karthik said: “The farmers’ symbol is close to NTK’s political ideology, which is creating a Tamil Nadu in which there is a self-reliant agrarian economy centred around farmer welfare. The symbol has been taken away from us. We have been in politics for the last 15 years, contested two Assembly elections and one Parliamentary election. It is clear that the BJP wants to become the third largest party and wants the vote of those who don’t like the DMK and the AIADMK.”