TVK gets state party status; ECI confirms ‘whistle’ symbol

CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India has recognised Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) as a state party in Tamil Nadu and confirmed the ‘whistle’ as its reserved election symbol, marking a significant institutional milestone for the party.

The recognition follows TVK’s performance in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, its first electoral contest. The party secured 108 of the 234 Assembly seats and polled 34.92 per cent of the valid votes, emerging as the single largest party in the election in both seats and vote share.

Under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a political party can qualify for recognition as a state party by fulfilling any of the prescribed conditions relating to vote share and seats won in Assembly or Lok Sabha elections. One of the key criteria is securing at least six per cent of the valid votes in the State and winning at least two Assembly seats. Another route is securing at least eight per cent of the valid votes polled in the State. TVK’s electoral performance comfortably exceeds these thresholds.

The ECI had allotted the whistle as TVK’s common election symbol for the 2026 Assembly election in January. The party had sought a common symbol as it prepared for its maiden electoral battle.

With TVK’s recognition, the number of recognised state parties in Tamil Nadu rises to seven. The recognised parties are the DMK, AIADMK, CPI, VCK, NTK, DMDK and TVK.