Pattali Makkal Katchi
The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) ( Tamil : பாட்டாளி மக்கள் கட்சி [ ˈpɑːʈːɑːɭi ˈmakːəɭ ˈkaʈʂi ] "Workers' Party") is a regional party in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It was founded in 1989 by S. Ramadoss . Party president is GK Mani .
Alignment
The PMK is a caste-based party: It has its supporters among the Vanniyar , a strongly represented community in northern Tamil Nadu, which is counted among the lower castes in the traditional caste hierarchy and is only slightly above the Dalits (casteless). The PMK has succeeded in using the voting behavior, which is characterized by caste loyalty, and in bundling the Vanniyar votes quite successfully. The party has committed itself to the interests of the Vanniyar and advocates quota regulations in their favor. In 2002, the PMK even called for the state of Tamil Nadu to be split up and the Vanniyar-dominated northern part to be formed into a state of its own. The PMK's policy is repeatedly directed against Dalits. PMK politicians have repeatedly spoken out against cross-caste marriages between Vanniyar and Dalits. In April / May 2013 there were serious riots between PMK activists and Dalits around a PMK party meeting in Mamallapuram .
The PMK's party symbol is a mango , the party colors are blue-yellow-red.
Election results
Tamil Nadu
When it first took part in elections after the party was founded, the PMK did not join any of the electoral alliances in which the parties split the constituencies among themselves because of the prevailing majority voting rights. In the parliamentary election in Tamil Nadu in 1991, she was only able to win one of 234 seats, despite a 5.9% share of the vote. In 1996 the PMK ran again independently and this time won four constituencies. In the 2001 elections, the PMK allied with the AIADMK and, thanks to the victory of the AIADMK electoral alliance, was able to improve its result significantly: The party was successful in 20 of the 27 constituencies in which it ran. In 2006 the PMK switched to the DMK- led alliance and found itself again on the side of the election winners. This time she won 18 out of 31 contested constituencies. In the next federal state election in 2011, however, the DMK alliance suffered a serious defeat, so that the PMK could only enter parliament with three members.
Pondicherry
In addition to Tamil Nadu, the PMK also runs elections in the Union territory of Puducherry . In 1996 she was able to win one of 30 constituencies for the first time. In 2001 she failed to get into parliament, but in 2006 she was successful again with two constituencies won. The PMK has not been represented in parliament in Puducherry since the 2011 election.
Lok Sabha
The PMK has run in all all-India parliamentary elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry since 1989. In 1989, 1991 and 1996 it failed to enter the Lok Sabha . In the run-up to the 1998 election, she joined the National Democratic Alliance led by the Hindu nationalist BJP party. The PMK ran in four of Tamil Nadu's 39 constituencies and was successful in all four. In the new elections a year later she repeated her success and moved into the Lok Sabha with five MPs. In 2004 the PMK switched to the United Progressive Alliance under the leadership of the Indian National Congress and again won five constituencies. After the elections, the PMK participated in the congressional coalition government of Manmohan Singh . PMK politician Anbumani Ramadoss , son of party founder S. Ramadoss, received the post of Minister of Health. Before the parliamentary elections in 2009 , the PMK moved to the left-wing Third Front , but this time failed to make it into parliament.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ V. Geetha & SV Rajadurai: "Democratizing Death: PMK Experiment", in: Economic and Political Weekly 28 (12/13), 1993; The Hindu, April 10, 2011: B. Kolappan: "Does caste really count in Tamil Nadu?" .
- ↑ P. Radhakrishnan: "Vanniyar Separatism: Nebulous Issues", in: Economic and Political Weekly 37 (32), 2002.
- ↑ Times of India, December 4, 2012: "Instead of probing inter-caste marriages, the PMK needs to turn the searchlight on itself".
- ↑ Frontline, May 31, 2013: "Stoking caste flames".