Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
DMK- Also seen as
- dravida munnetra kazhagam
About DMK
Founded in 1949 by C. N. Annadurai, who broke away from Periyar's Dravidar Kazhagam to pursue Dravidian self-respect politics through electoral means. DMK ended Congress rule in the 1967 Madras state election under Annadurai, launching an unbroken run of DMK–AIADMK alternation in power that continues today. M. Karunanidhi led the party for nearly five decades and was Chief Minister five times; his son M. K. Stalin has led DMK governments since 2021.
- Key leaders
- C. N. Annadurai — founder; Chief Minister, 1967–1969
- M. Karunanidhi — Chief Minister across five terms, 1969–1976, 1989–1991, 1996–2001, 2006–2011
- M. K. Stalin — Chief Minister, 2021–present
Source: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — Wikipedia. Real-world political history, hand-researched and cited — not a figure computed from results.
Election record
Every election where DMK polled votes. Seats and shares are computed from the constituency results — tap an election to open it.
| PY Assembly | 2026 | 5 | 1,19,036 | 13.7% | 13 | #2 |
| TN Assembly | 2026 | 59 | 1,19,29,144 | 24.2% | 176 | #2 |
| Lok Sabha | 2024 | 22 | 1,17,62,799 | 1.8% | 24 | #5 |
| PY Assembly | 2021 | 6 | 1,54,858 | 18.5% | 13 | #2 |
| TN Assembly | 2021 | 133 | 1,74,33,632 | 37.7% | 198 | #1 |
| Lok Sabha | 2019 | 24 | 1,43,63,332 | 2.3% | 24 | #3 |
| PY Assembly | 2016 | 2 | 70,836 | 9.1% | 9 | #4 |
| TN Assembly | 2016 | 89 | 1,36,69,116 | 31.6% | 178 | #2 |
| Lok Sabha | 2014 | 0 | 96,31,246 | 1.7% | 35 | #38 |
| PY Assembly | 2011 | 2 | 74,552 | 10.9% | 10 | #4 |
| TN Assembly | 2011 | 23 | 82,49,991 | 22.4% | 124 | #3 |
| Lok Sabha | 2009 | 18 | 76,25,397 | 1.8% | 22 | #7 |
| PY Assembly | 2006 | 7 | 71,173 | 12.6% | 11 | #2 |
| TN Assembly | 2006 | 96 | 87,28,716 | 26.5% | 132 | #1 |
| Lok Sabha | 2004 | 16 | 70,64,393 | 1.8% | 16 | #7 |
| PY Assembly | 2001 | 7 | 83,679 | 17.5% | 15 | #2 |
| TN Assembly | 2001 | 31 | 86,69,864 | 30.9% | 183 | #2 |
| Lok Sabha | 1999 | 12 | 62,98,832 | 1.7% | 19 | #9 |
| Lok Sabha | 1998 | 6 | 53,08,388 | 1.4% | 18 | #16 |
| Lok Sabha | 1996 | 17 | 71,51,381 | 2.1% | 18 | #8 |
| PY Assembly | 1996 | 7 | 1,05,392 | 22.9% | 18 | #2 |
| TN Assembly | 1996 | 173 | 1,14,23,380 | 42.1% | 182 | #1 |
| Lok Sabha | 1991 | 0 | 57,41,910 | 2.1% | 30 | #26 |
| PY Assembly | 1991 | 4 | 96,607 | 24.7% | 19 | #3 |
| TN Assembly | 1991 | 2 | 55,35,668 | 22.5% | 176 | #3 |
| PY Assembly | 1990 | 9 | 1,01,127 | 24.1% | 18 | #2 |
| Lok Sabha | 1989 | 0 | 71,96,099 | 2.4% | 32 | #26 |
| TN Assembly | 1989 | 150 | 80,01,222 | 33.2% | 202 | #1 |
| PY Assembly | 1985 | 5 | 87,754 | 29.1% | 22 | #3 |
| Lok Sabha | 1984 | 2 | 56,95,179 | 2.4% | 28 | #13 |
| TN Assembly | 1984 | 24 | 63,62,770 | 29.3% | 167 | #3 |
| Lok Sabha | 1980 | 15 | 44,53,557 | 2.2% | 17 | #5 |
| PY Assembly | 1980 | 14 | 68,030 | 27.7% | 15 | #1 |
| TN Assembly | 1980 | 37 | 41,64,389 | 22.1% | 112 | #2 |
| AP Assembly | 1978 | 0 | 6,547 | 0.0% | 2 | #8 |
| KA Assembly | 1978 | 0 | 16,437 | 0.1% | 3 | #8 |
| Lok Sabha | 1977 | 2 | 33,23,320 | 1.8% | 19 | #12 |
| PY Assembly | 1977 | 3 | 30,441 | 13.5% | 26 | #3 |
| TN Assembly | 1977 | 48 | 42,58,771 | 24.9% | 230 | #2 |
| PY Assembly | 1974 | 2 | 47,823 | 21.9% | 26 | #4 |
| AP Assembly | 1972 | 0 | 36,466 | 0.3% | 3 | #9 |
| Lok Sabha | 1971 | 23 | 57,98,336 | 3.9% | 25 | #4 |
| TN Assembly | 1971 | 184 | 76,54,935 | 48.6% | 203 | #1 |
| KL Assembly | 1970 | 0 | 1,682 | 0.0% | 1 | #15 |
| PY Assembly | 1969 | 15 | 61,717 | 33.7% | 19 | #1 |
| Lok Sabha | 1967 | 26 | 57,70,709 | 3.9% | 27 | #5 |
| TN Assembly | 1967 | 137 | 62,30,552 | 40.7% | 174 | #1 |
| Lok Sabha | 1962 | 7 | 23,15,610 | 2.0% | 18 | #7 |
| KA Assembly | 1962 | 0 | 8,787 | 0.1% | 4 | #11 |
Peak: 184 seats at the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election, 1971 — the largest party that year.