NTK does marginally better than in 2021 Assembly election despite contesting on new symbol

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) gains over 32 lakh votes, eyes 8% vote share in Tamil Nadu elections.

The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) polled more than 32 lakh votes across 40 parliamentary constituencies as of 6.45 p.m. on June 4. It came third in five constituencies – Erode, Kallakurichi, Kanniyakumari, Nagapattinam and Tiruchirappalli – and was placed fourth in 35 seats.

Despite the party losing the ‘Sugarcane farmer’ symbol and having to contest on the ‘Mike’ symbol, it could well be on its way to cornering a vote share of over 8% in Tamil Nadu, a marginal increase from the 6.58% it got in the 2021 Assembly election.

As it did in the previous elections, the NTK decided to contest all 40 parliamentary constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on its own, fielding an equal number of men and women as its candidates. While the party never had a serious chance of winning any seat, considering that it did not have a ‘pitch’ for the Lok Sabha election, much like the AIADMK, the NTK was looking primarily to improve its vote share.

With the NTK widely expected to rethink its principle of contesting alone in the next Assembly election, it will be one of the most sought-after parties in Tamil Nadu that is ideologically opposed to the DMK primarily, and also against the BJP and the Congress.