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Tamil Nadu has a multi-party system. The Election Commission of India accords recognition to national-level and state-level political parties based upon objective criteria. A recognised political party enjoys privileges like a reserved party symbol,^[a] free broadcast time on state-run television and radio, consultation in the setting of election dates, and giving input in setting electoral rules and regulations. Other political parties that want to run in local, state, or national elections must register with the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission of India recognises registered parties as recognised state parties if they meet the relevant criteria following a Lok Sabha or Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election. The recognised-party status is reviewed periodically by the Election Commission of India.^[3]

Prior to the 2016 amendment, which went into effect on 1 January 2014, if a political party failed to meet the criteria in the subsequent Lok Sabha or Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, they lost their status as a recognised party. In 2016, the Election Commission of India announced that such a review would take place after two consecutive elections instead of every election. As a result, a political party must retain its recognised party status even if it fails to meet the criteria in the next election. However, if they fail to meet the criteria in the subsequent election following the next election, they would lose their status.

National parties

Political party			Flag	Electoral symbol	Founded	Founder	TN unit leader	Seats
Political party			Flag	Electoral symbol	Founded	Founder	TN unit leader	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha	Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
	Aam Aadmi Party	AAP			26 November 2012	Arvind Kejriwal	S. A. N. Vasigaran	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Bahujan Samaj Party	BSP			14 April 1984	Kanshi Ram	P. Anandan	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Bharatiya Janata Party	BJP			6 April 1980	Atal Bihari Vajpayee	Nainar Nagenthran	0 / 39	0 / 18	4 / 234
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	CPI(M)			7 November 1964	E. M. S. Namboodiripad	P. Shanmugam	2 / 39	0 / 18	2 / 234
	Indian National Congress	INC			28 December 1885	Allan Octavian Hume	K. Selvaperunthagai	9 / 39	2 / 18	17 / 234
	National People’s Party	NPP			6 January 2013	P. A. Sangma	G. Srinivasan	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234

State parties

Political party			Flag	Electoral symbol	Founded	Founder	Leader	Seats
Political party			Flag	Electoral symbol	Founded	Founder	Leader	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha	Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	AIADMK			17 October 1972	M. G. Ramachandran	Edappadi K. Palaniswami	0 / 39	5 / 18	60 / 234
	Communist Party of India	CPI			26 December 1925	M. N. Roy	M. Veerapandian	2 / 39	0 / 18	2 / 234
	Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam	DMDK			14 September 2005	Vijayakant	Premallatha Vijayakant	0 / 39	1 / 18	0 / 234
	Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	DMK			17 September 1949	C. N. Annadurai	M. K. Stalin	22 / 39	8 / 18	133 / 234
	Naam Tamilar Katchi	NTK			1958	S. P. Adithanar	Seeman	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi	VCK			1982	M. Malalchami D. Amukurajah	Thol. Thirumavalavan	2 / 39	0 / 18	4 / 234

Unrecognized parties

Political party			Flag	Founded	Founder	Leader	Seats
Political party			Flag	Founded	Founder	Leader	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha	Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
	All India Forward Bloc	AIFB		22 June 1939	Subhas Chandra Bose	P. V. Kathiravan	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	All India Puratchithalaivar Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam	AIPMMK		24 February 2026	V. K. Sasikala	V. K. Sasikala	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam	AMMK		15 March 2018	T. T. V. Dhinakaran	T. T. V. Dhinakaran	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi	IJK		28 April 2010	T. R. Paarivendhar	T. R. Paarivendhar	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Indian National League	INL		23 April 1994	Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait	M. Muniruddin Sharif	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Indian Union Muslim League	IUML		1 September 1951	Muhammad Ismail Sahib	K. M. Kader Mohideen	1 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Makkal Needhi Maiam	MNM		21 February 2018	Kamal Haasan	Kamal Haasan	0 / 39	1 / 18	0 / 234
	Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam	MDMK		6 May 1994	Vaiko	Vaiko	1 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Pattali Makkal Katchi	PMK		16 July 1989	S. Ramadoss	Anbumani Ramadoss	0 / 39	1 / 18	3 / 234
	Puratchi Bharatham Katchi	PBK		26 January 1978	Poovai M. Moorthy	M. Jagan Moorthy	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Puthiya Tamilagam	PT		15 December 1997	K. Krishnasamy	K. Krishnasamy	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Social Democratic Party of India	SDPI		21 June 2009	Erappungal Abubacker	V. M. S. Mohamed Mubarak	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Tamil Maanila Bahujan Samaj Party	TMBSP		5 July 2025	Porkodi Armstrong	Porkodi Armstrong	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar)	TMC(M)		29 March 1996	G. K. Moopanar	G. K. Vasan	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234
	Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam	TVK		2 February 2024	C. Joseph Vijay	C. Joseph Vijay	0 / 39	0 / 18	0 / 234

Notes

^ If a party is recognized as a national or state party, its symbol is reserved for its exclusive use in the country or in the state.^[1]^[2]

References

^ “Names of National State, registered-unrecognized parties and the list of free symbols” (PDF). Election Commission of India. 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ “State Party List” (PDF). Election Commission of India. 13 December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2017.
^ “Political Parties and Election Symbols”. Election Commission of India.

[rdp-we-cite_note-3] If a party is recognized as a national or state party, its symbol is reserved for its exclusive use in the country or in the state.^[1]^[2]

[rdp-we-cite_note-1] “Names of National State, registered-unrecognized parties and the list of free symbols” (PDF). Election Commission of India. 12 March 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.

[rdp-we-cite_note-2] “State Party List” (PDF). Election Commission of India. 13 December 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2017.

[rdp-we-cite_note-4] “Political Parties and Election Symbols”. Election Commission of India.

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Political parties in India
National parties	Aam Aadmi Party Bahujan Samaj Party Bharatiya Janata Party Communist Party of India (Marxist) Indian National Congress National People’s Party
State parties	All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam All India Forward Bloc All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen All India N.R. Congress All India United Democratic Front All Jharkhand Students Union Apna Dal (Soneylal) Asom Gana Parishad Bharat Rashtra Samithi Biju Janata Dal Bodoland People’s Front Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Goa Forward Party Hill State People’s Democratic Party Indian National Lok Dal Indian Union Muslim League Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party Janasena Party Janata Dal (Secular) Janata Dal (United) Jannayak Janta Party Janta Congress Chhattisgarh Jharkhand Mukti Morcha Kerala Congress Kerala Congress (M) Lok Janshakti Party Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party Mizo National Front Naam Tamilar Katchi Naga People’s Front Nationalist Congress Party Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar People’s Party of Arunachal Rashtriya Janata Dal Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Revolutionary Goans Party Revolutionary Socialist Party Samajwadi Party Shiromani Akali Dal Shiv Sena Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Sikkim Democratic Front Sikkim Krantikari Morcha Telugu Desam Party Tipra Motha Party Trinamool Congress United Democratic Party United People’s Party, Liberal Voice of the People Party Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party Zoram Nationalist Party Zoram People’s Movement
Unrecognized parties	Ahila India Naadalum Makkal Katchi All India Rajakulathor Peravai Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) Ambedkarite Party of India Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam Gana Suraksha Party Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) Apna Dal Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) Bahujan Mukti Party Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh Bharatiya Tribal Party Communist Marxist Party Congress (Secular) Democratic Azad Party Democratic Socialist Party (Prabodh Chandra) Desiya Makkal Sakthi Katchi Goa Vikas Party Gondwana Ganatantra Party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Hamro Sikkim Party Hindustan Janta Party Hindustani Awam Morcha Ikkjutt Jammu Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi Indian National League Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference Jammu and Kashmir Workers Party Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) Jannayak Janta Party Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) Jharkhand Party Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement Kerala Congress (B) Kerala Congress (Jacob) Kerala Congress (Thomas) Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi Lok Insaaf Party Loktantrik Janata Dal Mahan Dal Makkal Needhi Maiam Manithaneya Makkal Katchi Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Marxist Co-ordination Committee Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam National Secular Conference NISHAD Party Pattali Makkal Katchi Pattali Makkal Katchi (S. Ramadoss) People’s Democratic Front Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi Puratchi Bharatham Katchi Puthiya Needhi Katchi Puthiya Tamilagam Raijor Dal Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party Rashtriya Lok Morcha Rashtriya Lok Samta Party Rashtriya Samaj Paksha Republican Party of India (Athawale) Revolutionary Socialist Party of Kerala (Bolshevik) Revolutionary Socialist Party (Leninist) Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) Shiv Sangram Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Sikkim National People’s Party Social Democratic Party of India Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party Swabhimani Paksha Swatantra Bharat Paksh Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) Tamil Nadu Kongu Ilaingar Peravai Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam Tamizhaga Murpokku Makkal Katchi Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi Telangana Jana Samithi United Goans Democratic Party Uttarakhand Kranti Dal Uzhavar Uzhaippalar Katchi Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi Vikassheel Insaan Party Welfare Party of India