Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (abbr. MDMK) is a political party active in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was established by Vaiko in 1994 after he left the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The headquarters of the party is called Thayagam, which is located at Rukmini Lakshmipathi Salai, Egmore, Chennai.

Formation
Vaiko was a member of Rajya Sabha and a party activist of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Vaiko was a member of the party from his initial student days and actively participated in the party agitations and courted imprisonment several times. He was elected thrice to the Rajya Sabha. In 1994, he was forced out of the parent body as he was seen as a threat to DMK chief Karunanidhi's son, M.K. Stalin. Vaiko along with some district secretaries announced the decision to start a rival party, which became the MDMK.

Support for Sri Lankan Tamils
Vaiko voiced support for Tamils during the Sri Lankan Civil War, including for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam specifically and their goal of secession from Sri Lanka.

Support for the Mullaperiyar Dam
The Government of Kerala was keen to demolish the Mullaperiyar Dam because of safety concerns. However, the dam's reservoir is a prime source for irrigation for more than 8 districts including Theni. As a result, Vaiko led an agitation against the Kerala government.

Split in MDMK
With the looming possibility of a vote of confidence in Parliament against the UPA, two party MPs, L. Ganesan and Gingee N. Ramachandran, claimed that they enjoyed the support of the majority of party cadre and decided to pledge support to the UPA government. They later withdrew their claim and joined DMK when it was found that they had forged letters of support of party executives.

Boycott of Assembly Election 2011
Due to issues in seat sharing, MDMK quit the ADMK Alliance and boycotted the 2011 Assembly elections of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Sanchi Protest
The MDMK protested the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh in September 2012. Vaiko and his party members traveled to Sanchi. People who traveled through roadways were stopped by the police near Gadchiroli. Some party members tried to reach the spot by rail and air but they were detained by police before reaching Sanchi.

MDMK snap ties with NDA
The MDMK left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in December 2014, accusing the BJP of acting against Tamil interests. This came after heavy criticism of the party from BJP lawmaker Subramanian Swamy.

Party flag and symbol
The election symbol is a top. The colour of the top and bottom panel is red and middle panel is black. The party has a weekly journal called Sangoli which carries news and write ups for party workers. In 2024 Parliament Election, the eci alloted Matchbox with stick symbol for contesting in Trichy.