PMK stays neutral in two Tamil Nadu by-elections amid alliance tensions

The Pattali Makkal Katchi has decided to remain neutral in the upcoming by-elections in the reserved constituencies of Madurantakam and Dharapuram, according to the supplied report. Senior PMK leaders privately attributed the decision in part to the party’s unsettled relationship with the AIADMK. A senior leader alleged that the AIADMK leadership had not shown sufficient mutual respect or consulted the PMK on electoral decisions.

The leader said the PMK had urged the AIADMK to field Poovai M. Jagan Moorthy in Madurantakam, but the suggestion was rejected. He also questioned whether the two parties had held a meeting since the previous elections.

Another PMK leader said the party was continuing to wait and assess its options because its leadership believed it could play an important role in the next elections. The party has not officially left the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance. The PMK is also seeking to build on what its leaders describe as a more positive public perception linked to the performance of its Assembly floor leader, Sowmiya Anbumani.

A party leader said her speeches were receiving attention on social media and that young people and the wider public were viewing her as fair and knowledgeable. The party, he said, wanted to consolidate those gains before deciding on an alliance. The leader suggested that an alliance could be decided before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

The PMK’s neutral position in the two by-elections therefore leaves its broader political alignment unresolved.