Puthiya Needhi Katchi
Puthiya Needhi Katchi | |
|---|---|
| President | A. C. Shanmugam |
| Founder | A. C. Shanmugam |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Ideology | Caste-based politics Social justice |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| ECI Status | Registered unrecognised party |
| Alliance | NDA (2001-present) AIADMK+ (2019-present) |
| Seats in Lok Sabha | 0 / 543 / 545<div style="background-color:
|
| Seats in Rajya Sabha | 0 / 245
|
| Seats in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | 0 / 234
|
| Election symbol | |
| Free Symbol | |
| Website | |
| www.acshanmugam.com | |
Puthiya Needhi Katchi (transl. New Justice Party) is a regional political party based in Tamil Nadu, India. It was founded and is led by politician A. C. Shanmugam, a former Member of Parliament and Member of the Legislative Assembly. The party primarily represents sections of the Thuluva Vellalar and related Mudaliar communities in northern Tamil Nadu.
History
Founding
Puthiya Needhi Katchi was founded in 2001 by A. C. Shanmugam, following his exit from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Shanmugam had earlier been elected to the Lok Sabha from the Vellore constituency in 1984 and served as an MLA in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The party was established as a platform advocating “new justice” politics, focusing on caste-based representation, regional development, and political inclusion of specific intermediate caste groups in Tamil Nadu.
Electoral participation
Since its formation, Puthiya Needhi Katchi has contested multiple elections to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha, often as part of broader coalitions rather than independently. The party has aligned at different times with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and with AIADMK-led alliances in Tamil Nadu.
Despite regular participation in elections, the party has not secured representation in the state assembly or Parliament in recent election cycles and remains a registered unrecognised party with the Election Commission of India.
Ideology
The party’s ideology centres on:
Social justice through caste-based political representation
Advocacy for the interests of the Thuluva Vellalar and related Mudaliar communities
Regional development of northern Tamil Nadu
While it does not publish a formal ideological manifesto, its political positioning has generally aligned with centre-right regional parties and coalition politics.
Organisation
Founder and President: A. C. Shanmugam
Headquarters: Tamil Nadu, India
Shanmugam remains the party’s principal leader and public representative, with the organisation largely revolving around his leadership and political network.
Electoral performance
Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Puthiya Needhi Katchi has contested multiple assembly elections since 2001, primarily through alliances. However, it has not won seats under its own party banner.
Lok Sabha
A. C. Shanmugam has contested several Lok Sabha elections from the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, including as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 Indian general election and the 2024 Indian general election.
See also
List of political parties in Tamil Nadu
References
- ↑ "Members: Lok Sabha". loksabha.nic.in. Lok Sabha Secretariat. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
Category:Political parties in Tamil Nadu Category:Political parties established in 2001 Category:Regionalist parties in India
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