PMK was founded by Dr. S. Ramdoss and the state president is G. K. Mani. Ramdoss had earlier worked with the Vanniyar Sangham (Vanniyar Union) founded by him in 1980.The Pattali Makkal Katchi operates on the political ideologies of Social Democracy and Populism. Its regional appeal lies in the fact that it caters to the interests of the common man in Tamil Nadu, especially the poor sections of the population such as peasants, workers and the middle-class in general.Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss is a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu since 2014. The district economy is mainly agrarian in nature. Nearly 70% of the workforce is dependent on agriculture and allied activities.
Following the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the PMK joined United Progressive Alliance led by the Congress. In June 2008, during the final months of the bitter relationship between the DMK and the PMK, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu severed its ties with the PMK, an outside supporter of the Karunanidhi Government.However, the DMK did not press for the party's removal from the UPA Government at the Centre. On 26 March 2009, PMK declared that, it would join the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ( AIADMK ) led front and left the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
PMK contested in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party led NDA[4] and its candidate Anbumani Ramadoss won from Dharmapuri Lok Sabha constituency, where he is one of two non-AIADMK MPs from Tamil Nadu the other being from its ally BJP.The PMK entered its 25th year of existence this June, after a brief period of existential crisis in 2011, when it was doubted if the party would retain its status as a regional political party. The PMK promises to end Dravidian rule in the south of India by broadening its base in the state. The President of the party is G.K. Mani.
On 26 March 2009 PMK declared that it would join the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) led front and left the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). Following this alliance the two ministers in union cabinet Mr. A. Ramadoss and R. Velu resigned from the UPA government. On 28 March 2009 they submitted the resignation to prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and suffered a complete wipe out because of their constant shifting of alliances between the two dravidian parties.
The Election Symbol of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, as approved by the Election Commission of India, is the “Mango”. Mango in the symbol, is seen as having two side leaves at the top. It is usually drawn on a tri-coloured party flag, which has a blue top strip, followed by a yellow middle strip and an orange lower strip. As is known, the Mango is the National Fruit of India. The use of this symbol by the PMK attests to its call for unity of all the Vanniyars from across the country, in spite of the community’s dense concentration in the state of Tamil Nadu. The use of the Mango symbol is representational of the party’s strength in nationalist appeals of all backward classes for which the PMK claims to hold a strong struggle.
Address and Contact Details
Official Website of PMK - http://www.pmkparty.in/
Head-Office Address of PMK - Villupuram District, Tindivanam, Chennai - 604001, Tamil Nadu
Phone No: 04147- 222709