The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has finally stopped coming to terms with the ramifications of the drubbing that it had received in the recent polls. The party is very likely to lose its recognition with the Election Commission of India after it managed to amass less than six percent of votes.

From being the main opposition party in the 2011 elections, with 29 seats, DMDK managed to lose all its seats and has received less than 2.4 percent of the total votes polled (less than 10,35,000 out of the 5.8 crore votes polled). Contrary to the dizzying media, the party leader, Vijayakanth himself couldn’t win a seat.

According to the rules of the Election Commission, a party has to be active for a period of five years or must have gathered between four to six percent of votes in the state assembly or the Lok Sabha elections. Recognition once given can be revoked.

Founded in 2005, the DMDK contested the 2006 state assembly elections, when Vijayakanth alone managed to win a seat. In 2011, he entered into an alliance with the AIADMK and won 29 seats. Soon after the elections, he walked out of the alliance due to differences of opinion, and became the main opposition party. Trouble began when his MLAs began deserting the party and joining the AIADMK and the DMK.

In 2009, he contested as part of the BJP-led NDA. But, during the state elections, he distanced himself from the BJP. In fact, it made headlines when he skipped the meeting with a senior BJP leader who had come to hold poll alliance talks with him. The BJP leader, Prakash Javadekar was left waiting at Vijayakanth’s house.