Makkal Needhi Maiam, floated by actor Kamal Haasan, contested for the first time in the last parliamentary elections. MNM was assigned the torchlight symbol during that time. Subsequently, Kamal Haasan and the party actively engaged in the task of promoting the torchlight logo.

Currently, the torchlight logo is also featured as a symbol of the Makkal Needhi Maiam party. The party has the torchlight logo on its official Twitter page as well.

In this context, in a recent statement issued by the Election Commission of India, MNM was allotted the torchlight symbol only for 30 constituencies in Puducherry and the same was given to a lesser-known MGR Makkal Katchi for use in Tamil Nadu. A case was filed at the Chennai High Court on behalf of MNM, seeking an order to assign the torchlight symbol to them.

Now, it has been learnt that Viswanathan, the leader of the MGR Makkal Katchi, abruptly changed his stance and wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India, asking for a different symbol to be allocated to the party.

All in all, this has been viewed as helping Nammavar get back his beloved party symbol.