‘Whistle’ for Vijay’s TVK; ‘battery torch’ for Kamal Hassan’s MNM

Ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, the political parties of veteran actors Vijay and Kamal Hassan have been allotted their respective symbols by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The whistle symbol has been allotted to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), headed by actor Vijay. Whereas, the battery torch symbol has been allotted to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), the party headed by Kamal Hassan. Both parties are set to debut in the upcoming assembly polls, vying to gain power by unseating the incumbent Dravidra Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK).
All the political parties have started gearing up for the elections, with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami already announcing the party’s first phase of the party’s poll promises on January 17. The AIADMK’s election promises include the Women’s Welfare Kulavilakku Scheme, under which a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,000 will be provided to all ration card-holding families, credited directly to the bank account of the woman head of the family.
Vijay, the founder of TVK, himself has been embroiled in controversy, already facing questioning by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) regarding the Karur stampede.
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to hold elections in the first half of this year. The official schedule has not yet been announced by the ECI.