How past alternatives failed in Tamil Nadu - Performance of Political Parties Other than DMK & AIADMK in Assembly Elections 1977 to 2016

In the last Assembly elections held in 2016, three parties — Bharatiya Janata Party, Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Naam Tamilar Katchi — had sought to project themselves separately as alternative forces but all the three, put together, could not get even 10% of the vote share.

Vaiko of the MDMK was part of three attempts — 1996, 2001 and 2016, the last one as part of the People Welfare Front. In 1996, the MDMK aligned with the CPI(M) and the Janata Dal, whereas, in 2001, the party contested on its own.