‘Torch light’ for MNM': EC assigns symbol to Kamal Haasan's party ahead of Puducherry Assembly election

Kamal Haasan launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), on February 21, 2018, in Madurai

• ECI assigns "Torch Light" symbol to Kamal Haasan's MNM for 2026 polls
• Officials review poll readiness in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry
• Congress, DMK alliance talks ongoing ahead of 2026 elections

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notification allotting the "Torch Light" symbol to Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) for the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections in Puducherry.

The notification comes as the poll body intensifies preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. On February 11, a seven-member team of Deputy Election Commissioners arrived at Chennai International Airport to review poll preparedness. The delegation includes Bhanwar Prakash, Manish Garg, Pawan Kumar Sharma, Sanjay Kumar and Ashish Goyal, along with other senior officials.

Kamal Haasan launched his political party on February 21, 2018, in Madurai.

Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg told reporters, "A team of officials from the Election Commission has reached Chennai and Puducherry to review the poll preparedness." The team is assessing the readiness of election machinery, including logistics, personnel deployment and coordination with local authorities in both regions.

Meanwhile, political activity has intensified in Tamil Nadu with alliance discussions underway. Congress Tamil Nadu president K Selvaperunthagai on Tuesday said that decisions regarding the Assembly elections would be taken by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). "Whatever the AICC decides, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee will follow. It is very intact (relationship with Congress and DMK)," he said, adding that seat-sharing talks would be handled by the central leadership.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has stated that the party is awaiting the formation of a committee by its ally, the DMK, to discuss alliance matters. He said that 70 days had passed since the assurance was given and expressed hope that the party would receive due respect in the alliance. In a post on X, Tagore also raised questions about seat distribution and power-sharing.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has 234 seats. In the 2021 elections, the DMK-Congress alliance secured 151 seats, with the DMK emerging as the leading party. With the ECI stepping up preparations and parties finalising strategies, the focus has shifted to coordination and seat-sharing arrangements ahead of the 2026 polls.