In its contribution details submitted to the Election Commission (EC), Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has highlighted that its grassroot workers’ contributions weigh more than those of electoral trusts and corporates put together.
Party workers, who bought donation tickets, which were each less than Rs 2,000, altogether contributed Rs 299.86 crore towards the “DMK development fund” in the financial year 2024-25 – the first year after the Supreme Court scrapped the government’s electoral bonds scheme in February 2024.
According to the DMK’s contribution report, cash donations by its grassroots workers in the name of DMK icon and former chief minister late M Karunanidhi accounted for another Rs 74.16 lakh.
The DMK thus received Rs 300.66 crore in total for the party fund through small contributions raised by its workers and supporters.
“Ever since the DMK was founded (in 1949) it has been our grassroots workers who have built the party by making small contributions to it at the village and district levels. People collect money from their friends, family and give it to the party. That has always been the case,” the DMK’s national spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai told The Indian Express.
The DMK, led by CM M K Stalin, has raised a total of Rs 365.82 crore fund through donations and contributions to its various wings. This marked a sharp rise from a total of Rs 81.56 crore donations that the party had bagged during 2023-2024.
In 2024-25, the DMK also received significant contributions from some electoral trusts and corporates. Progressive Electoral Trust contributed Rs 10 crore to the party, which is now stepping up its preparations for the Assembly elections slated for April 2026.
The lottery firm, Tiger Associates, Kolkata contributed Rs 50 crore, making it a major donor to the party.
The DMK’s legal wing got contributions worth Rs 4.42 crore, mainly collected in lakhs from individual donors who have contributed anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh each.
The DMK’s Delhi account got Rs 17 lakh as contributions, while the party’s youth development wing secured Rs 56.22 lakh as donations. “The majority of our contributions have come from individuals who believe in the party and its progressive ideals,” Saravanan Annadurai said.
When asked about the DMK’s grassroots workers, Annadurai said the party does not maintain their profile. “We are built by all those who come to us for good governance and progressive administration,” he said, adding that “The DMK development fund mostly goes to welfare schemes run by the party for the people of Tamil Nadu.”
From healthcare to housing scheme, the DMK has several programmes for the “deprived and underprivileged”, another DMK leader said. “From DMK founder C N Annadurai to Karunanidhi and now CM Stalin, the DMK has a long history of reaching out to the people for support.”
DMK donations in 2024-25 – Rs 365.82 cr DMK donations in 2023-24 – Rs 81.56 cr
DMK rank and file – Rs 300.66 cr