# Puthiya Tamilagam

The Puthiya Tamilagam (transl. New Tamilagam; abbr. PT) is an Indian regional political party in Tamil Nadu. It was founded by the former member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly K. Krishnasamy on 15 December 1997.

## Elections
### 1998 Indian General Election

Post the formation of the party in the end of 1997, the general assembly of the party decided to contest the 1998 Indian general election without any alliance. The party contested in fifteen constituencies in Tamilnadu such as: Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Sivakasi, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Periyakulam, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Tiruchirappalli, Karur, Pollachi, Tiruchengode, Rasipuram and Chennai Central constituencies.
* The party candidates such as Dr.K. Krishnasamy and Sathyamoorthy polled more than a lakh votes in Tenkasi and Sivakasi constituencies respectively.
* The party also polled more than a 50,000 votes in Ramanathapuram and Tirunelveli constituencies respectively.
* The party polled more than 20,000 votes in Periyakulam and Dindigul constituencies respectively. But the party lost in all the constituencies which it contested.

### 1999 Indian General Election

The party joined the Tamil Maanila Congress alliance for the 1999 Indian general election. The alliance comprised parties such as Janata Dal, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League and Kamaraj Aadhithanar Kazhagam. The party contested in ten constituencies with "Bullock Cart" symbol allocated to it.
* The party President Dr.K.Krishnasamy polled 1,86,220 votes in Tenkasi Lok Sabha constituency. The contest was won by S. Murugesan of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam winning S. Arumugam of Bharatiya Janata Party by a mere difference of just 887 votes.
* The party polled more than a lakh votes in Tirunelveli, whwere the winning margin between All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was only 26,494 votes.
* The party polled more than a fifty thousand votes in Ramanathapuram and Periyakulam constituencies.

### 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

For the 2001 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, the party joined the Democratic Progressive Alliance comprising Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Bharatiya Janata Party, and a few caste based parties. The party contested ten seats in lock symbol.
* The party polled more than a 40,000 votes in Paramakudi and Sankarankoil
* The party polled more than a 30,000 votes in Ottapidaram, Paramakudi, Vasudevanallur, Valangaiman, Kolathur(Pudukottai) and Namakkal assembly constituencies.
* The party polled more than a 25,000 votes in Sedapatti, Nilakottai and Valparai assembly constituencies.

### 2004 Indian General Election

For the 2004 Indian general election, the party joined the People's Alliance comprising Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi, Janata Dal (United), Indian National League and Puratchi Council. The party was allocated two seats to contest in "Arrow" symbol.
* The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy polled 1.01,122 votes in Tenkasi constituency
* Dheepa Valentina polled 27,130 votes in Sivakasi constituency.

### 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

The party made an alliance pact with Bahujan Samaj Party and contested 53 seats in "Elephant" symbol. The party also decided to contest in a few unresrved constituencies.
* The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy polled 29,271 votes in Ottapidaram constituency. The winning marhin between All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was only 9,444 votes.
* The party polled more than 10,000 votes in Vasudevanallur, Sankarankoil, Srivilliputhur and Rajapalayam assembly constituencies.
* The party polled more than 5,000 votes in Srivaikuntam, Kadayanallur, Alangulam, Sivakasi and Virudhunagar assembly constituencies.

### 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

For the 2011 state elections, it allied with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party and won two seats: The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy secured 71,330 votes in Ottapidaram constituency and A. Ramaswamy secured 75,124 votes in Nilakkottai constituency.

### 2014 Indian general election

The 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party aligned with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance. It contested the lone seat of Tenkasi constituency, where the party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy lost by 161,774 votes to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate, M. Vasanthi.

### 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

The party allied with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for the 2016 state assembly elections as part of the Democratic Progressive Alliance. The party contested the seats of Ottapidaram, Srivilliputhur, Krishnarayapuram and Vasudevanallur.
* The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy lost to Sundarraj of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by a slender margin of 493 votes in Ottapidaram constituency.

### 2019 Indian general election

For the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the partu joined the AIADMK-BJP-PMK-DMDK alliance in Tamil Nadu as part of the National Democratic Alliance. The party was allocated one constituency to contest.
* The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy contested in Tenkasi constituency for the sixth time. He recorded his highest votes in his career at the election and eventually lost to Dhanush M. Kumar of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam by a margin of 1,20,767 votes

### 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

For the 2011 state elections, the party contested alone in 55 seats in Tamil Nadu. The highest number of votes was 6,544, which was acquired by the party president Dr.K. Krishnasamy in Ottapidaram Assembly constituency.

### 2024 Indian general election

For the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Puthiya Tamilagam joined the AIADMK-led Alliance in Tamil Nadu.
* The party President Dr.K. Krishnasamy contested in Tenkasi constituency for the seventh time.

## Members of Legislative Assembly (Tamil Nadu)

| No | Year | Election | Member | Constituency |
| 1 | 2011 | 14th Assembly | K. Krishnasamy | Ottapidaram |
| 2 | 2011 | 14th Assembly | A. Ramasamy | Nilakottai |

## List of party leaders
### Presidents

| No. | Portrait | Name | Term in office | Term in office | Term in office |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Time in office |
| 1 | | K. Krishnasamy (b. 1952) | 15 December 1997 | Incumbent | 27 years, 88 days |

## Election history
### Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly

| Year | Party leader | Alliance | Seats contested | Seats won | Seats +/- | Vote % (in Tamil Nadu) | Total Votes Polled | Vote swing |
| 1996 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 6 | 1 / 234 | 1 | 0.33% | 89,772 | 0.33 |
| 2001 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | DPA | 10 | 0 / 234 | 1 | 1.27% | 3,55,171 | 0.94 |
| 2006 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 53 | 0 / 234 | | 0.50% | 1,62,029 | 0.77 |
| 2011 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | AIADMK+ | 2 | 2 / 234 | 2 | 0.40% | 1,46,454 | 0.37 |
| 2016 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | SPA | 4 | 0 / 234 | 2 | 0.51% | 2,19,830 | 0.11 |
| 2021 | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 55 | 0 / 234 | | | | |

### Indian General Election

| Year | Lok Sabha | Party leader | Alliance | Seats contested | Seats won | Seats +/- | Vote % (in Tamil Nadu) | Total Votes Polled | Vote swing |
| 1996 | 11th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 2 | 0 / 543 | | 0.38% | 1,00,994 | New |
| 1998 | 12th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 15 | 0 / 543 | | 1.74% | 4,46,583 | 1.36 |
| 1999 | 13th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | TMC Alliance | 10 | 0 / 543 | | 2.09% | 5,68,196 | 0.35 |
| 2004 | 14th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | People's alliance | 5 | 0 / 543 | | 0.44% | 1,28,252 | 1.65 |
| 2009 | 15th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | None | 1 | 0 / 543 | | 0.38% | 1,16,685 | 0.06 |
| 2014 | 16th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | DPA | 1 | 0 / 543 | | 0.66% | 2,62,812 | 0.28 |
| 2019 | 17th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | NDA | 1 | 0 / 543 | | 0.83% | 3,55,870 | 0.17 |
| 2024 | 18th Lok Sabha | Dr.K. Krishnasamy | AIADMK+ | 1 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |