Makkal Tamil Desam Katchi (People's Tamil Land Party, in Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

: மக்கள் தமிழ் தேசம் கட்சி), generally just called Makkal Tamil Desam (MTD) is a political party

Political party

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...

 in the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

. MTD was founded on August 22, 2000. MTD has its base amongst the Yadava caste in the southern parts of the state. The Tamil Nadu Yadava Mahasabai supported the formation of the party. The party leader is S. Kannappan, a former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. The party was founded by M. G. Ramachandran and is now headed by J. Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters is in Royapettah, Chennai, and was gifted to the party in 1986 by its...

 (AIADMK) minister. Kannappan had been expelled from AIADMK before the foundation of MTD.

Ahead of the 2001 Tamil Nadu assembly elections MTD joined the National Democratic Alliance

National Democratic Alliance (India)

The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...

 (NDA).

On May 6, 2002, the Pondicherry unit of MTD broke away and joined Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

.

In the 2004 MTD took part in the People's Alliance

People's Alliance

People's Alliance may refer to:*The People's Alliance , Belgian political party which split in 2001 into the Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie and Spirit...

, the third front in Tamil Nadu together with Janata Dal (United)

Janata Dal (United)

Janata Dal is a political party in India with political presence mainly in Bihar and Jharkhand. Janta Dal party mentor and patron is "Veteran Socialist leader" George Fernandes; George Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the Samata Party in 1994. Presently it is led...

, Puthiya Tamizhagam and the Dalit Panthers of India

Dalit Panthers of India

Dalit Panthers of India or Viduthalai Chiruthaigal is a people's movement and political party mainly based in Tamil Nadu. It advocates for the rights and welfare of Dalits. Its leader is Thol. Thirumavalavan. It won two MLA seats in 2006 state assembly elections on its own in alliance with...

. This front was basically formed by groups who were dissatisfied that Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...

(BJP) had put NDA aside in Tamil Nadu and instead had launched a pure BJP-AIADMK front in the elections. MTD contested under the JD(U) symbol.