Puthiya Needhi Katchi

Puthiya Needhi Katchi (translation: New Justice Party), is a political party in Tamil Nadu, India. It is headed by A.C. Shanmugham, a former AIADMK member. The party was started just before the 2001 Tamil Nadu assembly election. The leader of the party claims to represent Mudaliars and he argued that Vanniars have exploited the political machinery in Tamil Nadu through Pattali Makkal Katchi to attain reservation benefits and political representations. In September 2009, the party renamed itself as Needhi Katchi by dropping the pudhiya (lit. new) prefix.