Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), a long-time ally of the secular progressive alliance led by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), is likely to make a formal announcement on the party’s stance on the alliance on Saturday, people familiar with the matter said.
This comes after a host of issues were discussed at the executive committee meeting chaired by party president Vaiko on Friday, including whether to stay in or exit the DMK-led alliance in the wake of recent fissures emerging between the DMK and MDMK, they said.
At the party’s high-level committee meeting held at the MDMK headquarters in Chennai, one of the party’s legislators Senthil Selvan (Sirkali) did not turn up, raising speculation that he may tender his resignation and join the ruling Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam party.
Another MP T Rajendran (Kadayanallur) attended the meeting, the people said.
Faiko is expected to make a formal announcement on the party’s position on June 27 after a general council meeting scheduled for Saturday morning, party insiders said.
Fissures emerged between the DMK and the MDMK after MP and Vaiko’s son, Durai Vaiko, commented early this month that it was “unfortunate” for the party MLA to contest under the DMK’s rising sun symbol, as they could not extend support to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) when Governor Rajendra Arlekar had instructed TVK to prove the party’s majority in the assembly.
On June 4, Vaiko officially announced that he had been “forced” by the DMK to contest under the “Rising Sun” symbol in the April 23 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
He expressed concern that he got only four seats in the Assembly elections while other alliance partners were allotted 10 seats including Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and 1 Rajya Sabha seat, 8 Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) seats, 27 seats and 1 Rajya Sabha seat in Congress.
Vaiko met Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on June 17 at the Secretariat and praised him, saying, “He is a simple, humble and transparent person.”
“Since the formation of this government, there has been absolutely no room for the word of a committee here. It is a health administration that warms the hearts of the people,” Vaiko said at the time.
