MDMK to Announce Its Stance on Alliance on Jun 27

The imminent exit follows Friday's charged high-level committee meeting where the party indicated its decision to break ties.

MDMK principal secretary Durai Vaiko, however, explicitly stated that individual leaders cannot unilaterally sever ties.

The official decision to continue with the DMK or walk out of the nine-year-old alliance will be announced by the party's general council scheduled for June 27, where the office bearers and cadres will vote on the final decision.

On Friday, the party's high-level committee meeting here was taken aback by the absence of its legislator Senthil Selvan who won from Sikrazhi, triggering speculation that he would resign and join the ruling TVK under its founder and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. However, Rajendran, the Kadayanallur MLA attended the meeting.

There are indications that the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which contested from four constituencies as part of the DMK-led alliance, under the DMK's rising sun symbol, and won two seats, is also likely to explore future alliance prospects with the Vijay-led party.

Apparently indicating that the party was on its way out, Vaiko, the party's general secretary expressed his deep dissatisfaction and resentment over the treatment his party had received while in alliance with the DMK for the past nine years.

Inspite of his loyalty and his efforts to promote the DMK leadership and the Dravidian movement over the past nine years, he felt that his party was treated "unfairly", Vaiko, who had once been in the DMK, said at a meeting in Virudhunagar earlier today.

After walking out of the DMK he had launched his own party, the MDMK.

Making a veiled reference to Premalatha Vijayakanth-led DMDK which was given more assembly seats to contest in the April 23 polls, and in addition a Rajya Sabha seat, Vaiko remarked that smaller parties were accorded more importance in the DMK camp. His major source of anguish was that his party was made to fight on the DMK's rising sun symbol whereas other allies were allowed to contest on their own respective party symbols.

"We had to compromise on our self-respect and dignity to remain in the alliance for nine years," he said at the Virudhunagar meeting, expressing deep frustration and anguish over his experience with the DMK's Secular Progressive Alliance.

His son Durai Vaiko, too had recently expressed in a similar vein about how his party was made to contest on the rising sun symbol.

The high-level meeting, presided over by the party's chairperson, was held to discuss resolutions for the upcoming general council meeting.

If it quits, the MDMK will be the sixth party to walk out of the DMK-led SPA post the Assembly results in May. Already the Congress severing its ties with the Dravidian major, joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the government formation. The VCK and IUML too joined the government, while the CPI and CPI (M) have extended unconditional support to the Vijay-led government.

The DMK, under its chief, M K Stalin, which is facing isolation by its allies, will have DMDK, Kamal Haasan-led MNM, and other smaller parties, in its alliance.