MDMK leader Durai Vaiko quits party post

CHENNAI: Internal squabbles are taking a toll in yet another political party in the State, with MDMK principal secretary Durai Vaiko resigning from the party’s top post.

MDMK founder-general secretary Vaiko’s son took the decision on Saturday, a day ahead of the party’s administrative council meeting scheduled to be held on Sunday. An MP from Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituency, Durai Vaiko, took to ‘X’ (Twitter) to announce his decision and blamed an individual (without naming the person) as the reason for his decision to step down.

Party insiders attributed Durai Vaiko’s conflict with deputy general secretary Mallai Sathya as the reason behind his decision. Durai Vaiko has not had good ties with Mallai Sathya, a long-time confidant of Vaiko, ever since he entered the party, insiders point out. With the Tiruchy district MDMK adopting a resolution last week to remove Sathya from his post the internal issue is out in the open.

However, MDMK general secretary Vaiko issued statements in support of his long-time supporter and directed that district-level meetings should not be conducted and resolutions should not be passed in way to violate the party norms. This might have led Durai Vaiko to make the move to resign from his post, MDMK leaders claim.

Durai Vaiko has hinted at such problems in his resignation message. He said that after he was elected as headquarters secretary, one leader who could not tolerate the appointment has been making accusations for the last four years.

“I don’t want to continue working as the principal secretary with such a person’s existence in the party. Therefore, I am relieving myself from the post of principal secretary,” he added.

Durai Vaiko said he would attend an administrative council meeting scheduled on Sunday, but added he won’t participate in any future ones.