Chennai, July 3:
The growing exodus in the main opposition AIADMK continued on Friday with one more former Minister S.Vaigaiselvan resigning from the party, after launching a broadside against its General Secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Vaigaiselven is the AIADMK Literary Wing Secretary and also the official spokesperson of the party and was of late sidelined by the party leadership.
His breaking ranks with the AIADMK comes a day after four disgruntled former Ministers, including two who had resigned from their MLA posts, quitting the party and joining the ruling TVK of Chief Minister Vijay
unhappy with the functioning of the AIADMK leadership.
In the letter to EPS, Vaigaiselvan, who had resigned from the primary membership of the party, said the hallmark of a true leader is to protect the party and its cadre even at personal cost. He alleged that a leader who prioritises personal interest while allowing the party and its workers to suffer cannot be regarded as an effective leader.
He further claimed that the party’s reported move to align with the archrival DMK after the electoral defeat and form the government to prevent TVK from ascending the throne, had weakened the AIADMK and its identity, besides causing heartburn among the cadres.
A former School Education Minister in the late Jayalalithaa cabinet, Vaigaiselvan, who was denied a ticket to contest the recent polls, said he had continued to work for the party during the Assembly elections despite being sidelined and added that the neglect he experienced within the organisation was “more painful than death”.
Recalling his association with the AIADMK since his student days, he said resigning from the party had caused him immense mental anguish. He added that the memories and experiences he had gained while serving the party in various capacities would remain with him.