Chennai, Aug 6:
The MDMK of firebrand General Secretary Vaiko had two Legislators after contesting as an ally of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) under the DMK’s symbol in the recent Assembly polls.
In the post-poll polarisation that saw key allies of the DMK quitting the Front and having either aligned and joined the Cabinet or offered support to the ruling TVK headed by Vijay, Vaiko too toed the line and announced snapping its long time relations with the DMK and walked out of the SPA and offered support to the ruling dispensation.
Justifying his decision, he also launched a tirade against DMK President M K Stalin for having insisted his party contest on its “Rising Sun” symbol, apart from expressing his displeasure over the seat sharing pact in the run up to the polls.
Protesting against it, one of the MLAs Senthilselvan,, elected from Sirkazhi constituency skipped the General Council meet where the decision to snap ties with the DMK and support the ruling TVK was taken. He subsequently joined the DMK and decided to continue as that party’s Legislator, leaving MDMK with a lone MLA, the same day.
In a sudden turn of events, the lone Legislator of the party, Rajendran representing Kadayanallur on Wednesday evening, met Stalin and joined the DMK and said he would continue to remain as DMK MLA after holding consultations.
After seeking the blessings of Stalin, he levelled charges against Vaiko and his son and MDMK Principal Secretary Durai Vaiko, also a Lok Sabha MP, of having forced him to resign the post with the promise of getting them re-elected from the same seat on TVK in the ensuing bypolls, besides a Cabinet berth.
Charging Durai with maligning his image of horse trading, Rajendran said he chose to join DMK after holding consultations with the supporters, leaving the MDMK blank in the State Assembly, at a time when the Budget session has just started.
This was seen as a setback for Vaiko and his party, which was keen to secure a place in the TVK Cabinet, and it has to merely content with supporting the Vijay government, after its hopes are dashed.