A day after revolting, 10 expelled senior DMDK functionaries led by >V.C. Chandhirakumar on Wednesday questioned the action against them even as other MLAs and party office-bearers loyal to party founder Vijayakant reaffirmed their faith in him and hit out at the rebels.
“Sacking us from primary membership of the party will in no way bind us and it is not valid,” Mr. Chandhirakumar, who was the party’s propaganda secretary, told reporters in Chennai.
Claiming that they could be expelled only by the party’s disciplinary committee which also comprises members from apex administrative and high-level committees, he said besides him, five other members of the panels were with the rebel group.
Facing the revolt by the 10 leaders who demanded that he reconsider the decision to align with four-party People’s Welfare Front for the May 16, 2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Mr. Vijayakant had on Tuesday >expelled them for “violating party discipline”.
The rebel group has demanded that the party forge an alliance with the DMK.
Mr. Chandhirakumar, who was the DMDK Whip in the outgoing Assembly, said the next course of action would be made known soon.
He maintained that their stance that party’s rank and file was against the decision to align with the PWF was the reality.
He claimed several district secretaries, MLAs and other district level functionaries had expressed their unwillingness to contest election as the party had aligned with the PWF.
Several of them had also got refund of ticket fee fearing that they would lose in the polls, he said.
Joining the rebels, Salem DMDK district deputy secretary Madesh told reporters there that alliance with the PWF should be reconsidered.
Meanwhile, loyalists of Mr. Vijayakant rallied behind him and defended the decision to join hands with the PWF, comprising the MDMK, the VCK, the CPI(M) and the CPI.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai, DMDK headquarters secretary and MLA B. Parthasarathy, questioned the claims of Mr. Chandhirakumar.
“Captain (as Mr. Vijayakant is known among his supporters) will forgive enemies but not betrayers. Our goal is to make our Captain the Chief Minister. In pursuance of that goal we built this party and (now) fighting election (by aligning with the PWF which has accepted Mr. Vijayakant as CM candidate),” he said.
DMDK treasurer A.R. Elangovan also defended the alliance with the PWF and asserted “our party will win the polls and our Captain will capture power, our sympathies for Chandhirakumar”.
