MDMK chief Vaiko on Tuesday said his party has decided to exit the People's Welfare Front (PWF).
"The high level committee of the party met and decided that the party will exit the PWF. However, we will continue to have close ties with other parties of the alliance such as the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)," said Mr. Vaiko.
With the PWF's convener abandoning the ship, it remains to be seen if the other parties will keep the alliance intact.
The PWF was formed a little ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections to jointly fight Hindutva, violence against Dalits and minorities and privatisation.
With actor/politician Vijayakanth's DMDK agreeing to be a part of the alliance, the PWF transformed into a third front after the DMK and AIADMK led fronts.
VCK chief Thirumavalavan said that he was shocked by the decision. "However, the MDMK has the freedom to decide on their own. I have always maintained that the PWF was never a permanent alliance. We came together on common issues," he noted.
Mr. Vaiko's support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive, which was opposed by the VCK and the Left parties, is said to have created a rift.
CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan said Mr. Vaiko could have discussed the decision with the alliance constituents before making the announcement. "Vaiko has always maintained that he won't be responsible for breaking the PWF. Every party has its own point of view and that is inevitable. There is no need to break the alliance because of differences of opinion. He could have discussed the issue with us instead of directly speaking to the press," he said.
