Dissatisfied over DMDK leader Vijayakant’s choice of electoral partner, 10 senior party functionaries, including its propaganda secretary V.C. Chandhirakumar and two other MLAs, on Tuesday openly raised a banner of revolt and accused the leadership of undemocratic functioning.
All 10 were immediately expelled from the party.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon, the three, led by Mr. Chandhirakumar, made an impassioned plea to Mr. Vijayakant to reconsider his decision to go with the PWF, dealing a serious blow to the credibility of the DMDK leadership.
In a hurriedly organised press conference, the leaders contradicted many of the recent statements Mr. Vijayakant and his wife Premalatha had made including the fact that they never negotiated with the DMK for a pact.
While the constituents of the People’s Welfare Front (PWF) dubbed the protest a coup instigated by the DMK, sources in the DMDK said they were readying for an all-out campaign against the DMK leadership for trying to break the party.
“We had planned to focus primarily on the AIADMK during election campaign. But now we have no option but take on the DMK too. We will expose them in the coming week,” said a close aide of Mr. Vijayakant.
He added that they were in the process of collecting evidence to pin down the DMK’s role in the whole affair.
