One year after quitting Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), erstwhile presidium chairman S. Duraisamy on Saturday reiterated his stand that party general secretary Vaiko should give up “dynasty politics” and merge it with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Ironically, Mr. Vaiko whose fight against dynastic politics 31 years ago in DMK led to the formation of MDMK was now hankering for his son Durai Vaiko’s succession, Mr. Duraisamy said, addressing mediapersons in Tiruppur.
Mr. Duraisamy faulted what he described as the “political inconsistency” of Mr. Vaiko, and “deviation from principles” for MDMK’s decline.
Two years after facing defeat in alliance with CPI (M) and Janata Party in 1996, Mr. Vaiko entered into an alliance with the AIADMK and BJP for the Lok Sabha election. In 1999, MDMK had allied with DMK and BJP, and in 2001, Mr. Vaiko walked out of the DMK despite being given 23 seats for the Assembly polls.
After incarceration in jail for 19 months from 2002 for speaking in support of LTTE at Tirumangalam, Mr. Vaiko chose to align again with DMK and Congress in 2004. In the 2011 Assembly election, Mr. Vaiko decided the MDMK will not contest as fewer seats were allotted by AIADMK, and for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the party forged an alliance with the BJP, PMK, and VCK. In the 2016 election, the party contested under the banner of Makkal Nala Kootani, and for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the MDMK again was an ally of DMK. In the 2021 Assembly polls, the MDMK contested the election in DMK’ Rising Sun symbol.
In the 2024 election, Mr. Vaiko had chosen to field his son Durai Vaiko who was there in the party only for two years for Tiruchi seat. Even if Mr. Durai Vaiko wins, the credit will go only to the DMK.
Key party functionaries and cadre have already joined the DMK, AIADMK and the BJP. There was no point running the party anymore, Mr. Duraisamy emphasised.
