Senior MDMK leaders join DMK

Chennai: Exodus of key party functionaries from the Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) continued today, with more senior leaders joining Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

MDMK’s S Joel and N Thillaiselvam, District Secretaries of Thootukudi and Kanyakumari, respectively, joined DMK in the presence of its president M Karunanidhi.

Tirunelveli Urban Secretary of MDMK, S Perumal, was among the scores of party leaders and workers who joined DMK, a party release said.

In Dravidian politics, the post of District Secretary is considered key in the orgsanisational set up.

Earlier, senior leaders of MDMK, including former party Treasurer R Masilamani, Women’s Wing Leader Kumari Vijayakumar, District Secretaries of Kancheepuram and Salem, Palavakkam Somu and Thamraikannan, had walked out of the MDMK.

The senior functionaries had expressed reservation over Vaiko’s style of functioning, besides opposing his decision to continue with the newly-formed four-party bloc, People’s Welfare Front (PWF), for next year’s election.

Vaiko had earlier dropped hints with partymen over aligning with DMK, a party he was initially a member of but parted ways with Karunanidhi in 1994 following differences.