CHENNAI: In what appears to be a gradual move away from the DMK alliance, MDMK chief Vaiko raked up the past issues of dissatisfaction over the number of seats allocated and 'forcibly' making the party contest on the 'rising sun' symbol, even as son Durai Vaiko was seen openly defending the newly formed TVK government.
Vaiko on Tuesday said these concerns would be discussed in detail at the party's general council meeting on June 27 before deciding its future electoral strategy.
Stressing that no hasty decision would be taken on alliance-related issues, Vaiko said the views of cadre and functionaries would be heard before the party arrived at any conclusion on its political course.
Responding to questions on criticism voiced by some party leaders and workers, Vaiko said the MDMK had stood firmly with the DMK-led alliance and worked wholeheartedly for its victory in the Assembly election.
He said he personally campaigned for DMK candidates in 34 constituencies, spending nearly an hour at each venue and appealing to voters to support the alliance. Of those constituencies, the DMK won 24 seats, and the MDMK's efforts had contributed to the alliance's success, he said.
Vaiko also pointed out that two MDMK candidates won with the support of DMK votes, while the party narrowly missed victory in two other constituencies.
At the same time, he said many party workers were disappointed that the MDMK was allotted only four seats while several alliance partners received a larger share of constituencies and, in some cases, Rajya Sabha representation.
The disappointment was further aggravated by the decision to make MDMK candidates contest on the DMK's symbol. Vaiko said arrangements had initially been made for the party to contest at least one constituency on its own symbol, but the proposal was withdrawn within 24 hours and the party was eventually required to contest exclusively on the 'rising sun' symbol.
"This has led some cadre to feel that we should have contested on our own symbol," he said.
Vaiko noted that parties such as the Congress, CPI and CPM had contested on their respective symbols. This had prompted some MDMK workers to wonder whether the party, too, should have retained its electoral identity, clarifying that Durai Vaiko was only expressing such laments, in an apparent bid to reject talks of joining the TVK alliance.
Rejecting comparisons between the MDMK and the Congress, Vaiko said the circumstances were entirely different, saying that the Grand Old Party left the alliance without even thanking the leader of the tie-up. The grievances expressed by some party functionaries stemmed from the limited seat allocation and the inability to contest on the party's own symbol, he said.
Maintaining that no decision had been taken on the party's future political course, with regard to the switch of alliance as done by many of their peers, Vaiko said the June 27 general council meeting would provide a platform for the cadre and office-bearers to openly discuss organisational matters, alliance issues, and electoral strategy.
Any decision on future elections and alliances would be taken only after detailed deliberations and consensus within the party, he added.