MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Monday accused the DMK of pressuring his party to contest elections under the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol, and said the seat-sharing arrangement left MDMK with fewer constituencies than most other allies.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Vaiko said MDMK stood firmly with the DMK-led alliance and worked across constituencies, including campaigning for DMK candidates in 34 seats. He claimed the DMK won in 24 of those seats and said MDMK’s efforts contributed, even if in a small way, to the alliance’s performance.
Vaiko also said MDMK’s two MLAs won with the support of DMK votes, while the party missed out on victory in two other constituencies. However, he alleged that other alliance partners were allotted more seats, while MDMK received only four.
He said the allocation and the insistence on contesting under the DMK symbol caused resentment among MDMK cadres across Tamil Nadu. Vaiko claimed that even where arrangements were initially made for MDMK to contest under its preferred symbol in one constituency, the party was asked at the last moment to switch to the DMK symbol.
Vaiko added that these concerns would be discussed within the party, including at the MDMK general council, reflecting the feelings of cadres and the views of office-bearers.
