Durai Vaiko Resigns as MDMK Principal Secretary Amid Internal Party Rift:

In an unanticipated development in the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the party's founder, Vaiko's son, Durai Vaiko, voluntarily announced his resignation as the party’s principal secretary on Saturday. This move has raised eyebrows within the party and in the wider political environment of Tamil Nadu, as it appears to be a consequence of ongoing conflicts within the party.

What prompted Durai Vaiko's resignation?

“As a result of internal machinations and direct hostility, an environment of targeted discrimination exists,” said Durai Vaiko in his statement on 'X' (previously Twitter). According to him, the party leadership was the target of a four-year campaign that involved persistent information leaks to the media.

“He or she could not accept my rise as headquarters secretary and has persistently weakened the party,” he continued.

In our conversations, he resigned because he did not want to sully the reputation of MDMK's founder, Vaiko, while removing himself from key strategic positions and console the party, claiming civil enlistment.

What's next?

The party plans to discuss Durai’s resignation during an Administrative Council meeting on Sunday at the Thayagam headquarters in Chennai. Other senior MDMK leaders like presidium chairman Auditor A Arjunaraj have contemporaneously discussed with Vaiko.

A party representative explained that a decision deemed ‘good’ would be communicated following the evaluation by the council.

Durai’s Continued Commitment

Even after resigning, Durai maintained his commitment to:

Act as MDMK’s active member

Represent the people of Tiruchirappalli where he is serving as Lok Sabha MP

Continue being a well-wisher and influencer of the party’s volunteers

He further solicited the cadre not to let his father and the party’s pioneer, Vaiko, be harmed further because of the internal fissures.

Political Context

Alongside these worries, the pain points concerning the party dynamics are highlighted with a few comments of Vaiko issuing warnings telling district units to refrain from submitting framework resolutions before the April 20 council meeting. This, alongside MD’s remarks during his exit, reveals existing conflict in the ranks. MDMK is still part of the DMK led coalition in Tamil Nadu, and this turmoil within may change the state’s political landscape.