MADURAI:The second rung leaders of the MDMK may be staking claim for the chief minister’s post for their leader Vaiko, but its partners in the People’s Welfare Alliance (PWA) are not enthused by the idea. While most of the allies with whom Express spoke to preferred to remain non-committal, at least one party, the VCK, raised claim for itself.
The Left, one of the key constituents of the PWA, avoided the issue. CPM state secretary G Ramakrishnan said he was not ready to comment on the matter. He would hold talks with Vaiko before replying to the media queries, he told Express.
State secretary of CPI, Mutharasan, said Vaiko himself had reacted to the demand from his party members, there was no need to comment further on the matter. The MDMK general secretary, he added, did not make any such statement on chief minister post during the public meeting.
Meanwhile, VCK general secretary D Ravikumar told Express that their party cadre had raised similar demand their meeting in Tiruchy but party president Thol Thirumavalavan himself had clarified that he did not believe in announcing the CM candidate before election. Indirectly taunting arch rival PMK, he added that they did not consider it necessary to announce CM candidate like other political parties.
He added that if the PWA wanted to announce a candidate, they consider a person from Dalit community.
MDMK deputy general secretary Mallai Sathya and Sivaganga district secretary Sivandhiappan raised the claim seeking to announce Vaiko as the CM candidate of PWA during the Madurai zonal meeting of the MDMK at Iravathanallur here on Wednesday.
Replying to their demand, Vaiko said he did not dream for any post or position but apparently added that he could not reject their wishes at the outset itself.