Durai Vaiko. File

| Photo Credit: M. Moorthy

The question whether the MDMK should continue in the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance or not would be discussed in the party general council meeting scheduled to be held on June 27, the MDMK principal secretary and Tiruchi Member of Parliament Durai Vaiko said in Tiruchi on Monday (June 1, 2026).“We have convened our party general council on June 27. We will place the question in the council and take a decision based on the views of party office bearers/cadre,” Mr. Durai Vaiko said during an interaction with media persons after receiving Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Tiruchi Airport.Speaking to The Hindu later, Mr. Durai Vaiko clarified that the party continued to be a part of the DMK alliance and maintained that he had made the statement only in response to a query from a mediaperson on whether the party will continue in the alliance. “I only said that a decision can be taken only by the party general council and not by him or any individual,” he said.“The general council is the governing body of the party and will discuss various issues, including the party’s recent political decisions, the seat sharing arrangement (for the Assembly election), the Karnataka move to build a dam at Mekedatu and others, and decide on the party’s future course of action,” Mr. Durai Vaiko said.Answering a query, during the earlier media interaction, on whether the MDMK would extend support to the TVK government, Mr. Durai Vaiko said the party was not in such as a position as it had “unfortunately” contested the Assembly election on the DMK symbol.“However, parties such as the Left parties, Congress and others have extended support to the TVK government to avert Presidential rule being imposed. There is nothing wrong in that. Though the people had not given the TVK absolute majority, it had emerged as the single largest party. We have to respect the people’s verdict. We hope the government will perform well; if they fail we can criticise them. But we have to give the new government time of up to six months to a year,” he said.On criticisms over the law and order situation under the present regime, he conceded that there have been incidents of crime. But arrests have been made and FIRs registered. This was not an issue in the previous government too. Even developed countries cannot eradicate crime fully. Only if action was not taken, it is wrong, he maintained.Mr. Durai Vaiko did not see anything wrong in the some of the AIADMK MLAs joining the TVK after resigning their seats and did not view it as “horse trading.” It is a “democratic right” of legislator to resign as MLA and join another party if he does not agree with a decision of the parent party. Such instances were not new and legislators of his own party and the AIADMK have resigned their position as MLAs and joined other parties in the past, he maintained.Commenting on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s criticism that it was an attempt to break the AIADMK, Mr. Durai Vaiko said that people who live in glass house should not throw stones.Answering criticism that the TVK has deceived farmers by not fulfilled its poll promise of waiving farm loans fully, Mr. Durai Vaiko said that the government had come out with an announcement in view of the financial constraints. “The government had promised a white paper on the State finance. Once it is out, we will come to know of the problems whether it will be possible to implement their promises or not,” he said.Even the previous DMK required some time and implemented its promise of Mahalir Urimai Thogai scheme only after three years. “We cannot find fault with that as they too faced financial constraints and debt burden. I hope this government would implement its promises in due course depending on the financial situation,” he said, but added that it may not be possible to implement all their promises given the current problems.Mr. Durai Vaiko said that he received Mr. Vijay as the MP of Tiruchi constituency on his first visit to Tiruchi after assuming office as Chief Minister. He said he would meet the Chief Minister in Chennai soon to place demands with respect to the requirements of the constituency. Published - June 01, 2026 08:27 pm IST