Kamal Haasan has spoken publicly and bitterly on only one of the exits – that of Dr Mahendran.
Highlights
- MNM failed to win a single seat in the 234 member assembly
- CK Kumaravel was among six leaders who quit MNM posts after poll loss
- Earlier, MNM vice president and general secretary had quit
New Delhi:
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan today lost another top leader after his party’s abysmal performance in the Tamil Nadu election. CK Kumaravel, in his parting shot to his star party boss, said: “No hero worship.”
The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) has seen a series of exits since May 2, when election results revealed an unqualified disaster for the party. The MNM failed to win a single seat in the 234 member assembly.
The nosebleed at the top signals an existential crisis for the three-year-old MNM.
CK Kumaravel was among six leaders who had resigned their MNM posts taking responsibility for the poll defeat. He accused the party’s strategy team of giving wrong guidance.
“No hero worship, I want to travel in secular democratic politics. We were to make history but we are reading history,” Mr Kumaravel said in a searing message to Kamal Haasan, who also lost in his own constituency.
Earlier, MNM vice president R Mahendran and general secretary Santosh Babu had quit. Environmental activist Padma Priya, fielded in Chennai, too quit recently citing personal reasons.
Yesterday, party general secretary M Muruganandam quit alleging “lack of democracy and honesty” in his resignation letter posted on Twitter.
He said he had joined the party to do public work in “honest and independent manner”. “But with no conducive situation for that today, I am quitting from all party positions as well as the primary membership,” he added.
Mr Muruganandam said MNM’s alliance with “weak parties” for the April 6 polls had severely dented its image. He said Mr Haasan had been “misled” by some and “unilateralism and autocracy” had crept into the party.
Mr Haasan has spoken publicly and bitterly on only one of the exits – that of Dr Mahendran.
“Remove the betrayers resonated the unanimous voice of the party. Dr Mahendran was on top of that list,” the veteran actor said.
“(Mahendran) tried to preempt his removal by resigning. Just like you, I am happy about the fact that a weed removed itself. It will be ascendancy for our party henceforth.” he said.
He accused his former deputy of trying to gain pity by blaming others for “the failure, his lack of talent and dedication”.