In a sudden and unexpected development, MDMK chief and the convenor of the Vijaykant-PWF coalition Vaiko said on Monday that he will not be contesting the forthcoming May 16 elections.

This comes after he reportedly faced black flag protests by caste-groups in Kovilpatti constituency when he went to file his nomination.

In a press release, Vaiko said that the DMK and its Kovilpatti candidate were engineering protests against him on caste lines by recounting his support for Kausalya, the wife of Dalit man Sankar who was hacked to death recently. Kausalya belonged to the Thevar caste. Vaiko also said that they were insulting and abusing him for condemning the brutal murder of Sankar by caste-fanatics in Kausalya’s family.

Vaiko said that the DMK was campaigning on casteist lines and announcing that the DMK will win since their candidate’s community had more votes in the state.

Vaiko lamented over the state of affairs in the DMK.

Vinayak G Ramesh will be fielded as a candidate of the PWF instead of Vaiko.

Kovilpatti is said to be a Thevar dominated constituency and has been held by the AIADMK for the last two terms.