Makkal Needhi Maiam witnessed another member leaving its ranks after MNM General Secretary Muruganandam resigned from the post and the primary membership of the party on Tuesday. After resigning, Muruganandam said that he stepped down due to the "undemocratic atmosphere" of the party and accused MNM chief Kamal Haasan of guiding the party "in an autocratic manner". Addressing a press meet in Trichy, Muruganandam said that when he joined the MNM, he was given a free hand and independence, and this has helped him develop the party.
However, he noted that while party workers and leaders like him had considered the MNM as their own, the tone and tenure of Kamal Haasan in the party's central governing council meeting made him believe that the party is "functioning in an autocratic style and democracy was long buried there". "Party members and leaders were shocked when most of the seats were given to alliance partners without consulting anyone. The statement of Kamal Haasan that there were not enough candidates to contest the elections was unfortunate and was an insult to the dedicated party workers who worked day and night," he said.
He also said that the MNM had entered political alliances with the "weakest" political parties of Tamil Nadu for the state Assembly elections held on April 6, which led to the party "being torn into pieces". Muruganandam also alleged that the party, which had preached the ideology of brotherhood and equality, later started singing the praises of only one individual. Muruganandam further accus Kamal Haasan of working in an autocratic manner and for taking only the advice of the election strategy organisation, Sankhya Solutions, which the MNM had hired. He claimed that Sankhya Solutions, hired for poll management, also began interfering in the internal affairs of the party, leading to the poll debacle.
Several leaders have quit the MNM after the Assembly election results were announced, including former IAS officer and General Secretary (HQ) Santhosh Babu, Vice President R Mahendran, and party secretary Padma Priya.