Vaiko’s son Durai Vaiyapuri appointed as MDMK headquarters secretary

Vaiko, the founder and general secretary of MDMK had earlier maintained that he did not want his son to enter politics.
File photo of Durai Vaiyapuri
File photo of Durai Vaiyapuri
Written by:

Veteran politician Vaiko’s son Durai Vaiyapuri has been appointed as the headquarters secretary of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the party that Vaiko founded.  “I could've directly appointed him, but I conducted secret voting to make it a democratic process. He got 104 votes out of 106 — this is not dynasty politics, the cadres insisted,” Vaiko, who is the MDMK General Secretary, told the media on Wednesday, October 20.

Earlier, the 77-year-old politician had staunchly maintained that he did not want his son to enter politics. Vaiko said that he had suffered a lot during his political tenure, and that he wanted the suffering to end with him. He also added that it is upto to the party leaders and workers of the MDMK to decide his son’s future in the party. The party secretaries of the MDMK had earlier met at the headquarters ahead of announcing Durai Vaiyapuri as headquarters secretary.

The MDMK was founded by Vaiko in 1994, after he broke away from DMK. MDMK was founded as an anti-dynasty party, as Vaiko had objected to DMK supremo M Karunanidhi’s efforts to promote his son MK Stalin as his political heir and successor.

With Vaiko’s son getting an important title within the party, concerns of dynasty politics in an anti-dynast party did the rounds. However, the decision was not Vaiko’s but that of the party secretaries of MDMK, according to reports. A TNIE report quoted one of the party leaders who said that “nearly 25 district party units had adopted a resolution to urge Vaiko (General Secretary) to offer an important post to Durai so that he can take the party to new heights.”

“It is high time Durai Vaiko is appointed since Vaiko’s health can affect his functioning as a full-time party head,” the district in-charge added.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Vaiko had said that he had struggled for 56 years in politics. “I have languished for five-and-a-half years in prison. I have destroyed life to some extent…my son should not suffer like this,” he had said. 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com