‘Kitchen Cabinet’ rules over Vijayakanth: DMDK rebel MLA CH Sekar

Last week, ten district secretaries of the DMDK, the third largest party in Tamil Nadu, held a press conference in Chennai, requesting their leader, Vijayakanth aka Captain, to rethink the alliance with the People’s Welfare Front or PWF. A week earlier, two other district secretaries of the DMDK quit to join the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). All twelve district secretaries have been expelled from the party. [caption id=“attachment_2720744” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  CH Sekar. Screengrab from the video[/caption] The cracks come at a time when Vijayakanth has been proclaimed the Chief Ministerial candidate for the DMDK-PWF combine, a front cobbled up with Vaiko of the MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), the Left parties and Thol Thirumavalavan of Dalit party VCK (Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi). Vijayakanth has maintained a stoic silence over the rebellion even as his mutineers urge him to speak. One of the rebels, Gummidipoondi MLA CH Sekar spoke with Firstpost in a freewheeling interview, stating that the party has been taken over by what he calls the “Kitchen Cabinet”, Vijayakanth’s wife Premalatha. He also says that Vijayakanth could have issued him and the others with showcause notices instead of expelling them within an hour of the press conference. Q1) What made you and the other nine district secretaries do this? Why are you urging Vijayakanth to ally with the DMK instead of the PWF? Q2) There are allegations from Vaiko and other politicians of the PWF that the DMK and MK Stalin have been behind you and instigated you all to rebel. Has the DMK or Stalin contacted you in any manner? Q3) How many times have you told your leader Vijayakanth that you prefer an alliance with the DMK? Is this a unanimous demand from the cadre? Q4) What role has his wife Premalatha played in this alliance decision? Q5) You knew that you were going to be expelled. This was career suicide. What is your next political move? Q6) Vijayakanth has not said a word since your press meet. What do you think is the reason behind his silence?