Dismiss us: DMDK MLAs dare party chief Vijaykanth

Upping the ante, two Members of Legislative Assembly of principal opposition in the assembly Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, whose meeting with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has left party founder and actor Vijaykanth red faced, on Tuesday dared him to sack them from the organisation.

"We went and met the chief minister to discuss the problems of the people. If they (DMDK leaders) feel it is a mistake, let them dismiss us," Radhapuram MLA C Michael Rayappan said.

Another DMDK legislator, S Sundararajan, echoed a similar stand and challenged his party chief to resign and face elections.

"We went (to meet the chief minister) for our people. Aren't they also doing the same thing," he said in an apparent reference to Vijayakanth and four other party MLAs, who had sought an appointment to meet Jayalalithaa to discuss constituency-related issues.

Sunderarajan said, "All of us could resign and face elections."

The two were speaking after attending an official function presided over by Jayalalithaa to pay homage to freedom fighter Pon Muthuramalinga Thevar.

Besides these two, legislators Arun Pandian and K Tamil Azhagan had met the chief minister last week, sparking off speculations that they might switch loyalties.
 
DMDK, which fought the assembly polls last year in alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has 29 members in the House. But the ties between the two parties turned sour within months and Jayalalithaa openly declared the rupture in the ties in the assembly.

Reacting to the MLAs meeting Jayalalithaa, Vijaykanth has said he will work towards defeating the AIADMK in the next Lok Sabha elections.