Chennai, May 19 (IANS): Superstar-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam on Wednesday suffered yet another setback with its General Secretary Muruganandam resigning from the party, accusing the founder of taking the party forward "in an autocratic manner".
Addressing a press meet in Trichy, he said that the "undemocratic atmosphere" in the party has forced him resign from the party post as well as its primary membership.
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 has made it clear to him 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 into political alliance with the "weakest" political parties of Tamil Nadu and this has led to the party "being torn into pieces" in the April 6 Assembly election.
Muruganandam also alleged that the party which had preached ideology of brotherhood and equality was reduced to the level of singing praises to a single individual.
He also charged Kamal Haasan with working in an autocratic manner and for taking advice only from election strategy company, 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 including former IAS officer and General Secretary (HQ) Santhosh Babu, Vice President R. Mahendran, and party secretary Padma Priya.