Two top leaders latest to quit Kamal Haasan’s MNM

Two top members of the Makkal Needhi Maiam Thursday became the latest to join a long list of exits from the Kamal Haasan-led outfit in the wake of its disastrous performance in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly poll.

Former IAS officer and General Secretary (HQ) Santhosh Babu and State Secretary Padma Priya resigned from their party posts as well as from the party’s primary membership, citing personal reasons. While Babu contested from Velacherry seat, Padma Priya was MNM’s Maduravoyal candidate. Among the senior members who recently left the party are vice-president R Mahendran, M Muruganandam, former IPS officer A G Maurya, Thangavel, Umadevi, C.K. Kumaravel, Sekar and Suresh Iyer.

MNM Assembly poll vote share dipped to 2.52 per cent from 3.7 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. It was defeated in all the seats it contested.