Chennai, Aug 6 (IANS) MDMK general secretary Vaiko Wednesday ridiculed his former colleague L. Ganeshan, one of the MPs set to join DMK, over his claim that 100,000 supporters would join him. MDMK MPs Ganeshan and Gingee Ramachandran had Tuesday said they would join the ruling DMK and would get the support of at least 100,000 workers. Vaiko recalled that Ganeshan and Ramachandran had in the past failed to muster the support of 33 members of the party’s general council during a meeting in Salem.

“I am sure that these two do not have the support of even 10 people and, therefore, their promise to unite into the DMK with 100,000 workers is a silly joke,” Vaiko told reporters.

Ganeshan and Ramachandran had voted in favour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government during the July confidence vote along with the DMK MPs.

Vaiko had demanded the disqualification of the two members from the Lok Sabha after they violated the party’s three-line whip to vote against the confidence motion in parliament. The MDMK leader said the party was still awaiting the speaker’s decision.

The duo claimed to be the real MDMK since parting ways with Vaiko last year but the claim was rejected by the Election Commission.

MDMK was launched in 1993 by Vaiko after he was expelled from the DMK. Since then, Vaiko has oscillated between the DMK and AIADMK in the state, and between the BJP- and Congress-led coalitions in New Delhi.