Chennai. Mar 6 : The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Sunday suspended Cuddalore MLA K.Ayyappan from the party for cross voting in the recent indirect elections for the posts of Mayors, Deputy Mayors of the Corporations, the Chairpersons and Vice- chairpersons of the M cipalities and the Presidents and Vice- Presidents of the Town Panchayats. In a statement here, DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan said Cuddalore MLA Ayyappan was temporarily suspended from the primary membership of the party for violating party discipline and for acting in a manner that brought disrepute to the party. He was also relieved from all party posts, he said. Violating the party diktat, Ayyappan had allegedly supported a rebel DMK candidates who contested the polls and got elected in Cuddalore district against the official candidate of the VCK, an ally of the DMK, which was allotted the seat. As several DMK candidates got elected by contesting against the official candidates of the alliance parties, allies like Congress, CPI and VCK were fumed over the developments. In a bid to cool the alliance leaders, DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin asked all those who got elected against the official candidates of the allies and also from the DMK to resign their posts and warned of stringent action if they failed to do so. Similarly, several functionaries were also suspended in the Opposition DMK for going against the party diktat. GV 1223