India, May 17 -- The internal tussles in NDA ally Pattalli Makkal Katchi (PMK), an influential party among the dominant community of Vanniyars, was wide open on Friday with just 13 out of the 220 district office-bearers of the party turning up for a meeting convened by founder S Ramadoss.

The patriarch recently on April 11 took over the party from his son, successor and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss. The father made himself president of the PMK once again and announced that Anbumani would be its working president. Anbumani subsequently challenged his father asserting that he continues to be the party chief since he was elected by PMK's general council.

Though the duo sat next to each other during PMK's youth conference conducted afte...