In a sudden and unexpected development, MDMK chief and the convenor of the Vijaykant-PWF coalition Vaiko said on Monday that he will not be contesting the forthcoming May 16 elections. He reportedly faced black flag protests by caste-groups in Kovilpatti constituency when he went to file his nomination. Vaiko said that the DMK and its Kovilpatti candidate were engineering protests against him on caste lines by recounting his support for Kausalya, the wife of Dalit man Sankar who was hacked to death recently.