TTV Dhinakaran rejoins NDA, buries hatchet with Palaniswami
CHENNAI: Five months after walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), AMMK (Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran — a bitter critic of AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami — returned to the bloc on Wednesday. The reunion happened in the presence of BJP’s state election in-charge Piyush Goyal and president of the BJP state unit, Nainar Nagenthran.
Dhinakaran, after chairing a meeting with the AMMK office-bearers, called on Goyal at a five-star hotel in Chennai and announced his decision. “With the broader objective of welfare of Tamil Nadu and AMMK, the party has decided to rejoin the NDA,” Dhinakaran said.
Former CM O Panneerselvam, who is leading the ADMK Cadres Rights Retrieval Committee, snapped ties with the NDA on July 31 last year. Dhinakaran followed suit a month later. Along with OPS and KA Sengottaiyan, who later joined Vijay’s TVK, Dhinakaran was fighting for rebuilding a unified AIADMK and had so far blamed EPS for blocking that effort. Palaniswami was conspicuous by his absence at the reunion on Wednesday and other AIADMK leaders, too, were missing. Palaniswami, however, later welcomed Dhinakaran through an X post.
Returned to NDA keeping aside all differences: TTV
“In our mission to dismantle the tyrannical DMK government, put an end to dynastic politics, and to revive the glorious governance of our leader Amma (J Jayalalithaa) in Tamil Nadu, I wholeheartedly welcome respected AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran to the NDA and extend my sincere greetings,” Palaniswami said in his message.
Thanking EPS for his message, Dhinakaran said, “Let us all come together and work in unison to re-establish Amma’s rule in Tamil Nadu.” Dhinakaran said the opportunity to establish Amma Rule in Tamil Nadu could not be realised in 2021, but this time, “We will do that,” he added.
Questioned by reporters whether he would accept Palaniswami as the CM candidate, Dhinakaran said, “Keeping in mind the welfare of Tamil Nadu and keeping aside all injustices meted out to us in the past, we have returned to the NDA wholeheartedly.”
Since Dhinakaran stoutly opposed Palaniswami as the CM candidate over the past few months, reporters questioned TTV on accepting EPS as the CM candidate of the NDA.
Dhinakaran, without using EPS’s name, answered in the affirmative, adding that he would meet Palaniswami if needed. He also said, “vittu koduppavargal kettu povathillai (one who yields does not get ruined)”.