Chennai: AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran on Thursday clarified that there is no proposal under consideration for merging his party with the AIADMK, though he did not completely dismiss the possibility of such a move in the future.
Social Media Speculation
Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Dhinakaran said, "Such an idea is being discussed on social media. But none of my party seniors has approached me with the proposal. Let's wait and see." He emphasized that he remains aligned with the AIADMK in their alliance and would stand by them during difficult times.
Commitment to NDA
Dhinakaran reiterated AMMK's commitment to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), stating that the alliance with both the BJP and AIADMK remains intact. He took a swipe at DMK allies, accusing several political parties' leaders of shifting their positions for power and cabinet berths under the pretext of preventing President's Rule. He claimed they want to prevent the BJP's entry into Tamil Nadu.
"If I wanted to join hands with the ruling party, I could have done it. But I remained true to my alliance partners as their efforts aided our victory in one seat," he said.
Criticism of Defectors
Targeting former AIADMK ministers who recently joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Dhinakaran said party functionaries should work with the leadership to rebuild after an electoral defeat instead of switching sides. "Many are joining the ruling party. They fail to realise that they, too, were among the reasons for the party's defeat," he added.
Referring to former ministers Udumalai Radhakrishnan and Kadambur C Raju, who were reportedly made to wait outside TVK's headquarters for hours, Dhinakaran expressed sympathy: "I feel sorry for them."
He also dismissed as "untrue" claims that AMMK functionaries from several districts had shifted en masse to TVK.
