TTV Dhinakaran, the leader of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), explained why his party decided to leave the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu. He emphasized that this wasn’t a sudden decision but a carefully thought-out move.
Speaking in Madurai, Dhinakaran said that AMMK joined the NDA mainly to support Narendra Modi’s bid to become Prime Minister. He pointed out that different elections require different strategies. “The BJP cannot say they left the alliance because of us. There was no sudden breakup. We made this decision calmly, based on what our supporters wanted,” he explained.
Dhinakaran also praised former BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai for managing the alliance well. However, he criticized the current BJP state president, Nainar Nagenthran. “Annamalai handled the alliance better. Nagenthran’s arrogance and his comments about O. Panneerselvam not meeting the Prime Minister created unnecessary tension. That’s why OPS left the BJP alliance,” he said.
Looking ahead, Dhinakaran said it’s up to the AIADMK and BJP to decide if they want to include AMMK in future alliances. He also congratulated senior AIADMK leader K.A. Sengottaiyan for trying to bring unity within his party.
Dhinakaran added that they had hoped Edappadi K. Palaniswami would change his approach over the last four months, but it looks unlikely. Still, he remained optimistic. “In politics, anything can happen. We will decide about alliances at the right time. A new front could even be formed,” he stated.
Finally, Dhinakaran made it clear that AMMK is looking to join alliances with a good chance of winning in the upcoming Assembly elections. “We believe we will get opportunities in the elections and will choose alliances that lead to victory,” he concluded confidently.
