Star Candidate: TTV Dhinakaran / AMMK

CHENNAI: Scaling new heights after the big victory in the RK Nagar Assembly seat by-poll in 2017, the AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran has seen many rises and falls. Contesting as an independent candidate in the ‘cooker’ symbol then, he romped home with a margin of over 40,000 against the AIADMK candidate in RK Nagar, pushing the DMK to the third position. But things have changed ever since.

VK Sasikala’s nephew TTV, a native of Thiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur, faced a fall after RK Nagar. He ran out of luck and victory in the 2019 LS polls and 2021 Assembly polls,

Times have changed and in the Theni constituency, he is now facing his former aide in the form of Thanga Tamil Selvan, who has been fielded by the DMK.

Dhinakaran has deftly moved closer towards the BJP outsmarting O Panneerselvam in seat-sharing talks with the NDA. TTV walked away with Theni and Tiruchy seats. He seamlessly sidelined OPS’s son and sitting MP of Theni P Ravindhranath Kumar. The fact that the father and son duo are now seen campaigning for Dhinakaran in the constituency is a sign of changing times in favour of TTV.

During his heydays, Dhinakaran wielded enormous influence in the party and the AIADMK regime. He was elected from the Periyakulam constituency in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections and also represented the Rajya Sabha between 2004 and 2010.

TTV was expelled from the AIADMK along with members of Sasikala’s family in 2011 and faded away from the political limelight for nearly seven years. He is now back in the prowl to prove his mettle.