MLAs won’t challenge HC verdict: TTV Dhinakaran

AMMK has decided to contest the bypolls from all 20 constituencies including Thiruvarur and Thiruparankundram, he added. Dhinakaran also exuded confidence that his party would win all 20 constituencies and said the AIADMK would struggle to get even deposits back from these constituencies. 

“We have decided to reach out to the public. AMMK will sweep all the vacant 20 seats. The eight crore TN voters will determine who is the real force of Tamil Nadu, as they did in RK Nagar,” Dhinakaran said. According to AMMK sources, most of the disqualified MLAs were upset with the court proceedings dragging on for months and unanimously expressed that the AIADMK was trying to buy time through legal proceedings. The ruling party had filed two caveats in the 11 MLAs disqualification case where a faction led by AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam voted against the Edappadi K Palaniswami government last year. 

“This is a bold announcement and this is how our leader Amma (Jayalalithaa) took decisions. We are elated and are ready for the political battle,” disqualified MLA P Vettrivel of Perambur constituency told DTNext. “In RK Nagar, we pushed the DMK to third place and now we will ensure that the ruling AIADMK loses its deposits. Amma’s cadre is with us and we will ensure that AIADMK candidates are restricted within ,5000 votes in every constituency,” Vettrivel added. 

“This is a calculative move by TTV and the strategy of reaching out to voters will help him test the political ground ahead of Lok Sabha polls,” said professor Ramu Manivannan, head, department of political science, Madras University.