TTV hits back at Jayakumar’s ‘letter pad’ party jibe

In the Delta as part of his district wise review of AMMK’s performance in the polls, Dhinakaran told his party members not to be dejected over the party’s performance, and asked them to instead concentrate on the upcoming by-polls to two vacant Assembly seats – Nanguneri and Vikravandi.

Addressing reporters here, Dhinakaran charged that AIADMK leaders were trying desperately to entice office-bearers of his party in Kalakkad and Moondradaippu, both in Tirunelveli district. “However, they declined the overtures,” he said.

“The AIADMK leaders charge that the AMMK is just another letter pad party. If that was the case, why are they keen on poaching our office-bearers,” Dhinakaran asked, clearly riled by a comment made by senior AIADMK leader and Minister D Jayakumar.

Speaking about the upcoming local body elections, the AMMK leader said that his party would continue its alliance with SDPI. He added that his party would welcome other like-minded parties to join its alliance.

Meanwhile, Jayakumar said that his party would welcome AMMK heavyweight Thanga Tamilselvan if he wished to return to the parent party. “We want all those who left the parent organisation to return and we will be glad if Thanga Tamilselvan returns to AIADMK. More AMMK functionaries are in touch with us and will soon join us,” he claimed.

Jayakumar’s comments came in the wake of rumours that Tamilselvan would soon join the AIADMK under the leadership of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. According to AMMK sources, Tamilselvan, who contested unsuccessfully in Theni in the Lok Sabha polls, was dejected over the performance of the party, and has reportedly been seeking for a revamp of strategy ever since. The Theni strongman has told the AMMK leaders to examine the reasons for the poor show and take remedial measures.

However, Tamilselvan denied rumours of returning to AIADMK. “I am only critical about my party’s performance and its vote bank. I am neither joining the AIADMK nor has any plans to join the DMK,” he told media. The AMMK and AIADMK have gone too far distant to come back and join into a single entity,he added.