Chennai

“All the three elections, local bodies, Assembly and Parliament are possible this year”, he said while talking to reporters at Perundurai on his way to The Nilgiris from Puducherry. 

Dinakaran said he would discuss the need for launching a separate party with his supporters on January 17, the birth anniversary of AIADMK founder MGR.  Later, speaking to reporters at The Nilgiris, Dinakaran clarified that a new party would not be launched immediately and he would announce his decision next week. 

His supporters confirmed that their leader is certain to form a separate party as the state government is making arrangements to hold the local body polls in April this year. One of his supporters said they need a common symbol for a coordinated campaign. 

If they contested as independents they would get different symbols in the same wards belonging to the same local body, creating confusion among the voters, he said and added that the official announcement would be made by the leader himself. 

Dinakaran also said he would continue the fight to retrieve the AIADMK and its symbol ‘Two Leaves.’ However, a case is pending in the Supreme Court over the party symbol and none could say when it would be completed. The ruling AIADMK functionaries felt that Dinakaran had no option other than to float his own outfit, since he had no chance of retrieving the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol. 

However, they were not elated over the development and said Dinakaran would try to prolong the symbol dispute and freeze the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, even if he decided to declare ‘Pressure cooker’ as his party symbol. The problem for the AIADMK would not end with his announcement and Dinakaran’s party would offer an alternative organisation to the disgruntled AIADMK leaders. 

Officially, the party maintained that Dinakaran’s new party would not be able to erode the AIADMK ranks. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, reacting to the development, said, “The AIADMK cadre are attached to the party formed by MGR and led by J Jayalalithaa and they will not leave the party at any circumstances.” Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan too maintained that a new party by Dinakaran would not have any impact on the ruling party.

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