TIRUCHY: AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Tuesday claimed that his party’s MLAs saved Edappadi K Palaniswami’s regime and not the BJP, as claimed by the former Chief Minister. He predicted that the Assembly elections would give him a heavy blow.

Speaking to reporters in Thanjavur, Dhinakaran said that Palaniswami, out of fear, sought the signature of all the MLAs on blank paper before announcing him as the Chief Ministerial candidate during the selection. He might not have become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at any cost if not for the AIADMK MLAs who agreed to such an arrangement.

When the DMK brought no no-confidence motion after J Jayalalithaa’s demise, he was saved by 122 AIADMK MLAs and not the BJP, as he has been claiming, Dhinakaran added. “Among the 122 MLAs, 18 left him and approached the Governor against Palaniswami,” Dhinakaran said.

He added that the EPS-led AIADMK will garner less than 10 per cent of the vote, as no one is willing to support the party under his leadership. “However, the BJP may think that EPS could get a decent vote in the Assembly polls, but the fact is otherwise,” Dhinakaran said.