MADURAI: The ousted AIADMK leader and Bodinayakkanur MLA, O Panneerselvam, who is set to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Ramanathapuram constituency as an independent candidate has batted for the success of his erstwhile bete noire TTV Dhinakaran in Theni constituency.

He appealed to his local supporters at Periyakulam in Theni district on Saturday to help Dhinakaran, AMMK general secretary, fielded by the BJP-led NDA. In 1999, Dhinakaran won the Periyakulam LS constituency as AIADMK candidate.

While addressing the cadre at his farmhouse at Kailasapatti in Periyakulam, Panneerselvam said, “we proposed his candidature to contest from Theni LS constituency”. Further, Panneerselvam said the BJP-led combine had earlier preferred to contest from Theni. But as Dhinakaran expressed to contest from Theni, “we gave up the seat for Dhinakaran”, OPS said. He added that his party is indebted to Dhinakaran.

“I made up my mind to contest from Ramanathapuram constituency, which is the appropriate place for me to seek justice and the people will give him a mandate”, he said. OPS said, in Ramanathapuram he would emerge as a force to reckon with.