MADURAI: It’s my personal opinion that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form a government in 2026, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, who’s contesting from Theni Lok Sabha constituency on behalf of the BJP, said.

Releasing his party’s election manifesto for the development of Theni at a programme in Andipatti on Saturday evening, Dhinakaran said a decision on who would be the next Chief Minister might be made then. Further talking to reporters, he said the BJP state president K Annamalai during his poll campaign at Theni on Saturday hinted that the AIADMK would go in the hands of its true leader. O Panneerselvam, the ousted AIADMK leader and Dhinakaran are inseparable. After June 4, all loyal cadre of AIADMK would join us.

Further, Dhinakaran refuted Chief Minister MK Stalin’s claim that he joined hands with the BJP led front, fearing action by the Centre’s Enforcement Directorate in FERA case and added that he had not faced any charges of corruption in his political career, but the FERA case was concerned with violating the provisions in receiving foreign contributions. Citing this, Dhinakaran said he would face the case, which’s registered during the Congress rule under the prime ministership of PV Narasimha Rao, because of his anger and resentment towards Jayalalithaa, former CM and AIADMK supremo, legally.

Retaliating to his rival contender Thanga Tamilselvan’s statement that the contest is only between DMK and AIADMK and the AMMK had no vote base in Theni, Dhinakaran said Tamilselvan was with him when he contested as an independent candidate from RK Nagar Assembly constituency (by-poll) and made DMK lose its deposit and defeated AIADMK. The manifesto released earlier highlighted the establishment of new airport and central university among others in Theni, sources said.