CHENNAI: AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran has announced that he will not contest the upcoming Assembly elections.
Following the announcement, speculation has emerged that he may shift his political focus to Delhi. It is also said that he has requested the BJP to fulfil this demand.
Dhinakaran made this decision after his party joined the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance. It is stated that he has chosen not to contest the elections to give his supporters, who stood by him after he and his aides were expelled from AIADMK, an opportunity.
Although Dhinakaran's decision has been viewed negatively by some, especially at a time when both he and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami have declared that their past differences have been resolved, political observers note that a cordial, cooperative tone was evident in the statements of both leaders.
Observers further believe that Dhinakaran's decision was not influenced by any political developments, nor was it due to the impression that the AIADMK might work to defeat him if he contests the elections.
Commenting on the issue, a political observer noted that since Edappadi K Palaniswami was elected as the AIADMK's general secretary, the party has faced a series of electoral defeats. Similarly, the AMMK has also suffered repeated electoral losses. In this context, it is believed that Dhinakaran may have taken this decision both to avoid further setbacks and to offer electoral opportunities to his supporters.
At the same time, it is believed that a clear picture will emerge in the coming months whether the BJP provides any political assurances or guarantees to Dhinakaran as part of bringing him into the NDA, and whether such assurances played a role in his decision.