AIADMK Amma camp to support NDA's Presidential nominee Kovind

A brief party release issued in Chennai after a "consultation" meeting held at the party headquarters, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Party Headquarters Secretary and Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy over phone and sought the AIADMK Amma's support for the candidature of Mr Kovind.

The party discussed the issue at the consultative meeting and decided to extend support to him, the release said.

The meeting took place after Mr Palanisamy hosted an Iftaar party in which several MLAs loyal to V K Sasikala and her nephew T T V Dinakaran boycotted it.

Reports suggested that Mr Dinakaran, who was sidelined by the ruling camp in a bid to initiate the merger process with the rival faction AIADMK PTA led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to get back the AIADMK's 'Two Leaves' symbol frozen by the Election Commission after the split in the party, commands support of about 35 of the 122 MLAs, who had voted in favour of Mr Palanisamy during the trust vote on February 18 in the State Assembly. 

It was also not known whether the Party announcement to support Mr Kovind has the backing of Dinakaran, who is also the Deputy General Secretary of AIADMK Amma.