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Dhinakaran’s coterie blamed for desertions in AMMK
The news of Karur strongman and former AIADMK minister Senthil Balaji shifting loyalty to opposition the DMK has jolted the fledgling AMMK and a few in the ruling AIADMK. The rank and file of AMMK are upset with the party for not retaining those leaving to other parties.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Apart from Senthil Balaji, the party has been losing its middle order heavily, particularly functionaries who held posts like district secretaries and organising secretaries.
More than six persons who have held the crucial party posts in Kancheepuram and Ramanathapuram have been dismissed from the party after they revolted against the high command, party insiders said.
Unconfirmed reports also made rounds that sitting MLA A Prabhu representing Kallaukurichi owing allegiance to Dhinakaran had also decided to move to the AIADMK. When contacted, Prabhu denied the reports. “There are rumours being spread by the rival AIADMK workers. I am very much there with Annan (TTV) and have no idea of moving to the ruling AIADMK and or the opposition DMK,” he said. When asked whether he will issue a statement clarifying his stand, the legislator said he wished not to publicise the issue further.
However, the news of party seniors leaving the Dhinakaran camp has created a ripple effect within. “A few personal assistants to Dhinakaran are the reasons for the current turmoil and they replicate the Poes Garden module, where there is no access to the leader which is haunting the camp,” a senior AMMK leader told DT Next. “The coterie in Besant Nagar has created distance between our leader Dhinakaran and party workers. For Amma this will work not for others. Further draining the financial resources of party functionaries is another reason for people to leave the camp,” quipped AMMK insiders. It may be noted that recently AMMK Kancheepuram functionary Bullet Parimalam launched a petrol bomb attack near Dhinakaran’s residence and later complained that he had spent a lot of money to his coterie.
Meanwhile, Dhinakaran on Thursday wrote a letter to his party cadre and asked them not to get upset over the migration of a few men to the rival camps. Our leaders MGR and Amma faced so many obstacles and struggles to build the AIADMK. Similarly, the AMMK had suffered several setbacks and today the organisation commands state wide cadres and 70 party functionary units. The party also succeeded in the RK Nagar bypoll trouncing the AIADMK and the DMK and such victories will continue, the letter read.
Dhinakaran also thanked his supporters for standing by his side. “Time is ripening for the AMMK cadre to face the elections and retrieve both the AIADMK and the party symbol from traitors and vested interests,” the letter read.
Responding to the developments in AMMK, transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar said that the Karur unit of AMMK will soon be a thing of past.
With Senthil Balaji inching towards the DMK, cadres have started returning to the parent AIADMK, the Minister told reporters on Thursday.
TTV takes veiled swipe at Senthil Balaji
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader TTV Dhinakaran on Thursday made a veiled attack on V Senthil Balaji, former minister and his senior party colleague, saying none will repent if some with selfish interests were to quit the party. In the wake of speculation that Senthil Balaji, a Karur based party strongman is likely to join the DMK, Dhinakaran, without naming him, said it will be wrong to assume that the party will be affected “if some persons or a small group is to leave the organisation for their selfish interests.” Dhinakaran, comparing dedicated party workers to “true gold,” said no one will repent if gold plated “fake” were to move out of the party. “Our foundation is Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) ideals, and people’s welfare is our task,” the AMMK leader said. Without naming the former minister, he said it would be better if those who held views contradictory to the goals of the party eased themselves out of the outfit. Balaji was transport minister during 2011-15 in the previous AIADMK government led by late J Jayalalithaa. In 2016, though he won from Aravakkurichi constituency, he could not find a place again in the Jayalalithaa-led Cabinet. Following her death in December 2016, Balaji sided with the Dhinakaran faction and was subsequently disqualified along with 17 other AIADMK MLAs for anti-party activities.
Elangovan asks TTV to safeguard AMMK
Former state Congress president EVKS Elangovan asked Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran to safeguard his party which has been witnessing desertion. Talking to reporters in Madurai on Thursday, Elangovan said several top-level functionaries have been walking out of the AMMK and its time Dhinakaran acted upon it. He was in Madurai to attend a wedding function of his party cadre. There he questioned the BJP-led Centre’s claim of safeguarding the nation when it cannot save its electoral victories. He also took pot shots at Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on his remarks over the poll debacle of the BJP in the five states. “Palaniswami’s comments that the poll outcome is not a big loss for the BJP shows the Chief Minister is at the beck and call of the Union government,” he said. Commenting further on the remarks of the BJP state president. Tamilisai Soundararajan on the poll outcome, he said it reveals nothing but her frustration. “Tamilisai will have no future if she remains in the BJP,” Elangovan said and asked her to quit the saffron party and join any other party to win at least from a ward.
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