EPS & supporters' selfishness weakened AIADMK: TTV Dhinakaran

CHENNAI: AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Sunday said his party wants to be part of an alliance for the 2024 polls to defeat DMK.

He slammed AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and his supporters for demoralising the cadres and weakening the party by their “selfishness”.

Criticising EPS and his team for categorically rejecting his call for the alliance to defeat the DMK, Dhinakaran said he gave a clarion call to “true loyalists of Amma (J Jayalalithaa) ” and the political parties that want to defeat the DMK to come together to form an alliance. He did not refer to the political party under Edappadi K Palaniswami.

However, they (EPS camp) did not respond positively to it, he said, adding, “Their decision has exposed their stand.”

Continuing in the same tone, Dhinakaran said the cadres were with EPS because of the party’s two-leave symbol. But it is uncertain due to the legal dispute. Though they managed to get the Court order in favour of them, it will not help them much as the damage has been already done and the party is weakened.

On AMMK’s prospect for the 2024 polls, he said, “We have faced the 2019 polls alone and lost the elections. We know our strength. So, I want to be part of an alliance for the forthcoming election.”

On DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the AMMK leader said the alliance is intact from the Lok Sabha polls in 2019 and emerged victorious. However, the DMK had given tall promises despite knowing the state’s financial constraints.

After voting to power in the assembly polls last year, the DMK government was unable to fulfill the poll promises to meet the expectations of the people, who were displeased. The government would earn the wrath of the people, who were keenly watching the government and its administration, as days passed and bring a change in people’s perception ahead of the 2024 polls, he said.