TTV Dhinakaran rejoins NDA: AMMK leader to meet Piyush Goyal today to back ‘good governance’ in Tamil Nadu | Chennai News

CHENNAI: AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran formally rejoined the NDA on Wednesday.Dhinakaran said he is heading to meet Union minister Piyush Goyal to convey his party’s support for forming what he called “good governance” in the state.Asked about aligning with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami after opposing him, Dhinakaran said making compromises would not weaken his side, and described it as a “dispute between allies” with Palaniswami.He said his decision was driven by a larger objective of not harming either the party’s prospects or Tamil Nadu’s interests, and asserted that AMMK cadres, whom he described as followers of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, would unite as one team to help bring back “Amma’s rule”, people’s rule and good governance in the state.Dhinakaran’s return to the NDA marks a significant political climbdown from his earlier stance, when he had publicly labelled Palaniswami a “traitor” and repeatedly ruled out working under his leadership. Several AMMK supporters are now worried that the decision could erode what they describe as the party’s “organic anti-EPS vote base,” particularly among the Thevar community in southern Tamil Nadu.Soon after the alliance was confirmed, Dhinakaran stepped up his attack on the ruling DMK, accusing the state government of failing to rein in drug abuse and allowing law-and-order conditions to deteriorate.AMMK leaders said Dhinakaran will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Chennai on January 23 and mobilise party workers there as a demonstration of strength following the alliance.“We accept our leader’s decision, but there is anxiety about its electoral impact and the possibility of losing voters opposed to EPS for sidelining the Thevar community,” said a former MLA and senior AMMK functionary. Another leader said the AMMK had polled between 30,000 and 40,000 votes in around 20 Assembly segments in southern Tamil Nadu in previous elections, hurting AIADMK’s prospects.Speculation over the tie-up had gathered pace after BJP banners at the venue for Modi’s upcoming rally in Chengalpattu featured Dhinakaran’s photograph alongside NDA leaders, including Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan, Tamil Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder John Pandian, IJK founder Parivendhar, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami and senior BJP leaders.Confirming the alliance, BJP leaders said seat-sharing discussions have begun. A senior BJP leader said the party has proposed offering seven Assembly seats to Dhinakaran, including Andipatti and Sholingur. Talks are also underway to accommodate O Panneerselvam along with the AMMK, the leader added.AIADMK leaders said they had no objection to Dhinakaran joining the NDA as long as Palaniswami approved the move. “We have opposed his induction into AIADMK, not his presence in the NDA,” an AIADMK leader said.