The founder of AMMK, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, declared on Wednesday that his party would not reconsider joining the NDA in Tamil Nadu as long as AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami remains the Chief Ministerial candidate.
Speaking at a press conference in Chennai, Dhinakaran confirmed his recent meeting with K. Annamalai, the former State president of the BJP. He clarified that the meeting took place after he had informed Annamalai in advance.
“Everything he shared with the media about our conversation is accurate. We met as friends and spoke for about an hour. It’s not always about politics, even when you are a politician. We discussed many topics. He mentioned his upcoming trips to Kerala and then to Sri Lanka,” Dhinakaran told reporters when questioned about the discussion.
Addressing queries regarding Annamalai’s capacity and authority during their meeting, Dhinakaran stated: “That is merely their perspective. However, it was during his tenure as BJP’s State president that he maintained contact with us for four to five months and was instrumental in bringing AMMK into the alliance.”
Dhinakaran also added that he regularly communicates with Annamalai by phone. He recalled Annamalai’s previous advice against making hasty decisions, noting, “He reiterated that sentiment once again.”
Responding to criticism about his apparent change of stance on Palaniswami, particularly after accepting his leadership in the 2021 Assembly polls, Dhinakaran clarified that he was opposed to Palaniswami as the CM candidate even then. He explained that he had only accepted Palaniswami’s leadership at the specific request of several senior political figures.