Open to accepting anyone other than Palaniswami as CM candidate, says Dhinakaran

AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Tuesday said his party would accept anyone other than AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the Chief Ministerial candidate [in an alliance].

Addressing the media, he said his party cadre would not accept Mr. Palaniswami, whom he called a “betrayer”, as the Chief Ministerial candidate. However, he did not respond when asked why he had not raised the issue of Mr. Palaniswami’s CM candidature before exiting the AIADMK-BJP led NDA.

Mr. Dhinakaran claimed Mr. Palaniswami had betrayed not only those who supported him for the survival of his erstwhile government [2017-21], but also the people of southern districts by offering 10.5% internal reservation among the Most Backward Classes to Vanniyars [since quashed by courts].

“He announced the internal reservation with an eye on votes from the people of northern districts,” Mr. Dhinakaran said.

“When the people of southern districts are living peacefully without any caste differences, Mr. Palaniswami is trying to create social disorder with an eye on the Assembly election,” he alleged.

Realising that the AIADMK had lost the popularity it enjoyed in the southern districts during the time of M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa due to his misdeeds, Mr. Palaniswami was adopting a divide and rule policy, he alleged.