Just weeks after winning former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha’s RK Nagar constituency in by polls, AIADMK rebel TTV Dinakaran took a larger political plunge yesterday by launching his own party in Madurai amongst resounding support.
Dinakaran had announced over a week ago that he would be formally launching his party on 15 March in the presence of several AIADMK MLAs who are said to be backing him in his pursuit of dethroning chief minister E. Panaliswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam to “reclaim” the party back from their rule.
As was expected, Dinakaran made Jayalalitha, or Amma as she is fondly known, the central theme of his new outfit. He has named his party Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and embossed her face on the party’s official flag.
Dinakaran had been suspended from AIADMK along with his aunt Sasikala after Palaniswami and Pannerselvam merged their rivals factions and staked claim to continue running the government together. Sasikala is presently in jail for being convicted in a corruption case which also involved Jayalalitha.
He told his supporters after his party’s launch that he will now try to claim AIADMK’s two-leaves party symbol for subsequent elections. The Delhi High Court had granted him partial relief in this regard by directing the Election Commission to let him register a party with any name he chooses.