Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president TTV Dinakaran blamed Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Nainar Nagendran for the party’s exit from the National Democratic Alliance. He also attacked Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) and stated that the party would consider rejoining the NDA if it did not push for EPS as its CM candidate
Speaking in Sivaganga on Sunday, September 7, he said, “One of the main reasons that our functionaries pressured us to come out of the alliance was Nainar's push for Edappadi Palaniswami. Amit Shah has never named Palaniswami as the alliance's next CM face; he himself has repeated the claim,” Dinakaran said.
“This party (AMMK) was itself started due to the betrayal of Palaniswami. How can we support him (EPS)?” Dinakaran said.
Addressing the press on Saturday, September 6, in Madurai, Dinakaran said, “Annamalai brought us into the alliance. The reason we left is because of the actions of Nainar Nagendran.”
AMMK, a former member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alliance in the state, had announced its exit from the coalition on September 3. Dinakaran said that one of the reasons for the party’s exit from the NDA had been the ill treatment of O Paneerselvam (OPS) after the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rejoined the BJP-led alliance.
When PM Modi visited Tamil Nadu in July, he refused to meet with OPS. Speaking on this incident, Dinakaran alleged that Nainar had avoided calls from OPS during this time. OPS withdrew from the alliance shortly after.
Dinakaran had formed the AMMK after he came out of the AIADMK in 2018. On Saturday, he also stated that his party would not join Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NMK) or the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). However, Dinkaran seemed to be open to an alliance with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Dinakaran said they would support whichever alliance wins the 2026 elections.