Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran, on Friday, announced that his party will finalise its alliance for the Lok Sabha Polls in a week. The announcement is expected anytime after February 28.
Brushing away speculations that AMMK was in talks with Vijayakant’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), TTV Dhinakaran said that there is no chance that his party would join hands with DMDK. “I am careful to not be an opportunist or not be someone who talks one thing first and then change into something else later,” he said. TTV was taking a dig at Vijayakant, who had once opposed putting up pictures of the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the assembly. His jibe was at the fact that DMDK is still negotiating with AIADMK for an alliance, despite DMDK’s chief opposing portrait of J Jayalalithaa in the assembly.
TTV Dhinakaran further said that AMMK will contest in 38 seats. Adding that AMMK has decided the candidates for those seats, TTV Dhinakaran said, “We are holding talks with two parties and will announce it after February 28. The parties that we ally with will be those which cannot be criticised by the people.”
Meanwhile, the two big Dravidian parties have announced their allies for the elections. The ruling party of the state AIADMK announced its alliance with BJP along with Ramadoss’s Pattali Makkal Katchi while the opposition party DMK has joined hands with the Congress. VCK, MDMK, CPI and CPI(M) also form a part of the DMK-Congress combine.
Vijayakant’s DMDK has not yet finalised its side and the negotiations are still in progress. AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam, on Friday, said that the talks are underway with DMDK and will be finalised in a day or two. Earlier in the day, DMK President MK Stalin also called on Vijayakant at his residence. After a brief meeting, Stalin told the reporters that the meeting was a courtesy call and not a political one. Actor Rajinikanth also visited Vijayakant on Friday. After the meeting, Rajinikanth categorically stated that the meeting did not have any political tinge to it.