TTV Dhinakaran meets Piyush Goyal as AMMK rejoins NDA ahead of TN polls | WATCH

Tamil Nadu: TTV Dhinakaran, general secretary of the Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazhagam (AMMK), met Union minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday after formally rejoining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Piyush Goyal is also the BJP election incharge for Tamil Nadu.

Dhinakaran reportedly stated that through the meeting, he wished to convey his party’s support for establishing what he called “good governance” in the state.

Following the announcement of the alliance, Dhinakaran intensified his criticism of the ruling DMK, accusing the state government of failing to control drug abuse and allowing law-and-order conditions to deteriorate.

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Political reversal ahead of assembly polls

Dhinakaran’s return to the NDA represents a significant political climbdown from his earlier stance, when he had publicly labelled Palaniswami a “traitor” and repeatedly ruled out working under his leadership.

Asked about aligning with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) after previously opposing him, he described it as a “dispute between allies” and asserted that making compromises would not weaken his side.

“The decision is driven by a larger objective of safeguarding both the party’s prospects and Tamil Nadu’s interests,” Dhinakaran said. He added that AMMK cadres, whom he described as followers of the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, would unite to restore “Amma’s rule, people’s rule and good governance” in the state.

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Initial withdrawal from NDA

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran had initially been part of the NDA but later withdrew after the alliance announced AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami as its chief ministerial candidate for Tamil Nadu.

At the time, Dhinakaran had taken a firm stance against any coalition led by Palaniswami. Following his exit from the NDA, he explored alternative political partnerships and was reported to be in discussions with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

However, these talks did not result in a formal alliance, leaving the AMMK without a major coalition for a period. Subsequently, a meeting between Dhinakaran and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi resulted in Shah personally inviting him to rejoin the alliance.

Senior AMMK leaders also confirmed that Dhinakaran will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public rally in Chennai on January 23 and mobilise party workers as a demonstration of the party’s renewed political strength.