Cracks emerge in AMMK; TTV calls for a high-level meet on June 1

CHENNAI: With a pathetic performance in the LS polls and assembly bypolls, cracks have emerged in T T V Dhinakaran’s AMMK. On Saturday, party’s south zone incharge and former MLA RP Adityan returned to the parent party by visiting chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy, O Panneerselvam. The party, originally seen as a threat to the ruling camp, could only play spoilsport, that too only in Ramanathapuram and Chidambaram LS seats and four assembly seats.
Adityan alleged Dhinakaran was politically naïve and that cost the party heavily in the elections. “Neither the functionaries nor the cadres are happy with the functioning of TTV and many are planning to return to the AIADMK. He does not take into confidence the functionaries. His coterie takes call on all matters. The result is for everyone to see. The AMMK camp will be empty in three months,” Adityan said.
The poll outcome has proven beyond doubt that the EPS-OPS camp is the real AIADMK and Dhinakaran’s claims are mostly hollow. With 5.25% vote share, he has failed to infuse confidence in the minds of his functionaries and cadres. All those who expected him to take over the reins of the AIADMK from EPS and OPS may have second thoughts of supporting him now.
The AMMK came a distant third in half the LS seats and was pushed to the fourth and fifth by the MNM and the NTK in the rest of the seats. The party made inroads only into the southern belt, where the thevar community of Sasikala clan is dominant. Out of the 22 bypoll seats, the party could gain significant number of votes only in Andipatti, Periakulam, Thirupurankundram and Ottapidaram seats to spoil the prospects of the ruling party. But for the AMMK’s performance, the AIADMK tally could have risen to 13, the number the ruling party leadership was anticipating till Thursday evening.
One of its worst shows was put up by the party organizing secretary V Pugazhendi, who polled 1,431 votes in Hosur, way lower than NOTA. TTV’s close associate, P Vetrivel came a distant fifth in Perambur in Chennai.
The AIADMK functionaries have been getting feelers from the AMMK supporters, ever since the humiliating poll results were out. Given the party leadership’s statement welcoming those who had deviated from their paths, the district leaders are busy compiling the list of AMMK cadres showing keenness to return to the AIADMK. AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munusamy said the Sasikala-TTV group had been rejected outright by the people. “It was the media that glorified them, but the cadres and people never accepted them,” he said. A slew of cases against TTV, including a FERA violation, causes worry for his supporters. A party release said TTV has convened a meeting of functionaries and candidates on June 1 to discuss further course of action.