Sasikala will continue legal battle, contest Assembly polls: TTV Dhinakaran

CHENNAI: Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Tuesday expressed confidence that VK Sasikala would be contesting the forthcoming Assembly elections since there are legal avenues for that.  

He also said that Sasikala had earlier said that the case pending before the Madras High Court against her removal as general secretary of the AIADMK could be pursued after her release. Now that she has come out, she would continue her legal battle as well as engage in the democratic fight.  

Dhinakaran was answering the queries of the reporters here after accompanying Sasikala from Bengaluru to Chennai during her 23-hour travel. Sasikala entered Chennai at around 4 am, and visited Ramavaram garden of late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, and paid floral tributes to MGR’s statue. She reached her T Nagar residence at around 6.40 am.

"As on date, there may not be chances for her to contest. But still, there is time and legally, there are chances for her to contest the Assembly elections by approaching the court. I am a positive thinker and I hope she will contest the elections,” Dhinakaran added.

He said whenever the government opens the memorial of Jayalalithaa, Sasikala would visit it. "We call upon the cadre of Amma (J Jayalalithaa) to work unitedly. If you interpret it in a different way, it is up to you,” he added. 

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On whether he would contest from RK Nagar again, Dhinakaran said, "Definitely. I would contest from two constituencies as I said earlier. One is RK Nagar and another is from the district where I was MP for a long time."

Questioned as to whether any MP, MLA, or AIADMK office-bearers enquired about the health of Sasikala, Dhinakaran said, "Actor Rajinikanth called me on Monday and enquired about Sasikala's health. Don't want to reveal whether others have inquired about her health."

On the possibility of the merger of AMMK with the AIADMK, Dhinakaran said, "The primary objective of launching the AMMK is to redeem the AIADMK and to form the true Amma (J Jayalalithaa) government in Tamil Nadu. 

On DMK president MK Stalin's promise to constitute a fresh commission of inquiry to investigate the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Dhinakaran said, "It is like a wolf crying that the sheep are wet. The DMK president raises this issue during every election. When the by-election to RK Nagar was held, he raised the same issue. Now, again he is doing this. Normally, to form an inquiry commission is akin to that of putting an issue into the backburner. We are firm on one point -- to check DMK from coming to power."

Responding to a question, Dhinakaran said, "Sleeper cell members need not be MLAs alone; they can be anyone in the party including office-bearers.  

When asked why Sasikala had shifted to another car at the Tamil Nadu border on Monday, Dhinakaran said, "Since air condition facility did not work in the car in which Sasikala was travelling, she boarded the car offered by SR Sambangi, an AIADMK functionary from Shoolagiri union.”

Responding to another question, Dhinakaran said, "As per the original bylaws written during the times of party founder MG Ramachandran, general secretary of the party alone has all powers. The General secretary alone can convene the general council or appoint or remove office bearers. In the absence of a general secretary, the deputy general secretary can discharge his/her functions. But contrary to the bylaws, Sasikala was removed."