Why is Dhinakaran running away from R K Nagar, asks minister Kadambur C Raju

TUTICORIN: Tamil Nadu information and publicity minister Kadambur C Raju on Tuesday wondered why AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran is running away from R K Nagar and not contesting there.
“Why is T T V Dhinakaran running away from R K Nagar and not contesting there. He was elected from R K Nagar as an MLA just three years ago,” said the minister, who is the AIADMK candidate in Kovilpatti constituency. Dhinakaran is also contesting from Kovilpatti.
Interacting with reporters at Kalugumalai, Raju said Dhinakaran had been to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly only thrice during his tenure as R K Nagar MLA.
“Had he gone to his constituency and to the assembly regularly, he could have contested from there. Taking part in the assembly proceedings is a democratic responsibility. I have not missed the assembly proceedings over the years. That is the difference between me and him,” he said.
He accused Dhinakaran of deceiving people of R K Nagar by leaving them with Rs 20 notes during the bypoll.
Raju also accused Dhinakaran, who was elected as Periyakulam MP in 1999, of not performing his duties properly. “This led to his defeat in 2004 to a not a popular candidate from the Congress. He went to Chennai and never returned to Periyakulam,” he said.
The minister also accused Dhinakaran of purposely making ministers and MPs wait for long hours. “If people of Kovilpatti think of this, he will not get his deposit,” the minister said in response to Dhinakaran’s statement on Monday that all the other candidates would lose their deposits.
Stating that there were a lot of difference between him and Dhinakaran, Raju added that he had faced the elections in Kovilpatti successfully twice – as a cadre in 2011 and as a MLA in 2016 – and “is now facing it for the third time as a minister.”
Raju criticised Dhinakaran for his remarks that a functionary in his party (Raja) would be in Kovilpatti on his behalf after the elections. “The AMMK founder has made his intention clear that he would not be in Kovilpatti after election,” the minister said.