AIADMK row: TTV Dinakaran confident of getting back 'two-leaves' symbol

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Continuing to put up a brave front despite a revolt by Chief Minister K Palaniswamy-led camp, beleaguered ruling AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief TTV Dinakaran on Monday exuded confidence of uniting the party and getting back its ’two leaves’ symbol. Dinakaran, whose appointment to the post of AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief was declared against party rules at the 10 August meeting presided by Palaniswamy, told reporters here that the camp had earlier endorsed his leadership by filing an affidavit with the Election Commission. [caption id=“attachment_3870515” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of TTV Dinakaran. PTI[/caption] “Now they have passed a resolution as per which appointments made by me are null and void. Is this not 420 (cheating)? If 27 ministers, including the chief minister, have signed the resolution nullifying the appointments made by me, it is cheating,” he said. Dinakaran, who is slated to undertake a statewide tour from Monday, said that he was working to strengthen the party and that was the reason MLAs were “switching over” to his side. The resolution by the chief minister’s camp on 10 August had also asked party cadres to ignore Dinakaran’s directives. It had also said that though VK Sasikala was made party general secretary following the death of chief minister J Jayalalithaa in December last, she could not function in the post in “view of extraordinary circumstances”. Dinakaran, the nephew of Sasikala, said he was not scared of any person and that he had faced a lot of “opposition” since 1987. He alleged there were reports of corruption against a minister in implementing a marriage assistance scheme. He also said the party organ ‘Namathu MGR’ was being managed by his relative Vivek and those who had worked against the organisation had been weeded out. Referring to Palaniswamy’s ascent to the chief minister’s post, Dinakaran said he had “got the throne by accident”. He added that Palaniswamy was elected chief minister by Sasikala and others. Dinakaran is here to take part in a meeting at Melur on Monday night to celebrate the birth centenary of late chief minister MG Ramachandran, which is expected to be a platform for a show of strength by him.