Thanjavur, 16 Sept

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran on Tuesday defended walking out of the National Democratic Alliance and hit out at AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Speaking to reporters here, Dhinakaran said his party, the AMMK, had been a part of the NDA in Tamil Nadu when the AIADMK was not a part of it.

After the AIADMK revived its alliance with the BJP this year in April, the AMMK continued to be with the NDA for about 4 months before finally deciding to snap ties.

Such a move to wait and stay put in the NDA, despite Palaniswami-led AIADMK's entry into the alliance, was considering feedback from well-wishers and in the hope of certain positive developments.

"That was the reason; otherwise, how could we accept Palaniswami? Can AMMK accept it? Further, he said: "We are very clear. We went to the NDA when Palaniswami (AIADMK) was not part of it."

Supporters of Palaniswami are aware of the reason for AIADMK's defeat in the 2021 Assembly election, he said, adding AMMK's presence in the electoral race resulted in the defeat of the AIADMK in at least 29 constituencies in the 2021 Assembly election.

He said the reason for the AIADMK's defeat was the expulsion of leaders, including O Panneerselvam.

Dhinakaran said: "Palaniswami's work (like refusal to take back expelled leaders) will be favourable to the DMK, and that is why Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin has said that Palaniswami should continue as AIADMK chief, and that it will make the DMK's task easy. Udhyanidhi has nicely summarised the situation...the reason for all the problems is Palaniswami."

Dhinakaran said that in 2017, the 18 AIADMK MLAs, who supported him, had only batted for dropping Palaniswami.

At that time, Palaniswami was the chief minister, and the 18 MLAs were for choosing another leader for the position of chief minister.

Such MLAs, hence, had not gone against the AIADMK government but only lost confidence on Palaniswami, he said.

Also, seeking to rebut Palaniswami's comment thanking the BJP (Centre) for protecting the AIADMK government following J Jayalalithaa's demise in 2016, Dhinakaran said it was the party's 122 MLAs who saved the government.

On 15 September, Palaniswami ruled out the possibility of re-induction of expelled leaders like O Panneerselvam.

"You want others to be inducted into the party again? AIADMK is the workers' asset. Another person-- you abducted 18 of our party MLAs to topple the AIADMK government. They want to be included in the party. Who will accept this?" he said, in a veiled reference to Dhinakaran, with whom 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs had sided.

Also, Palaniswami had said that after Jayalalithaa's death, some attempted to swallow the party and topple the AIADMK government (apparently targeting Dhinakaran), and it was those at the Centre who guarded the party.