After much deliberation, the 18 disqualified AIADMK legislators owing allegiance to Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran have decided against challenging the Madras High Court’s verdict upholding their disqualification in the Supreme Court.
Making the announcement in Madurai on Wednesday, Mr. Dhinakaran said the party was ready to face byelections in all the 20 vacant Assembly constituencies, including the Tiruvarur and Tirupparankundram Assembly seats which fell vacant following the deaths of former DMK president M. Karunanidhi and AIADMK legislator A.K. Bose, respectively.
“We are ready to contest the bypolls, and will win in all the 20 seats,” Mr. Dhinakaran claimed while interacting with mediapersons at Madurai airport.
Cites R.K. Nagar victory
Noting that the opposition parties, and even some sections of the media, didn’t expect his victory in the R.K. Nagar byelection, he said the AMMK would repeat such a victory in all the 20 seats. “The AIADMK will not even get [back its] deposits in the byelections,” he claimed.
When asked whether the byelections would be conducted, Mr. Dhinakaran said that depended on the decision of the Election Commission of India, the ‘Chief Secretary’ and the State government.
The Chief Minister and other Ministers took part in a preparatory meeting in Madurai before the announcement of the byelection schedule only to pretend that the AIADMK was ready to face the polls, he claimed.
“However, the Chief Minister, through the Chief Secretary, had already written to the EC, seeking the postponement of the byelection to the Tiruvarur Assembly seat, citing the likely onset of monsoon. The recent appointment of election committees for all the 20 byelection-bound Assembly constituencies by the AIADMK is also only to pretend that the party is not afraid of elections,” Mr. Dhinakaran said.
