Another Blow To Vijay: AMMK Leader Dhinakaran Meets Governor, Supports AIADMK's EPS To Form Govt In Tamil Nadu

Chennai: In a huge blow to actor-turned-politician Vijay Thalapathy, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran has extended support to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)'s Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami to form government in Tamil Nadu.

In an official letter to Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Dhinakaran said, “I, TTV Dhinakaran, General Secretary of Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam, hereby extend my full support to the claim of Thiru. Edappadi K.Palaniswami to form the new Government of the State of Tamil Nadu.”

AMMK won one seat, Mannargudi, in the recently-concluded Tamil Nadu elections, with S Kamaraj winning from the constituency.

In his letter to the Governor, Dhinakaran stressed that Kamaraj is also backing AIADMK.

He added, “It is humbly requested that Thiru Edappadi K.Palaniswami be invited to form the new Government and be sworn in as the Chief Minister, of the State of Tamil Nadu.”

Did AMMK Earlier Support Vijay?

Earlier, there were reports that AMMK might back Vijay's bid to form government in Tamil Nadu.

However, AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran called such reports “baseless”, adding, “The news published in some media outlets that the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, which is a member of the National Democratic Alliance, has extended support to the Tamil Nadu Victory Party is completely false. It is baseless.”

Dhinakaran claimed that S. Kamaraj, the AMMK MLA from Mannargudi is presently at the same hotel where AIADMK MLAs are staying.

“The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam is firm in its stance of remaining a member of the National Democratic Alliance.”

AMMK Calls For Probe Into ‘Forged’ Letter Of Support

Deepening the political drama in Tamil Nadu, AMMK has called for an investigation into the allegedly “forged” letter that claimed its support to Vijay.

TTV Dhinakaran called it a case of “forgery” or “horse-trading”, adding that reports of the alleged letter came as a shock to him. “I was shocked. because there was some other letter - maybe a forged letter, or it may be horse-trading. I called up my MLA, but I was not able to reach him...He signed this letter around 6.30 pm and sent it here.”

“When I saw on TV that our party had supported Vijay, I was shocked. So, I got an appointment with the Governor and I have submitted the letter to him, asking him to investigate that. I feel it is forged or horse trading...He should not allow this,” Dhinakaran added.

Vijay Fails To Prove Majority For 3rd Time

AMMK's move comes just after Vijay failed to prove majority before Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to form a government in the state for the third straight time on Friday. According to sources, Vijay has failed to secure the majority mark of 118 MLAs and is still short of 2 MLAs.

Earlier it was reported that Vijay has the support of 120 MLAs, two more than the magic number needed to form the government. Celebrations had begun outside the office of Vijay's Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with supporters dancing and bursting firecrackers. Some Left leaders also said that Vijay was set to take oath as the Chief Minister tomorrow (Saturday). However, Vijay suffered a huge blow as some allies, including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), withdrew their much-needed support, leaving Vijay with the support of 116 MLAs.