Dhinakaran's AMMK likely to release manifesto for Tamil Nadu polls today

Byhindustantimes.com | Edited by Amit Chaturvedi, New Delhi

Mar 12, 2021 08:39 AM IST

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On Wednesday, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) released its first list of 15 candidates for the April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly elections which included names of AIADMK legislators who had sided with Dhinakaran in 2018 and were disqualified.

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a Tamil Nadu-based political party led by TTV Dhinakaran, is expected to release its manifesto on Friday for the upcoming assembly election. The party is contesting these elections on its own after Dhinakaran's aunt, expelled All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader VK Sasikala, announced retirement from politics.

Dhinakaran, an independent MLA, was elected from Dr Radhakrishnan (RK) Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai which fell vacant after late J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, who represented the segment.(PTI file photo)

On Wednesday, the AMMK released its first list of 15 candidates for the April 6 Tamil Nadu assembly elections which included names of AIADMK legislators who had sided with Dhinakaran in 2018 and were disqualified. Former state ministers P Palaniappan, G Senthamizhan, and C Shanmugavelu will contest from Pappireddipatti, Saidapet and Madathukulam respectively, Dhinakaran said in a release.

Several other former MLAs were been named in the first list of the AMMK. In the second list of 50 candidates released on Thursday, the party announced that Dhinakaran will contest the election from Kovilpatti constituency in Thoothukudi district.

He will be in direct contest with state information minister Kadambur Raju, the incumbent legislator from the constituency.

Dhinakaran, an independent MLA, was elected from Dr Radhakrishnan (RK) Nagar assembly constituency in Chennai which fell vacant after late J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, who represented the segment.

Earlier this week, the AMMK announced a tie-up with Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and allotted three seats to it.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, AMMK could manage just five per cent of votes. Dhinakaran is the chief ministerial candidate for the AMMK which was floated in 2018 with supporters of his aunt VK Sasikala. The AIADMK in 2017 had expelled Sasikala and Dhinakaran.

Tamil Nadu with 234 assembly constituencies will have a single-phase elections on April 6 in which fronts led by arch-rivals AIADMK and DMK are the main contenders. The counting of votes will be done on May 2.