AMMK’s First List of Candidates Has 11 Former AIADMK MLAs, 1 MP

TTV Dhinakaran’s name has not featured in the first list but he is expected to contest from two constituencies.

TTV Dhinakaran made history when he won as an independent candidate in Jayalalithaa’s RK Nagar constituency in 2019.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

TTV Dhinakaran's Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) released its first list of candidates on Wednesday, 10 March, morning for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Dhinakaran’s name has not featured in the first list but sources say he is expected to contest from two constituencies this time.

The first list includes 11 former All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs and a former MP.

Prominent leaders include former MLAs P Palaniappan, C Shanmugavelu and G Senthamizhan, disqualified legislators NG Parthiban, M Rengasamy and RR Murugan. S Anbalagan has been named the chairman of the party presidium.

S Anbazhagan is contesting in Rasipuram, Palaniappan from Pappireddipatti, M Rengasamy from Papanasam, Senthamizhan from Saidapet, R Manoharan from Srirangam, C Shanmugavelu from Madathukulam, NG Parthipan from Sholingur, SK Selvam from Veerapandi, Mahendran from Usilampatti, R Duraisamy from Kovai South, RR Murugan from Aroor, K Sugumar from Pollachi, TK Rajendran from Dharmapuri, and KSK Balamurugan from Bhuvanagiri.

The AMMK on Tuesday sealed an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), ending all hopes of reconciliation between Dhinakaran and the AIADMK.

With Assembly elections round the corner, the AIADMK has been fearing that the AMMK could divide its votes as the latter still has the support of several Jayalalithaa loyalists and AIADMK insiders.

Dhinakaran founded AMMK along with his aunt VK Sasikala, a former close aide of Jayalalithaa, in 2017 after they were ousted from the AIADMK. He made history by winning as an independent candidate from Jayalalithaa’s constituency RK Nagar in 2019.

Dhinakaran told reporters that the alliance partners would jointly campaign at a public meeting to be held at the YMCA grounds in Chennai on 12 March.