Chennai: Asserting that his leader TTV Dhinakaran would contest the RK Nagar Assembly by-election and “win hands down” as and when it is held in pursuance of the high court directive, faction lieutenant Thanga Tamilchelvan on Tuesday said the group is “ready and raring to go”.
“Deputy general secretary TTV will contest and his win will prove wrong the wild accusation that he tried to bribe the voters”, Tamilchelvan told DC responding to the high court order that the RK Nagar by-election should be held before Dec 31.
While the rebel AIADMK group is thus “all prepared” for the by-election of high stakes — because TTV would do his best to wrest the seat to prove his clout and his 'innocence', while the ruling party will definitely pull all its punches to see him fall badly — the opposition DMK is expected to field its earlier candidate Marudhu Ganesh, though a formal announcement will be made only after the party’s high-level committee meets soon after the Election Commission sets the poll date.
The ruling party has a new problem now — the rumblings of discord between the factions owing allegiance to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam. The latest evidence of this is the Meitreyan FB post, tossing the embarrassing poser on the merger of hearts after the clinical confluence of the two factions.
Asked if this 'disquiet factor' threatens the RK Nagar by-poll work, fisheries minister D. Jayakumar, an influential member of the EPS group, said a firm 'No'.
“We are really very united and very committed to ensure the victory in RK Nagar”, he said, adding that the party's politburo would meet after the EC sets the poll date and decide on the AIADMK candidate. He denied having suggested that the party candidate should be from the fishermen community that dominates the north Chennai area.
It may be recalled that AIADMK presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan had slammed Jayakumar some days ago accusing him of advocating the fielding of a fisherman as the party candidate in the by-election. He alleged that the minister was plotting to destroy his political career by derailing his candidature at RK Nagar though he was the party (OPS) candidate when the by-poll scheduled on April 12 was cancelled.
