Will not align with national parties for Lok Sabha poll: T T V Dhinakaran

Chennai: Ruling out any truck with the national parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, AMMK leader T. T.V. Dhinakaran has said that his party would soon hold talks with friendly regional parties and finalise the alliance.

“We have already identified our candidates for the Lok Sabha election. We are not looking for aligning with the national parties,” Dhinakaran said while speaking to reporters here on Tuesday. The AMMK deputy general secretary said his party is in talks only with some regional parties, and that the outcome would be announce once it is finalised.

Dhinakaran said his AMMK is fully geared up to face the Lok Sabha polls. The party has been ready to face any polls since the last six months, he said before commencing his two-day tour of Thiruporur, Chengalpet, Maduranthakam and Cheyyur Assembly constituencies in neighbouring Kancheepuram district.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Sunday visit to Madurai, Dhinakaran said the people of the State were not bothered about his visit and it had gone unnoticed. “Why should I waste my time talking about it?” he asked.

A week ago, Dhinakaran during his tour of Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu as part of his “Reaching out to people” programme, had ruled out merging his party with the ruling AIADMK. Reacting to Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athwale’s suggestion that both the AIADMK and AMMK should join hands and become part of the BJP-led NDA for the Lok Sabha election, Dhinakaran had ruled out a merger with the AIADMK for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as the AIADMK is a “party of betrayers.” The AMMK will not join hands with the BJP just because it is in power, said Dhinakaran.