Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Sunday challenged the ruling AIADMK to match his organisational capacity saying they would fail miserably.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said the ministers, who were going around the state saying even a thousand Dhinakarans would not be able to destabilise the Edappadi Palaniswami government, could not stop his victory in the by-election to the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency [as an Independent candidate last year].

“With the Government under their control, the ‘two-leaves’ symbol in their hands, 33 ministers campaigning in the by-election and even after bribing voters, they still bit the dust,” he said.

Mr. Dhinakaran added that his opponents failed to face him and had no reply for the amount of support he had garnered[citing the crowd turnout].

Political legitimacy

Seeking to assert his political legitimacy, Mr. Dhinakaran said it was the then AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa who had fielded him as a party candidate in Periyakulam for the Parliamentary polls in 1999 and added, he did not enter politics through the rear door, as some had alleged.

Those people who had helped him in the campaign by carrying party flags were now trying to question his political legitimacy; he said referring to Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani.

“Those who are in power today by betraying Sasikala and me will do well to remember that their days are numbered,” he said.

Sweeping victory

He said the Madras High Court verdict on the 18 MLAs’ disqualification case was a deciding factor. He added that a bomb was ticking in for the form of a recent egg-supply scam unearthed during recent raids in Tiruchengode and other places. This would be the undoing of the present government, he said.

When that would happen his party would emerge victorious and win over 200 of the 234 Assembly seats, Mr. Dhinakaran said.

The party’s organising secretary V. Senthil Balaji challenged the Chief Minister to dissolve the government or resign and face elections to prove his strength. “If Mr. Palaniswami were to emerge victorious, I would commit suicide,” Mr. Balaji said.

Those who are in power today by betraying Sasikala and me will do well to remember that their days are numberedT.T.V. Dhinakaran

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