Twist before Tamil Nadu polls! TTV Dhinakaran returns to NDA after bitter exit

Dhinakaran’s return to the BJP-led ruling alliance comes months after he exited the NDA, citing “arrogance” on the part of AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). While the NDA is in power at the Centre, it remains in opposition in Tamil Nadu, where the DMK-led alliance currently rules.

Addressing supporters after rejoining the alliance, Dhinakaran said: "Those who compromise do not lose. This is a new beginning. We will strive to form a new government in Tamil Nadu. I would like to say just one thing: those who sacrifice have never gone down.

"As true followers of Amma (former AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa), we will all unite together and form the government."

TTV Dhinakaran, the nephew of late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala, floated the AMMK in 2018 after being sidelined within the AIADMK following Jayalalithaa’s death.

The party has since positioned itself as a claimant to Jayalalithaa’s political legacy, often attacking the AIADMK leadership under EPS for “betraying Amma’s ideals.”

AMMK had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as part of the NDA but quit the alliance in September last year amid growing friction with the AIADMK.

Dhinakaran’s re-entry into the NDA is seen as a strategic move ahead of the Assembly polls, as the BJP-led alliance looks to consolidate anti-DMK votes by bringing together splinter groups aligned with the AIADMK’s traditional base.

Political observers say the development could reshape alliance equations in Tamil Nadu, where multi-cornered contests often play a decisive role in election outcomes.