Maduranthakam (Tamil Nadu), Jan 23 (PTI) AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Friday said his party had wholeheartedly joined the NDA to unseat the ruling DMK and not under "coercion".
Though he may have differences with the AIADMK leadership, he said he did not want these to come in the way of public welfare or efforts to end the DMK rule in the state.
"We set aside our differences and wholeheartedly joined the NDA to ensure that the AIADMK-led alliance defeats the DMK and establishes the rule of Amma (former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa). We were not under any coercion to rejoin the NDA," Dhinakaran said, addressing the NDA’s maiden political rally ahead of the Assembly elections in the state.
Sharing the dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Maduranthakam, about 87 km from Chennai, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader said his party had decided to strengthen the hands of the BJP and the AIADMK as the DMK was their common political adversary.
"We have all been groomed by Amma. She taught us to oppose issues with precision, and when it comes to extending support, she taught us to stand solid like a rock," Dhinakaran said in his speech.
He frequently referred to AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as a "respected leader" and "elder brother", signalling a reconciliation.
Following his expulsion from the AIADMK by Palaniswami, Dhinakaran floated the AMMK in 2018, and the two leaders shared a public platform for the first time at Friday’s rally.
Dhinakaran had recently quit the NDA after the BJP accepted Palaniswami’s leadership to head the alliance in Tamil Nadu, and had accused him of being an "embodiment of betrayal".
He rejoined the NDA on January 21 in the presence of the BJP Tamil Nadu election in-charge Piyush Goyal.