TTV Dhinakaran, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief on Saturday revealed his shock over the removal of K Annamalai as the Tamil Nadu BJP president. He also stressed that his party will certainly be part of the “winning alliance” in the 2026 assembly elections.
While interacting with media in Madurai, Dhinakaran said that it was Annamalai who was the prime mover in making AMMK join the NDA before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “Annamalai and I became personally familiar with each other just a year ago, but we became friends. He is quite straightforward, as am I. When he was expelled from BJP’s state unit chief in April, I was taken aback,” said the AMMK chief.
Dhinakaran, however, attacked present BJP state president Nainar Nagendran, faulting his treatment of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS). “I didn’t appreciate the way Nainar Nagendran treated O Panneerselvam. If I had gone on with my NDA alliance, then I also would have been treated similarly. We were compelled to resign due to constant neglect,” he charged.
Is a ‘winning alliance’ in the making?
The AMMK supremo further stated that his party would decide on its next political step by December but emphasized that it will “definitely be part of the winning alliance” in 2026.
His comments have come at a time when the AIADMK is facing new calls to reunite. KA Sengottaiyan, who is one of the senior-most AIADMK leaders recently gave a ten-day ultimatum to Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) to come to terms with all the loyalists of late Jayalalithaa, with OPS, VK Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran, being the most prominent. Even after Sengottaiyan was expelled from AIADMK, his comments have ignited new discussions about the chances for the opposition in Tamil Nadu.
Whereas All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Saturday terminated former minister and senior party leader K.A. Sengottaiyan from his party assignments with immediate effect. Sengottaiyan, who was the AIADMK Organisational Secretary and Erode Urban District Secretary, was axed a day after he called for the re-induction of the expelled leaders for strengthening party unity.
With Dhinakaran freely airing grievances against BJP’s present leadership and almost flirting with new alliances, the politics of the state in the run-up to 2026 elections is poised for major realignments.
ALSO READ: Is AIADMK Divided? KA Sengottaiyan Sacked From Party Following Push To Reintegrate Expelled Leaders
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
