AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Thursday said the Supreme Court verdict was a temporary setback for former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.
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Speaking to reporters in Tiruchi, Mr. Dhinakaran said doors were not closed for Mr. Panneerselvalm, who could go for an appeal against the SC verdict. There were legal avenues to prove he was still felt and added it was a temporary success for the former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami camp.
It was to be noted that he could not take the party to victory in the last Assembly elections. While Mr. Panneerselvam won the first round, Mr. Palaniswami had tasted success in the second and third rounds. There were many more rounds to go, he quipped.
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Mr. Dhinakaran said the court was the final hope for the people on any issues. According to him, the SC had upheld the general council meet of the AIADMK, but had apparently said the verdict would not have any binding on the decision of the Election Commission, which was yet to take a call on recognising the Palaniswami camp. He did not think anyone had influenced the verdict.
To a question on whether the BJP was controlling the AIADMK, Mr. Dhinakaran said it was true. The BJP was controlling the AIADMK since April 2017.
Answering a question, Mr. Dhinakaran said the verdict would not have any impact on the result of the Erode (East) Assembly constituency by-election. The AIADMK leaders might campaign that the two-leaves symbol of the party would no longer be frozen after the SC verdict.
It might fetch about 5,000 votes more for the party. But, the DMK alliance will win. The AMMK neither supported the betrayers (AIADMK) nor the evil force (the DMK) in the by-election, he sailed.
The principal parties had unleashed all sorts of tactics and unethical methods to woo the voters and the by-election should be postponed, Mr. Dhinakaran said.