Chennai, 24 Sept

Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Wednesday said there is no possibility of an alliance with AIADMK as long as Edappadi Palaniswami remains the party's CM candidate.

Dhinakaran also added that Annamalai's recent visit to him was only a courtesy call.

Speaking to ANI, TTV Dhinakaran said, "Yes, Annamalai met me. It was just a courtesy visit. It was Annamalai who brought our AMMK into the NDA before, and he called me when we decided to come out of it.”

“The decision to announce EPS as the CM candidate by the NDA cannot be reversed. As long as he remains the deciding authority of the AIADMK, there is no chance of an alliance. I want to tell those well-meaning and experienced individuals that there is no possibility of an alliance as long as Edappadi is the CM candidate,” he said.

Dhinakaran said Annamalai asked him to reconsider leaving NDA, but he refused, citing past betrayals by Edappadi and the party.

He added that attempts were made to compromise him in Delhi, which prompted AMMK's exit.

"Annamalai came and asked me to reconsider our decision to leave the NDA alliance. Palaniswami will hesitate to meet me or form an alliance with us (AMMK). There were attempts to take me to Delhi and compromise, and sensing this, I announced beforehand that AMMK is coming out. There is no permanent enemy in politics, but betrayal is different. Those who came to power and became CM (EPS) betrayed us and pushed us out, and that cannot be forgiven," Dhinakaran said.

He added that AMMK opposed Edappadi's candidacy in 2007.

"We never thought to tell the government, but we just spoke and acted against the betrayal by Palaniswamy. We, who saved the government, were not even given permission to conduct May Day meetings. Those who wanted to destroy us, how can we have an alliance with them? There are 90 per cent of them (AIADMK) who want to join again,” he alleged.

However, Dhinakaran further stated, “Amit Shah never said that EPS is the NDA's CM candidate. In the 2007 RK Nagar by-election, we opposed his candidacy. What AIADMK is now is not the same as before; it is just Edappadi’s party. He said that it was not the right time to press the Union Government to give Bharat Ratna to Pasumpon Devar, and now, for the first time, Madurai Airport is being named after Pasumpon Devar".

TTV also said that only "time will tell whether AMMK will have an alliance with DMK. Good things will happen".