A while after TTV Dhinakaran announced on Twitter that Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in Tamil Nadu has joined hands with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM for the upcoming assembly elections in the state, Owaisi confirmed to TNM that he would be addressing a mega rally in Chennai with TTV Dhinakaran on March 12.
According to a press release issued by AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran on Monday, AIMIM will be contesting from three constituencies.
“In the alliance led by the AMMK, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, MP and the AIMIM Party led by him has been allotted 3 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, namely Vaniyambadi, Krishnagiri and Sankarapuram,” said TTV Dhinakaran.
Though the AIMIM was keen on joining the DMK alliance, the other Muslim parties-- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) were not too comfortable with Owaisi’s party joining the DMK alliance. The DMK’s minority head was continuously in touch with Owaisi’s AIMIM. But finally, when the time came, the DMK chose to keep its other alliance partners happy rather than choosing to join hands with Owaisi.
The AIMIM had contested from Vaniyambadi in the last elections and managed to poll 10,000 votes in their favour. They had fielded Vakeel Ahmed who is now the Tamil Nadu AIMIM unit President.
TTV Dhinakaran will be contesting this election as part of the AMMK. Recently, his aunt and former aide of J Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala announced that she is temporarily staying away from politics.
Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will face the polls on April 6 in a single phase. The results of the Assembly elections will be declared on May 2. The two major Dravidian parties of Tamil Nadu -- the DMK and the AIADMK -- are expected to release their election manifestos on March 10.