A year after launch, AMMK seems to be in a ‘lean phase’

Not long ago, its prospects looked bright after TTV’s win in the R. K. Nagar bypoll

March 17, 2019 12:15 am | Updated 08:15 am IST - CHENNAI

CHENNAI, 11/03/2019 : T. T. V. Dhinakaran,Leader,Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam,Speaking to press meet,after the Party Meeting,at Ashok Nagar in Chennai on Monday.Photo : B. Velanakanni Raj / THEHINDU

CHENNAI, 11/03/2019 : T. T. V. Dhinakaran,Leader,Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam,Speaking to press meet,after the Party Meeting,at Ashok Nagar in Chennai on Monday.Photo : B. Velanakanni Raj / THEHINDU

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), which celebrated its foundation day on Friday, seems to have hit a “lean phase” after its initial flourish in the political arena.

A year ago, when the party was founded, the political prospects of the AMMK looked promising, as barely three months prior to that, party founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran had got elected from R.K. Nagar, defeating the ruling AIADMK nominee by a margin of over 40,000 votes.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the principal Opposition party, had forfeited its deposit. Even though by then 18 Members of the Legislative Assembly, owing allegiance to his leadership, were disqualified, Mr. Dhinakaran’s success had, temporarily, relegated everything else to the background. At the same time, Mr. Dhinakaran remained in the limelight and kept talking about the “imminent end” of the AIADMK government, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Meanwhile, Mr. Palaniswami completed yet another year in office. The Madras High Court upheld the disqualification of Mr. Dhinakaran’s supporters and the Delhi High Court upheld the Election Commission’s decision in November 2017 to allot the “two leaves” symbol to the AIADMK.

Just one ally

The Dhinakaran camp had lost one of its prominent figures and disqualified legislators — V. Senthil Balaji — who crossed over to the DMK. For the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and byelections to 18 Assembly constitutencies in the State, the AMMK has been able to get just one ally — Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), contrary to the earlier expectations that it would get many allies.

However, P. Palaniappan, headquarters secretary of the AMMK, remains unfazed and asserts that the last one year marked a “challenging period” only for the AIADMK and not for his organisation. “Mr Dhinakaran is the only leader who has been going round the State extensively,” he claims, adding that the AMMK would show “its true strength” in the elections.

Asked about his party’s principal rivals in the polls, Mr. Dhinakaran names the principal formations – AIADMK-BJP combine and the DMK and allies — and says that “our only aim is to defeat them.” But, K. P. Munusamy, deputy coordinator of the ruling party, is not convinced about the AMMK’s ability to cut into votes of his party.

R. B. Udhayakumar, the party’s Amma Peravai secretary and Revenue Minister, accuses the AMMK of seeking to address itself to a section of society, alluding to Mukkolathors, and emphasises that the rival camp’s calculation would not work. But, he goes on to say that “Amma [Jayalalithaa] had always ensured that the party transcended social barriers. Despite Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar having a substantial number of Mukkolathors, she had promoted non-Mukkolathors in these three districts respectively — S. Sundararaj, Gokula Indira and K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji. “We are following in her footsteps,” he points out.

Notwithstanding the AIADMK’s criticism, the AMMK looks confident of emerging successfully in the elections. “History is replete with instances of how new political forces such as M.G.Ramachandran and N.T. Rama Rao had come out with flying colours. We are on course to make a history,” Mr Palaniappan adds. Meanwhile, the AMMK on Saturday announced that its ally, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), had been allotted Central Chennai parliamentary constituency. In the remaining 38 seats in the State, the AMMK would field its nominees.

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