"No place for TTV Dhinakaran in Tamil Nadu politics": AIADMK leader RB Udhayakumar

Addressing a press conference in Madurai, the AIADMK leader yet again claimed that Dhinakaran betrayed former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Udhayakumar said, "TTV Dhinakaran, who has faced continuous defeats in Tamil Nadu, is now meeting the media frequently just to make his presence felt. However, the people are not ready to trust him. The people have already given their verdict; there is no place for TTV Dhinakaran in Tamil Nadu politics. Party cadres are well aware of what he did to Jayalalithaa. Because of the betrayal he committed against her, he can never attain political success again."

Udhayakumar has been targeting Dhinakaran after his statement against AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. On November 7, he had slammed Dhinakaran, stating that he is spreading false rumours about AIADMK and its leaders.

This came after TTV Dhinakaran launched a sharp attack against EPS, predicting a political shake-up with the emergence of actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

In September, Dhinakaran had quit the alliance with AIADMK and the BJP, while even then criticising EPS.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls, Udhayakumar said that a "strong alliance" will be formed under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami by January 2026.

"In the last three elections, alliances were formed under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami. Similarly, the alliance for the upcoming election will also be formed under his guidance. Please wait until January; a strong alliance will take shape," he said.

The Legislative Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are likely to take place early in 2026; however, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced the dates yet.

AIADMK-led alliance, which includes BJP, has faced blows ahead of the polls after AMMK's exit. While the ruling DMK-led alliance will look to continue being in power. (ANI)