Cancellation not democratic: TTV Dhinakaran

Chennai: The AIADMK deputy general secretary and candidate for the cancelled RK Nagar Assembly byelection, TTV Dhinakaran, alleged that the BJP government at the Centre joined hands with his political rivals to decimate his party.

Dhinakaran, who was closeted with his party seniors at the AIADMK headquarters on Monday for about two hours, claimed that his “victory has been deferred” and that the EC’s decision to rescind the bypoll was not a setback for him.

“The DMK, O Panneerselvam, BJP, Income-Tax and Election Commission, have all plotted together to decimate our party. This is the truth,” he said, and remarked that EC and I-T department were playing into the hands of his party's political rivals.

Talking to reporters after chairing the party meeting to take stock of the political situation following the by-poll cancellation, Mr. Dhinakaran said his rivals have engineered a plot to destroy the party and topple the government ever since “Amma” passed away last December.

Condemning the bypoll cancellation he tweeted, it was a “murder of democracy.” The cancellation of the byelection was an “experience” for them and not a “setback.” He distanced the ruling party from the Income-Tax raids targeting Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, and claimed it had “nothing” to do with the R.K Nagar bypoll.

Denying payout to voters in the constituency, Dhinakaran said cases have been filed by authorities on the basis of seizure of cash for bonafide poll expenditure. The DMK too faced such cases, he pointed out.