Tamil Nadu elections: AMMK founder and general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Wednesday formally rejoined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), marking a carefully choreographed return to the BJP-led fold ahead of the Tamil Nadu assembly elections and underlining the alliance’s continuing effort to broaden its base in the state.
The once-feared, often-dismissed, endlessly resilient nephew of Sasikala, another infamous figure in Chennai politics, has again forced his way into relevance with a move that underscores both his survival instincts and his enduring understanding of the state’s most potent currency: legacy.
Dhinakaran also met Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, signalling that the rapprochement is not merely symbolic but part of a wider engagement with the BJP’s central leadership.'
Dhinakaran’s return follows a direct outreach from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to media reports, highlighting the BJP’s renewed push to stitch together a wider coalition in a state where it continues to struggle for electoral traction on its own.
A veteran insider of Tamil Nadu’s famously factional politics, Dhinakaran rose during the Jayalalithaa era as a key behind-the-scenes organiser, drawing strength from his close family ties to the late chief minister’s confidante V.K. Sasikala.
After Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 split the AIADMK, Dhinakaran emerged as one of the most disruptive figures in the state’s politics, culminating in his shock victory in the 2017 R.K. Nagar by-election as an independent.
While his AMMK has struggled to translate symbolism into sustained electoral success, Dhinakaran has retained influence as a vote-splitter and as a claimant to Jayalalithaa’s political legacy.
For the NDA, AMMK’s entry offers marginal but useful reinforcement in a state dominated by the DMK and AIADMK. For Dhinakaran, it is a calculated bet that relevance in Tamil Nadu politics still flows from national alliances, even as regional identities remain paramount.
Written off repeatedly over the past decade, Dhinakaran has once again demonstrated his ability to reinsert himself into the political conversation — just as the campaign season begins.
The once-feared, often-dismissed, endlessly resilient nephew of Sasikala, another infamous figure in Chennai politics, has again forced his way into relevance with a move that underscores both his survival instincts and his enduring understanding of the state’s most potent currency: legacy.
Dhinakaran also met Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, signalling that the rapprochement is not merely symbolic but part of a wider engagement with the BJP’s central leadership.'
Dhinakaran’s return follows a direct outreach from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, according to media reports, highlighting the BJP’s renewed push to stitch together a wider coalition in a state where it continues to struggle for electoral traction on its own.
A veteran insider of Tamil Nadu’s famously factional politics, Dhinakaran rose during the Jayalalithaa era as a key behind-the-scenes organiser, drawing strength from his close family ties to the late chief minister’s confidante V.K. Sasikala.
After Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 split the AIADMK, Dhinakaran emerged as one of the most disruptive figures in the state’s politics, culminating in his shock victory in the 2017 R.K. Nagar by-election as an independent.
While his AMMK has struggled to translate symbolism into sustained electoral success, Dhinakaran has retained influence as a vote-splitter and as a claimant to Jayalalithaa’s political legacy.
For the NDA, AMMK’s entry offers marginal but useful reinforcement in a state dominated by the DMK and AIADMK. For Dhinakaran, it is a calculated bet that relevance in Tamil Nadu politics still flows from national alliances, even as regional identities remain paramount.
Written off repeatedly over the past decade, Dhinakaran has once again demonstrated his ability to reinsert himself into the political conversation — just as the campaign season begins.
