Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran rejected the K Palaniswami-led ruling camp's charge of a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK in the RK Nagar byelection, which he won.
Dhinakaran, who won the December 21 bypoll trouncing nearest AIADMK rival by a margin of over 40,000 votes, said DMK appeared to have made "an arithmetic mistake" and was 'overconfident'.
He was responding to questions from reporters here on AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and co-coordinator K Palaniswami's charge that his victory was due to a 'tacit understanding' between him and DMK.
They have claimed that the win was achieved by a "conspiracy" of Stalin and Dhinakaran and it would not affect the AIADMK. In a related development, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa called on Dhinkaran and congratulated him.
Puspha, who was sacked by the then Chief Minister and party supremo J Jayalalithaa last year for alleged anti-party activities, met Dhinakaran at his residence here. Dhinakaran took a swipe at DMK, saying the opposition party was "overconfident" following its performance in the assembly polls last year when it secured over 55,000 votes in the constituency, then won by late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.
"DMK was overconfident that it had allies, and 55,000 votes (polled in the 2016 Assembly polls). But situation will change in every election," he said. On the AIADMK's allegation that DMK diverted its votes to Dhinakaran as part of their 'tacit understanding,' he wondered how that was possible. "A party (DMK) that is in existence for 70 years, aided by the support of allies, seems to have just made an arithmetic mistake," he said.
He might have received DMK votes as those voters may have also preferred him, "but a DMK worker will not vote for someone else even if their party leader asks them to do so," Dhinakaran said. He added that he and the people of RK Nagar had a common thread that it was 'Amma's constituency,' referring Jayalalithaa having represented the city segment till her death in December last year.
To a question on the charge of money distribution made against him by leaders of the ruling AIADMK, the newly elected legislator made counter allegations, saying it was they who gave cash to the voters. He wanted the Election Commission to probe both complaints. Emerging from her meeting with Dhinakaran, Pushpa said he had won overcoming many difficulties and challenges. "He has secured a historic, Himalayan victory," she told reporters separately.
The MP, who created a furore when she claimed in the Rajya Sabha last year that she was "slapped by a leader," said she came to congratulate Dhinakaran. Although Pushpa was expelled from AIADMK last year, she continues to be recognised as a party MP in Rajya Sabha.
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