Tamil Nadu polls 2026: T T V Dhinakaran quits NDA, says will chart own course

CHENNAI: AMMK general secretary T T V Dhinakaran on Wednesday announced his party's exit from the NDA, stating that his patience, for unification of'Amma's followers' under one umbrella, had ran out. At Cuddalore on Wednesday, Dhinakaran told reporters that AMMK waited for intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah to bring about a course correction. "We expected his efforts to fetch good results, but nothing happened," Dhinakaran said, in an apparent reference to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami's resistance to endorse AMMK as an NDA ally and include O Panneerselvam as a constituent of the front.While OPS announced his exit from NDA in July, TTV distanced himself from the front two days back and followed it up with the announcement on exiting the alliance on Wednesday. "There is no history of betrayers succeeding. We waited patiently, hoping to unite all of Jayalalithaa's cadres under one roof. But with no chance of that, AMMK has now chosen its own path," he told reporters.Taking a dig at EPS, he said ‘betrayers' have been touring TN for months, projecting themselves as leaders. But cadres would never accept them, he said.Dhinakaran said continuing to wait in NDA hoping for ‘unification of Amma followers' would only demoralise AMMK workers. "Our silence was not out of fear or to please anyone. Remaining quiet anymore could mislead cadres into thinking we are at fault," he said.Explaining his decision, he recalled that AMMK extended "unconditional support" to NDA in 2024 only to see Narendra Modi become Prime Minister for a third term. "But 2026 is about TN's future. Amma's cadres will decide who the chief minister should be," he said. Dhinakaran, however, did not spell out his next course of action. He said AMMK would unveil its electoral strategy in Dec.