Dhinkaran takes oath as MLA

PTI, CHENNAI:  Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran was today sworn-in as a member of the Tamil Nadu assembly days after he won the byelection to the RK Nagar constituency represented by late chief minister Jayalalithaa.The newly elected MLA was sworn-in as a member of the 15th Assembly by Speaker P Dhanapal in his office here after the former arrived there to a rousing reception by his supporters who lined-up all along the route from his residence.

The supporters threw flower petals at the vehicle of Dhinakaran even as they raised slogans hailing “TTV annan” (elder brother) and his recent win. Some of them also presented him shawls and bouquets as he halted his vehicle at several places along the arterial Kamarajar road off the famous Marina Beach leading to Fort St.George, housing the assembly and the state secretariat.

Standing in the vehicle through the sun-roof for sometime, the newly elected MLA waved to his supporters and also showed the victory sign of thumbs up. After the swearing-in, Dhanapal shook hands with Dhinakaran, who has been sidelined by the ruling camp of the AIADMK along with his aunt and jailed leader Sasikala.

The sidelined leader later claimed that the Palaniswami government will not last beyond “three to four months”. The ruling camp brushed aside his claim with Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam saying he can’t be replying to “those who are in dreamland.”

A battery of Dhinakaran’s supporters, including key aides and disqualified MLAs P Vetrivel and Thangatamilselvan, were present at the swearing in. Aranthangi MLA E A Rathinasabapathy was also present. He had joined the Dhinakaran camp after 18 AIADMK legislators loyal to the sidelined leader were disqualified in September. Contesting the December 21 bypoll as an independent,  Dhinakaran defeated AIADMK’s E Madhusudhanan by a thumping margin of 40,707 votes, dealing a blow to the ruling camp headed by Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The bypoll was held to fill the vacancy caused by death of then sitting member Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year. The ruling camp has attributed Dhinakaran’s victory to a  “tacit understanding” between him and principal opposition DMK, whose candidate N Maruthu Ganesh finished a poor third and lost deposit in the bypoll.