Dhinakaran's attempts to break AIADMK will not fructify, says Palaniswami

Continuing hisattack on AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, Tamil Nadu ChiefMinister K Palaniswami on Wednesday charged him withconspiring to break the ruling AIADMK, but asserted his dreamswill not fructify as the worker-dominated party will remainunited.

The AIADMK will never allow ''one family to rule'' thestate, Palaniswami, on a campaign tour ahead of the assemblyelections likely in April, said.

Some conspired to wrest control of the party but theefforts have to be thwarted by the alert ruling party workers,Palaniswami said at an election rally in Krishnagiri inWestern part of the state.

Later, speaking to reporters in Salem, he assertednobody can create ''even the slightest split'' in the party.

In the election meeting, the AIADMK joint coordinatorsaid the party has place only for the loyal and hardworkingand even a worker with such attributes can become chiefminister, a reference to himself.

In his address, in an apparent reference to Dhinakaran,Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader and nephew of expelledAIADMK leader V K Sasikala, the chief minister alleged he hadearlier also tried to topple the government and break theparty.

''When I became CM in 2017 we were giving good rule. Somethen tried to wean away a few of our MLAs from us. You knowwho that conspirator is, who tried to topple this government,break the party by dividing 18 people,'' he said.

Eighteen AIADMK MLAs loyal to Dhinakaran had rebelledagainst Palaniswami in 2017 after he merged his faction withthat of now deputy CM O Panneerselvam.

However, the Amma (late CM J Jayalalithaa) governmentremained in power due to unity and all efforts to destabiliseit were countered, he said.

''He has started again. You know who it is -- TTVDhinakaran. He was not in the party for ten years as Amma hadexpelled him even from primary membership but somehow he cameback. Today he is conspiring (against AIADMK),'' Palaniswamialleged.

AIADMK will never accept this, he said.

Palaniswami had on Tuesday also targeted Dhinakaran forhis renewed assertion that efforts to 'retrieve' the AIADMKwere on with the return of Saikala return to Tamil Nadu afterserving a four year jail term in Bengaluru in a corruptioncase.

''Dhinakaran can never break the AIADMK, no matter howmany avatars he takes. His dreams will not come true,'' theAIADMK veteran asserted.

''The AIADMK is a party of workers. Only a worker canbecome chief minister,'' he said.

The AIADMK grew due to hardwork of workers and it will''not bow'' before ''one family to rule'' Tamil Nadu, he added.

Earlier, at an election rally in Ambur in Tirupathur, helashed out at political parties seeking votes on the basisof religion and caste and said these were not theconsiderations of the AIADMK.

''Amma government will ensure protection to people of anyreligion and the state has been a haven of peace,'' he said.

Later, speaking to reporters in Salem, Palaniswamiexuded confidence his party and its led alliance will sweepthe polls.

Asked about a 'public perception' that he did not talkabout Sasikala much and trained his guns more againstDhinakaran, Palaniswami said there was no need to dwell onpeople who were not in the party.

However, Dhinakaran had attempted to ''break the AIADMK andtopple the government'' using the 18 rebel MLAs. Later he wenton to float AMMK and ''so we are talking about him'', he added.

Asked if Dhinakaran would be allowed back in the AIADMK,Palaniswami said the two parties were different entities andthat the AMMK was ''poking its nose,'' apparently into hisparty's affairs ''but nothing will happen''.

''If someone leaves AMMK and wants to join our party, ourleadership will decide,'' he said.

To a question on Panneerselvam, the chief minister saidthey were united and said there was a ''planned mischievouscampaign'' to create a picture as if all was not well in theparty.

''Not even the slightest split can be made in theparty,'' he asserted.

Alliance talks, especially with the PMK were on andseat-sharing talks would conclude only after several rounds ofdiscussions, he said.