No plan to bring Sasikala into NDA, says Dhinakaran

AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran ruled out bringing V K Sasikala into the NDA after meeting Amit Shah in Delhi, as parties held preliminary discussions ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with formal seat-sharing talks yet to begin

Chennai: AMMK General Secretary, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, on Saturday made it clear that there are no plans to bring V.K. Sasikala back into the NDA alliance, even as he met Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, in New Delhi amid intensifying political activity ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

The assertion comes at a time when speculation has been rife over Sasikala’s possible re-entry into alliance politics.

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Dhinakaran, who had travelled to the national Capital earlier this week, held talks with HM Amit Shah on Saturday. He also met Union Minister and BJP’s Tamil Nadu incharge Piyush Goyal during the visit.

The meetings are being viewed as part of a broader round of consultations within the NDA as parties prepare for the upcoming polls.

Sources indicated that the discussions covered a range of electoral issues, including seat-sharing arrangements, constituency preferences, and the possibility of the AMMK contesting under its ‘pressure cooker’ symbol.

However, Dhinakaran played down the extent of these deliberations while speaking to reporters after the meeting.

“I did not discuss seat-sharing with Amit Shah. We only spoke about facing the elections in a united manner,” he said, underlining that alliance cohesion was the primary focus at this stage rather than specific negotiations.

Reiterating his stand on Sasikala, Dhinakaran said there was no intention to bring her into the alliance framework, effectively ruling out any immediate political role for the former AIADMK leader within the NDA fold.

Taking aim at the ruling DMK government, Dhinakaran claimed that the State leadership grows “apprehensive” whenever Opposition leaders visit Delhi.

He also highlighted the Centre’s financial assistance to Tamil Nadu, stating that nearly ₹12 lakh crore had been allocated to the State over the past 12 years.

“We can ensure that Tamil Nadu receives the funds it requires without difficulty,” he added.

Meanwhile, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who is also in Delhi, is expected to meet HM Shah separately, signalling parallel consultations with key regional players.

In a related development, Piyush Goyal’s scheduled visit to Chennai has been postponed and is now expected to take place on Sunday.

Formal seat-sharing talks among NDA allies are likely to begin only after these preliminary discussions are completed, indicating that alliance negotiations are still in an early phase.