AIADMK will retain RK Nagar seat: Dinakaran

Chennai: AIADMK Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran on Friday exuded confidence that the ruling party will retain RK Nagar Assembly seat in the April 12 by-election.

"The AIADMK candidate will secure a grand victory in the RK Nagar bypoll," he told reporters here.

Bypoll to the constituency in the city was necessitated following the death of sitting member and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on December 5 last.

The Election Commission had yesterday announced the schedule for the byelection.

Asked about reports in a section of media that he was initially keen to contest the bypoll but was now 'hesitant', Dinakaran said not just himself but any candidate who will be selected by the AIADMK Parliamentary Board will face the election 'boldly.'

"Not just me, anybody, if they are announced as candidate, can boldly face the polls. None from this movement (AIADMK) of 1.3 crore strong supporters will hesitate to do so... Supporters of Amma (Jayalalithaa) are like soldiers with army like discipline," he said.

On the notice by the EC regarding the elevation of VK Sasikala as AIADMK General Secretary and rejection of a letter by him in to it, he said she had responded to the queries posed by the commission.

"She has responded to whatever questions raised by the Election Commission," Dinakaran, Sasikala's nephew, said without elaborating.

He had said yesterday that the reply would be given by the AIADMK chief by today, the deadline set by the EC.

Acting on petitions by dissident AIADMK leaders challenging her appointment to the top party post, the EC had sought the response of Sasikala, who is serving her sentence in an assets case in a Bengaluru jail.