<p>While Sasikala’s announcement to quit politics came as a shocker for her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, he seems to have made his point to climb up in the Tamil Nadu elections with the help of Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM).</p>.<p>Firebrand Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM will make its foray into the southern state contesting from three constituencies in alliance with TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK. A party release, on Monday, said the two had decided to face the elections in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/setback-for-bjp-aiadmk-alliance-in-tamil-nadu-as-dmdk-walks-out-ahead-of-assembly-polls-959908.html">Setback for BJP-AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu as DMDK walks out ahead of Assembly polls </a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Will Dhinakaran and Owaisi’s alliance affect DMK? </strong></p>.<p>AMMK has, in past, managed to dent AIADMK’s vote share in the last Lok Sabha polls. Dhinakaran alone has proved as a strong opposition when he contested independently from R K Nagar constituency and defeated both the ruling AIADMK and DMK.</p>.<p>“Many have sympathy for Sasikala and Dhinakaran as she had to undergo a four-year prison term. They also think she was threatened to withdraw from politics. Even a section of them voting for AMMK would be enough to spoil AIADMK’s chances,” a political leader <a href="https://indianexpress.com/elections/real-dharma-yudham-despite-sasikala-surprise-ttv-aimim-ammk-tamil-nadu-7219793/">told</a> <em>The Indian Express</em>.</p>.<p>Other leaders quoted by <em>The Indian Express</em> believed that AMMK enjoyed support from the Thevar community which was favoured and nurtured by Sasikala when Jayalalithaa was alive.</p>.<p>However, on the other hand, the AIMIM has been allotted three Tamil Nadu seats that have a significant Muslim population – Vaniyambadi, Sankarapuram and Krishnagiri. Even though the party doesn’t have much of a presence in the state, it had won 10,000 votes in Vaniyabmadi, in the 2016 Assembly polls.</p>.<p>In this scenario, DMK is likely to give strong competition to AIMIM as most Muslim parties including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), have joined the DMK camp that also enjoys a significant hold over the Muslim minorities in the state.</p>.<p>It would be interesting to see how Owaisi woos Muslims voters in the state that once supported Jayalalithaa.</p>
<p>While Sasikala’s announcement to quit politics came as a shocker for her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, he seems to have made his point to climb up in the Tamil Nadu elections with the help of Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM).</p>.<p>Firebrand Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM will make its foray into the southern state contesting from three constituencies in alliance with TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK. A party release, on Monday, said the two had decided to face the elections in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/setback-for-bjp-aiadmk-alliance-in-tamil-nadu-as-dmdk-walks-out-ahead-of-assembly-polls-959908.html">Setback for BJP-AIADMK alliance in Tamil Nadu as DMDK walks out ahead of Assembly polls </a></strong></p>.<p><strong>Will Dhinakaran and Owaisi’s alliance affect DMK? </strong></p>.<p>AMMK has, in past, managed to dent AIADMK’s vote share in the last Lok Sabha polls. Dhinakaran alone has proved as a strong opposition when he contested independently from R K Nagar constituency and defeated both the ruling AIADMK and DMK.</p>.<p>“Many have sympathy for Sasikala and Dhinakaran as she had to undergo a four-year prison term. They also think she was threatened to withdraw from politics. Even a section of them voting for AMMK would be enough to spoil AIADMK’s chances,” a political leader <a href="https://indianexpress.com/elections/real-dharma-yudham-despite-sasikala-surprise-ttv-aimim-ammk-tamil-nadu-7219793/">told</a> <em>The Indian Express</em>.</p>.<p>Other leaders quoted by <em>The Indian Express</em> believed that AMMK enjoyed support from the Thevar community which was favoured and nurtured by Sasikala when Jayalalithaa was alive.</p>.<p>However, on the other hand, the AIMIM has been allotted three Tamil Nadu seats that have a significant Muslim population – Vaniyambadi, Sankarapuram and Krishnagiri. Even though the party doesn’t have much of a presence in the state, it had won 10,000 votes in Vaniyabmadi, in the 2016 Assembly polls.</p>.<p>In this scenario, DMK is likely to give strong competition to AIMIM as most Muslim parties including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), have joined the DMK camp that also enjoys a significant hold over the Muslim minorities in the state.</p>.<p>It would be interesting to see how Owaisi woos Muslims voters in the state that once supported Jayalalithaa.</p>
