TTV Dhinakaran also unveiled the party flag prominently featuring image of Jayalalithaa. File photoChennai: Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on Thursday launched a new party, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, named after the late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
Dhinakaran, who has the support of several dissident party workers and leaders, said the new outfit would capture power in the state and unveiled the party's flag, which features the image of a smiling Jayalalithaa in the middle.
The flag is black on top and red below with white in the middle.
In his brief address, Dhinakaran recalled the difficulties faced by party workers in carrying forward their organisational work without a name for the organisation.
The Delhi High Court was approached in the matter and it had directed the Election Commission to allot the 'pressure cooker' symbol to him, he said.
Dhinakaran had won the RK Nagar by-poll in December 2017 with a huge majority.
Party mouthpiece Dr Namadhu MGR had on Wednesday refrained from using the word 'party' and instead used 'organisation' to refer to the new outfit.
The organisation needs a name, a flag and a symbol till the AIADMK and the 'two-leaves' symbol nurtured by 'Amma' were retrieved, Dhinakaran had said, according to the party daily.
Former ministers V Senthil Balaji and P Palaniappan, senior leaders such as S Anbazhagan, disqualified MLAs and Dhinakaran loyalists, including P Vetrivel and Thanga Tamil Selvan, were among those who participated in the event.
Speakers at the meeting lambasted the chief minister K Palaniswami-led regime and said it comprised betrayers.
Vetrivel presented a "veera vaal," (a spear) to Dhinakaran before he announced the party name.
The RK Nagar MLA's party launch comes weeks after actor-politician Kamal Haasan floated his party 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' in Madurai.
On December 31, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth had announced his decision to enter politics but he is yet to launch a party.
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