Fresh from his victory in the R.K. Nagar bye-election, T.T.V. Dinakaran on Friday claimed that the fate of the AIADMK government will be sealed in the budget session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly in February-March in the coming year.

Dinakaran, who fought as an Independent and secured a huge victory in the constituency that was held by the late Jayalalithaa, took oath as member of the Assembly before Speaker P. Dhanapal.

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Later talking to reporters, he said the High Court verdict in the case against disqualification of 19 MLAs supporting him would be out by January-end and a trial of strength would be held in February or March.

“During the trial of strength our sleeper cells will work,” he said in an apparent reference to his claim that majority of the ruling AIADMK MLAs were with him and would back him. “The anti-people betrayers’ government regime should be brought to an end,” he said.

Lashing out at Chief Minister E. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, and some of the Ministers, he said he represented the “real AIADMK” and the party cadre were with him in the party headed by jailed leader V.K. Sasikala.

Dinakaran said he had sought votes in the name of Jayalalithaa and the people have given him a huge mandate to continue her good work.

He said five-six “self serving” people who had committed “betrayal” were now ruling the roost with support from “north”, an apparent reference to BJP, having “subjugated” themselves to the Centre.

The sidelined AIADMK leader, in a jibe at the ruling AIADMK, said “they (BJP) can get you symbol and party name but cannot get you votes from the people”.

He asked the five-six leaders to do some “self-introspection and reform themselves” or otherwise the people would “reform” them. “Betrayal would never get you victory. You kicked the ladder that helped you climb to power,” he said referring to the expulsion of Sasikala and himself from the party.

Dinakaran also referred to the spate of expulsions of his supporters by the AIADMK and said at this rate “you will have to expel the 1.5 crore party cadre, leaving only five or six people in the other camp. You cannot terrorise people through expulsion. Please make way for others as a penance. The people are on our side.”

He said he was not speaking out of arrogance because he has won but was reflecting the opinion of people and cadre.