Tamil Nadu polls: Movable assets of Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran go up

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has declared total assets valued at Rs 61.19 lakh, up from the Rs 33.20 lakh in 2016, according to his election affidavit submitted as part of the nomination for the April 6 Assembly polls in the state.

Panneerselvam, AIADMK coordinator, is seeking a third term from Bodinayakkanur in Theni district. All of the assets were movable and he had no immovable assets in his name, which was the case in 2016 as well, Panneerselvam said.

The assets included three four-wheelers and he declared his source of income as salary earned as deputy CM and from his wife's agricultural income. His liabilities were Rs 65,55,411 he owed to his wife.

His wife's immovable assets were valued at Rs 4.57 crore while the immovable property was Rs 2.63 crore, he stated in his affidavit. Similarly, the assets of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran also went up, from Rs 16.73 lakh in 2017 to Rs 19.18 lakh in 2021.

The AMMK leader had fought and won the December 2017 Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll here as an independent, upsetting the ruling AIADMK which had earlier expelled him along with his aunt and late chief minister J Jayalalithaa's confidante VK Sasikala.

Dhinakaran has shifted to Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district this time, taking on ruling AIADMK Minister and local strongman Kadmabur Raju. According to Dhinakaran's poll affidavit, the value of his immovable assets remained at Rs 57.44 lakh which he had declared in 2017.

His dues included Rs 28 lakh to the central government on account of imposition of penalty under FERA and liabilities in dispute included Rs 34.46 crore from AY 1989-96 pending before the IT Appellate Tribunal here.

His liabilities were Rs 14.25 lakh. The movable and immovable assets of his wife were Rs 7.66 crore and Rs 2.43 crore, respectively while her liabilities stood at Rs 5.82 crore, Dhinakaran stated in the affidavit.