Chennai, Jan 20 (IANS): The AMMK will announce its decision on the East Erode by-election on January 27, party general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran said on Friday.

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader said that he was keen to defeat the DMK-supported candidate and that the party would work out strategies for the same in the days to come.

Speaking to the mediapersons at his party headquarters in Chennai, Dhinakaran said, "We never hesitated to contest polls. In the by-elections at R.K. Nagar constituency in Chennai we had defeated the ruling party, AIADMK and the principal opposition, DMK forfeited its deposit."

The AMMK leader said that his party leaders and cadres have communicated to him regarding contesting the polls and said that a proper decision would be announced on January 27.

Dhinakaran said that if the opposition parties are determined enough to work hard then it would not be a difficult task to defeat the ruling party candidate in its sitting seat.

The AMMK leader also said that he had contested the R.K. Nagar by-election in 2017 on a free symbol and had won the elections, and added that the theory that it would be a cakewalk for the DMK and its allies in the by-election was false.

Dhinakaran said that the fight between Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and O. Panneerselvam (OPS) will lead to the AIADMK losing the two leaves symbol. He also said that without the 'Two Leaves' symbol, the AIADMK was insignificant and added that after the passing away of Amma (Jayalalithaa), the 'Two Leaves' was the leader of AIADMK.

The AMMK leader also said that the EPS and OPS factions of the AIADMK are now fighting out in the Supreme Court of India over leadership issues.