State Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar is fully responsible for the defeat of AIADMK candidate E. Madhusoodanan in the RK Nagar by-poll, said Pugalendhi, a close confidante of T.T.V. Dinakaran said here on Tuesday. Talking to reporters, Pugalendhi, AIADMK Secretary for the Karnataka unit, said the DMK would have won the seat if Dinakaran had not contested.

“The just concluded by-poll has proved that Dinakaran is the most eligible person to lead the party. The ruling camp is ousting his loyalists from the party just to prevent exodus. Many people in the ruling camp are ready to back Dinakaran,” he said and added that nobody had the right to sack him as he was appointed by none other than former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.