'Insulted’ by BJP, OPS planning exit strategy from NDA

Chennai: Cold-shouldered by the BJP to keep ally AIADMK in good humour, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam seems to be preparing to exit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and explore other options like allying with actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK).

For the first time since the death of J Jayalalithaa in 2016, OPS has openly criticised the BJP-led Union Government for withholding Samagra Shiksha funds to Tamil Nadu for not implementing the National Education Policy 2020 and has termed it as against federalism and the Right to Education Act.

Panneerselvam, who once claimed that he agreed to be deputy chief minister in 2017 in Edappadi K Palaniswami’s government only at the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is visibly upset with the BJP for leaving him in the lurch to please the AIADMK.

OPS was BJP’s man within the AIADMK when it faced internal turbulence between 2017 and 2022 – he also acknowledged the role of RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy in his rebellion against V K Sasikala, that eventually led to his gradual downfall.

Tuesday’s statement is a clear indication that Panneerselvam is peeved at not being granted an appointment to meet Modi during his last week’s visit to Tamil Nadu – it is said that OPS is being ignored by the BJP due to Palaniswami’s aversion to his being part of the NDA. BJP, obviously, wants to go by EPS who controls the AIADMK.

Panneerselvam, who stood by Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister twice when she had to quit due to court cases, was expelled from the AIADMK by Palaniswami in July 2022.

Since then, OPS has been in political wilderness, and he contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent from the Ramanathapuram seat – backing to the BJP-led NDA from him and another expelled AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran did help the saffron party with the dominant Mukulathor community voting for the BJP.

However, the revival of ties between the AIADMK and BJP has changed equations between OPS and the saffron party. Dhinakaran might still be part of the NDA since he leads the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, while OPS lacks a proper party structure.

While OPS’ exit from the NDA might not be a big setback, it is likely to split the Mukulathor votes at least in a few constituencies.

Panruti S Ramachandran, former AIADMK minister and a close confidante of the late chief minister M G Ramachandran, has issued an open appeal to OPS to cut ties with the BJP. The former has been advising OPS on political matters for the past few years, especially after his expulsion from the AIADMK.

“OPS has been an avid supporter of the BJP, and his condemning the Centre only shows that he is preparing to leave the NDA. He believed the BJP would continue to support him, but little did he realise that his political stocks have been plummeting since 2022,” a former close aide of OPS told DH.

Speculation that OPS might consider working with Vijay has been mounting for the past couple of weeks as his son and former MP O P Ravindranath has been praising the actor-politician in public. “He will be most open to working with Vijay,” the former aide added.