Annamalai In Delhi, Pushing For OPS, Dhinakaran’s Return to NDA As AIADMK Prepares For GC Meet

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections just months away, political activity has intensified both in Chennai and the national capital. Former BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai's back-to-back visits to Delhi and his meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah have created fresh momentum within the NDA as the alliance attempts to consolidate its position in the State.

The buzz in the political circles indicates that the BJP leadership is making a renewed push to bring O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran back into the NDA fold.

All major political parties in Tamil Nadu have entered election mode, reviewing alliances, holding district-level meetings and preparing candidate lists. The BJP, which has been seeking to broaden its base in the State, appears to be looking at strengthening its alliance structure-notably by bringing back leaders who once held considerable influence in the AIADMK ecosystem.

Renewed Moves to Bring OPS, Dhinakaran Into NDA

OPS and Dhinakaran were earlier part of the NDA camp. However, after the BJP brought back the AIADMK in its fold, both leaders distanced themselves from the alliance framework. With the saffron party now pursuing a wider coalition strategy in Tamil Nadu, sources say the leadership believes their re-entry could help consolidate certain voter segments that drifted away in the last few years.

Earlier this week, OPS travelled to Delhi and held a quiet but significant discussion with Amit Shah. Soon after his return to Chennai, Annamalai left for Delhi on his own trip, where he also met the Home Minister to discuss the political scenario in Tamil Nadu.

Key Meetings in Chennai

After returning from Delhi, Annamalai met OPS privately on December 7, signalling a coordinated effort. This was followed by an important meeting between Annamalai and TTV Dhinakaran, which reportedly included a dinner hosted by Annamalai. According to the reports, these interactions have laid the groundwork for a possible comeback of both leaders into the NDA bloc.

EPS Resists Merger Formula

One of the proposals reportedly considered was the merging of OPS and Dhinakaran's factions into the AIADMK, thereby unifying traditional vote banks. However, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) is said to have firmly opposed this idea. According to party insiders, EPS has made it unequivocally clear that he cannot accept either leader back into the AIADMK under any circumstances.

At the same time, he has reportedly conveyed that he would not object if OPS and Dhinakaran choose to operate independently but join the larger NDA alliance for the upcoming elections. This stance has opened the door for the BJP to explore a parallel alliance arrangement.

Another Round of Delhi Talks

Adding to the speculation, Annamalai made yet another Delhi visit two days ago, officially to attend a BJP meeting on SIR (Scheduled Industrial Regions). However, sources suggest he once again met Amit Shah, with discussions focusing on formalising OPS and Dhinakaran's role within the NDA.

Crucial AIADMK Meet Today

The AIADMK general committee meeting scheduled for today is expected to shed more light on the unfolding political equation. Clarifications may emerge on whether any leader is rejoining the AIADMK, or if new alignments will take shape under the NDA umbrella.

As Tamil Nadu inches closer to elections, a series of rapid and dramatic developments is anticipated, with alliance rearrangements likely to dominate the political landscape in the coming days.