Panneerselvam commences discussions with BJP's Tamil Nadu unit

Chennai, April 8 (IANS) Deposed Coordinator of AIADMK and former Chief minister of Tamil Nadu O. Panneerselvam (OPS) has commenced discussions with the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP.

Highly-placed sources in the Panneerselvam camp told IANS that the veteran leader, who is out of reckoning in the AIADMK, is trying to wield his power within his Thevar community and trying to enter into a bonhomie with the state BJP leadership.

OPS has already entered into a working relationship with former interim general secretary and close aide of late Jayalalithaa, V. K. Sasikala who is also from Thevar community. Sasikala's nephew TTV Dhinakaran who is the general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), has also been roped in into the group. Thevar community elders have been mediating for this and OPS is playing the card of his powerful caste factor.

BJP Tamil Nadu state president K. Annamalai is not in good terms with the AIADMK at a personal level and has been vehemently pushing for contesting the polls on its own. However, the central leadership of the BJP is keen that at present it needs the support of AIADMK for making major breakthroughs in the state in the ensuing Loks Sabha polls of 2024.

OPS, according to information, is trying to strike a deal with BJP state unit for his re-entry to AIADMK.

According to sources in the BJP, OPS has met Annamalai a couple of days ago at Chennai and is continuing with the discussions with other senior leaders of Tamil Nadu BJP including former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and former national secretary of the BJP H. Raja.

Sources told IANS that he had also met the four MLAs of the BJP including the national president of the woman's wing of the BJP, Vanathi Sreenivasan and Legislative party leader of BJP Nainar Nagendran who is a former AIADMK leader.

Even though OPS is a non-entity in AIADMK at present, the state and central leadership of the BJP is keen that his clout within the Thevar community has to be capitalised as South Tamil Nadu is the fiefdom of Thevar community and BJP has also good strength in this belt.

Dr. G. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai told IANS, "OPS cannot be ruled out and sidelined like that. You have to understand that when all the AIADMK and BJP leaders lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Tamil Nadu, it was OP Raveendranath, son of OPS who emerged victorious from the family turf, Theni and this victory was primarily due to the support of the powerful Thevar community."

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