OPS gets time to meet BJP top brass, State politics in a churn

CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) has at last found a place in Home Minister Amit Shah's schedule, holding a closed-door discussion with the BJP's master strategist in New Delhi, after the expelled AIADMK leader wasn't given time to meet either PM Modi or his lieutenant in the recent past.

The 20-minute one-on-one meeting has sparked speculation that OPS is launching a new political party and allying with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which would put AIADMK chief Edappadi Palaniswami in a challenging position, as he is against accommodating his adversaries either in the party or the alliance.

This meeting with Amit Shah is viewed as a renewed attempt by the BJP’s central leadership to accommodate OPS within the NDA fold. Sources indicate OPS plans further consultations with national BJP leaders in the coming days before finalising his political stand. The Delhi discussions suggest the coming weeks could trigger another realignment in Tamil Nadu’s volatile politics.

This Delhi visit comes amid heightened political activity by OPS, who was expelled from the AIADMK and now leads a faction called the AIADMK Cadres' Rights Retrieval Committee (ACRRC).

After a brief and friction-ridden stint as an NDA ally during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, OPS walked out of the alliance, citing disrespect after his request to welcome Prime Minister Modi during a State visit was denied. Efforts by senior BJP leaders, including the then state chief K Annamalai, to pacify him proved unsuccessful.

Recently, OPS sharpened his stance, issuing an ultimatum at a November 24 meeting with supporters. He demanded his re-induction into the AIADMK by December 10, the date of the party’s General Council meeting. He declared that if this fails, he would make an “important announcement” on December 15, widely anticipated to be the launch of his own party.