OPS to meet supporters again amid invite to rejoin NDA

CHENNAI: AIADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Committee coordinator O Panneerselvam has convened a meeting of his supporters in Chennai on December 23 to decide his next course of political action.

This meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of the BJP's reported invitation to join the NDA. People aware of the developments say that the BJP is said to be making efforts to bring Panneerselvam back into the NDA fold. However, sources close to him indicated that he remains keen on rejoining the AIADMK and is continuing his attempts in that direction.

After his expulsion from the AIADMK, Panneerselvam has been running the AIADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Committee as a separate outfit. He has consistently maintained that the AIADMK should be reunited and has said he has no personal demands for rejoining the party. However, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has reiterated that Panneerselvam, whom he accuses of working against the party, cannot be readmitted.

At a meeting with supporters in Chennai on November 24, Panneerselvam said a decision on his reinduction into the AIADMK should be taken at the party’s general council meeting on December 10. He had then stated that if no decision emerged, he would announce his next political move on December 15, fuelling speculation that he might launch a new political party.

Subsequently, Panneerselvam backtracked from that position and clarified that he had not announced the launch of a new party and had no such plans. Despite this, reports surfaced that he would still hold a meeting on December 15 to make an important political announcement.

That meeting has now been deferred, and Panneerselvam has called his supporters to assemble on December 23 to deliberate on his future course of action. Sources said the discussions are expected to focus on whether he should continue efforts to return to the AIADMK or explore alternative political options.