CHENNAI: After suffering what is widely perceived to be a snub from the BJP, the group of expelled AIADMK functionaries led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam were left elated after a senior delegation from the saffron party held alliance negotiations with them in Chennai on Sunday.

Still smarting from his ouster from the AIADMK engineered by present party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, Panneerselvam (or OPS as he is known in Tamil Nadu politics) has been banking on the backing from the Centre-ruling BJP.

However, though there were speculations that he would share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he addressed public meetings in Tamil Nadu, including in Chennai, OPS was absent from the venue. Despite the snub, his faction had said they were in the BJP-led NDA camp.

On Sunday night, however, the leaders of the rebel group had reason to rejoice, as BJP leaders and Union Ministers VK Singh and Kishan Reddy held negotiations with Panneerselvam and also the leader of another AIADMK splinter, AMMK, TTV Dhinakaran.