CHENNAI: With the first major meeting ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluding on Friday, the political climate appears to be turning favourable for the entry of new allies into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been making sustained efforts to bring former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam into the NDA fold. Expelled from the AIADMK, Panneerselvam has been functioning independently under the banner of the AIADMK Cadres’ Rights Retrieval Kazhagam.
Though he had earlier left the NDA, the BJP has continued to make attempts to bring him back into the alliance. At the same time, Panneerselvam explored the possibility of aligning with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), but the move did not materialise, and no formal announcement on an alliance was made.
His political position weakened further when several leaders close to him, including Manoj Pandian, former minister Vaithilingam and former MLA Subburathinam, joined the DMK. The development is widely seen as a significant setback for Panneerselvam.
At the meeting attended by the Prime Minister on Friday, all NDA leaders from Tamil Nadu were present. Against this backdrop, fresh efforts are reportedly underway to bring Panneerselvam back into the NDA and have him contest the elections under a separate symbol.
AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran later expressed confidence that Panneerselvam would take what he described as the right decision and join the alliance.
Meanwhile, Puthiya Tamizhagam founder Krishnasamy, who had contested as part of the AIADMK alliance in the last Lok Sabha elections, has not been invited to join the NDA this time.
His demand for more seats is said to be the main reason. In a bid to consolidate Devendrakula Vellalar votes in the southern districts, Tamilaga Munnetra Kazhagam leader John Pandian has been roped into the NDA. At the same time, Krishnasamy is making efforts to align with the TVK.
As for the DMDK, sources said the AIADMK has offered the party a double-digit number of seats, a proposal that has been conveyed to DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth. However, she has yet to give her consent and continues to defer a final decision on joining the NDA.