CHENNAI: Reigniting speculations about the BJP Tamil Nadu unit's internal cohesion ahead of a crucial electoral battle, former State president K Annamalai met AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Sunday, even as incumbent president Nainar Nagenthran held talks with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami at the latter’s residence in Salem.
The developments rattled the State unit enough to push Nainar on a sudden trip to New Delhi. His meeting with BJP national president JP Nadda on Monday night was said to be dominated by concerns over Annamalai's outreach to Dhinakaran and the unrest it triggered within the cadre. Party leaders indicated that Nainar is expected to return with "clear directions" on how to deal with his predecessor's manoeuvres.
Annamalai, who had earlier insisted that the AMMK must be re-inducted into the NDA, spent an hour with Dhinakaran between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm at the latter’s residence in Adyar. According to party insiders, the former president expressed regret over Dhinakaran’s exclusion from the alliance and urged him to explore options where he would get "deserving respect". He also reportedly conveyed details of the understanding reached between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Palaniswami in New Delhi last week.
"This was purely a personal move by Annamalai. Nainar was kept in the dark, though Annamalai knew that Nainar had met EPS the same day," a senior BJP functionary told DT Next.
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that after the EPS–Amit Shah discussions, the scope for accommodating Dhinakaran or former chief minister O Panneerselvam within the NDA had all but collapsed. "TTV Dhinakaran is more likely to gravitate towards Vijay's TVK-led front than the NDA," a leader said.
The simmering rift between the two leaders has caught the party in the crossfire of a cold war. Despite the national leadership's stern intervention, the State unit continues to reel under confusion, as both leaders made politically significant moves on the same day, each in strikingly different directions.