Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) and his supporters Thursday said they are in constant touch with the BJP and their decision on alliance will depend on the move made by the saffron party. Addressing the reporters after holding a meeting with his supporters, including R Vaithilingam, Manoj Pandian and political advisor Panrutti S Ramachandran, in Chennai, OPS said the NDA alliance led by the BJP can assume power at the Centre for the third consecutive time. “As far as our stand on the NDA alliance is concerned, it depends on the final decision by the BJP. For the past three months, the BJP high command has been in regular touch with me and TTV Dhinakaran,” OPS said, adding that they are prepared to face the 2024 Lok Sabha poll even without an alliance. The comment comes from OPS a few months after he had said he will remain in the NDA alliance until the BJP breaks ties with him. Further, OPS said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was made to sit near Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recent NDA alliance meeting but the leader “betrayed them (BJP) by snapping ties”. Commenting on the speculation that AIADMK leaders urged the BJP high command to dismiss K Annamalai as Tamil Nadu BJP president, OPS asked, “Will AIADMK accept if the same request is made by the BJP to remove Edappadi as its party chief?” “How can they ask a state leader of a national party to be changed? What qualifications do they have?” OPS slammed. Veteran politician Ramachandran added that the claim by the AIADMK that it was Annamalai’s remarks on C N Annadurai and the party leaders that prompted them to break the alliance is not true. He said the real reason is that Annamalai had claimed that the BJP will assume power in Tamil Nadu in the 2026 Assembly polls and EPS, who wanted to be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the alliance, was not happy and hence decided to snap ties with them. He added that only “functionaries” of the AIADMK are with the EPS camp but “the true cadres” are on their side and they will prove which is the real AIADMK in 2024. To a question raised on his puratchi payanam (revolutionary journey), which was scheduled to commence from Kancheepuram this month, OPS said it has been postponed due to the rain and his supporters are holding talks with the district functionaries to conduct it soon.
