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CHENNAI: The BJP top brass was in constant touch with him, in fact, on a daily basis, insisted former chief minister O Panneerselvam, breaking his silence on Thursday, three days after the AIADMK announced its decision to snap ties with the BJP.
“Whether they are in the NDA or not is something that has to be decided by the BJP, which is a national party and which has all the eligibility to govern the nation for a third time,” said the former AIADMK coordinator, who was ousted from the party in July last year.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai after discussions with his supporters, OPS said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami “had proved that he could not be trusted not only in Tamil Nadu but even at the national level”. Senior leaders, including Panruti S Ramachandran and R Vaithilingam attended the meeting convened by OPS.
Asked if he was still in the AIADMK alliance, OPS said the BJP high command was in daily contact with him and that good things would happen in a phased manner. “We do not know what the BJP is planning and our decision will be based on their decision,” he said.
Panruti Ramachandran said BJP state president K Annamalai had given “false information about former chief minister C N Annadurai talking ill of Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar as if he had been present during that particular meeting (in 1956)”.
Ramachandran pointed out that Palaniswami and the AIADMK had, however, raised the issue of Annamalai defaming Anna and Amma (former party general secretary J Jayalalithaa) only four days after he made the statement.
“That was not the real issue. The real issue was that Annamalai said the BJP would assume office in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 assembly election and Palaniswami panicked. He always wanted to be the chief ministerial candidate, something that led to the AIADMK’s defeat in the 2021 assembly election,” said Ramachandran.
Vaithilingam intervened and said an AIADMK excluding Palaniswami would come together soon and win elections because they had the full support of the cadre. Panneerselvam said he had always stated that the AIADMK had to be a unitary entity again to emerge victorious.
“Whether they are in the NDA or not is something that has to be decided by the BJP, which is a national party and which has all the eligibility to govern the nation for a third time,” said the former AIADMK coordinator, who was ousted from the party in July last year.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai after discussions with his supporters, OPS said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami “had proved that he could not be trusted not only in Tamil Nadu but even at the national level”. Senior leaders, including Panruti S Ramachandran and R Vaithilingam attended the meeting convened by OPS.
Asked if he was still in the AIADMK alliance, OPS said the BJP high command was in daily contact with him and that good things would happen in a phased manner. “We do not know what the BJP is planning and our decision will be based on their decision,” he said.
Panruti Ramachandran said BJP state president K Annamalai had given “false information about former chief minister C N Annadurai talking ill of Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Thevar as if he had been present during that particular meeting (in 1956)”.
Ramachandran pointed out that Palaniswami and the AIADMK had, however, raised the issue of Annamalai defaming Anna and Amma (former party general secretary J Jayalalithaa) only four days after he made the statement.
“That was not the real issue. The real issue was that Annamalai said the BJP would assume office in Tamil Nadu after the 2026 assembly election and Palaniswami panicked. He always wanted to be the chief ministerial candidate, something that led to the AIADMK’s defeat in the 2021 assembly election,” said Ramachandran.
Vaithilingam intervened and said an AIADMK excluding Palaniswami would come together soon and win elections because they had the full support of the cadre. Panneerselvam said he had always stated that the AIADMK had to be a unitary entity again to emerge victorious.
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