Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader O Panneerselvam said on Thursday that he is ready to return to the AIADMK, which is currently being led by his rival Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is also known as EPS. His remarks come before the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, which are slated to be held in March or April this year.
Panneerselvam, popularly called OPS among his supporters, said he is ready to join the AIADMK under Palaniswami's leadership in the interest of party unity. Addressing a gathering in Theni, the former Tamil Nadu chief minister also referred to EPS as his 'elder brother', while also stressing for a reconciliation.
"I have not decided on my alliance stance yet. We will continue our legal fight for our rights in AIADMK. I am ready to unite with AIADMK. TTV Dhinakaran is ready to welcome me. Is EPS ready?" Panneerselvam said, as reported by media reports.
His remarks come at a time when many of his loyalists, including Manoj Pandian and 'Kunnam' RT Ramachandran, have joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
OPS's expulsion from AIADMK and BJP's call for a united NDA
OPS, who has served as Tamil Nadu chief minister for three terms (September 2001 to March 2002, September 2014 to May 2015, and December 2016 to February 2017), was against the leadership of EPS and after the death of J Jayalalithaa, the power struggle led to a split in the party. OPS was later expelled from the party in 2022 after he launched a campaign against EPS, who is currently serving as the general secretary of the AIADMK.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is advocating for a united National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to challenge Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK. Last month, Panneerselvam also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the upcoming assembly polls in the coastal state.
Elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will be held in a few months, along with those in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and the union territory (UT) of Puducherry.
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