Panneerselvam meets Stalin, snaps ties with NDA
'There are no permanent friends or enemies in politics. Anything can happen during elections,' OPS told reporters later.
The announcement came hours after Panneerselvam met Stalin during his morning walk. He, however, maintained that he moved on after conveying his pleasantries. Later in the day, too, OPS called on the CM at his residence, but called it a 'courtesy visit' to enquire about health. 'There were no political talks,' he asserted.
Stalin underwent a therapeutic procedure on July 24 and he was discharged on July 27 after successful recovery.
Earlier in the day, OPS's loyalist Panruti Ramachandran announced his factions exit from NDA at a press conference in Chennai. 'The reason is widely known,' he said.
Asked about the reason for his exit, OPS said: 'I did not feel disrespected (by the BJP) but I've self respect in politics. I've been with Amma (Jayalalithaa) for 25 years working in the govenrment and the party.'
He wished the EPS-led AIADMK the best for joining with the BJP.
The development comes days after OPS wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Tamil Nadu. However, after he was denied nod, he publicly criticised the Union government on social media over the delay in disbursing Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to the state.
OPS' exit also comes days after AIADMK's Muslim face and former minister, Anwhar Raajhaa quit the party to join rival DMK who said that the AIADMK was 'trapped in the BJP's hands.'
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) expelled OPS in 2022. The two had been sharing power until then to run the party. Unable to reclaim the AIADMK and losing legal battles against EPS over his expulsion, OPS contested as an independent candidate under the NDA's fold in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and lost.
Panneerselvam, who had twice been Tamil Nadu's stop-gap chief minister, was appointed chief minister for the third time in December 2016 when Jayalalithaa died. This stint, however, didn't last long and he was replaced by Palaniswami in February 2017 who then had the support of Jayalalithaa aide VK Sasikala.
The two rivals patched up in August 2017 and Panneerselvam returned to the government as Palaniswami's deputy.
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