Two Political Castaways Now Have Potential Takers

Chennai: As the rush for roping in more allies intensifies among major coalitions, two expelled AIADMK leaders, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, and founder of the AMMK, T T V Dinakaran, who were hitherto considered as political castaways drifting in the political waters without takers, have gained importance with parties evincing interest on taking them on board in the run up to the 2026 Assembly elections.

Though Panneerselvam and Dinakaran were once keen on returning their old citadel, the AIADMK, but were snubbed by the present general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who did not want them back into his party fold, the BJP, particularly Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has identified them as potential allies who could add weight to the NDA’s popularity by keeping together all the traditional votes of the AIADMK.

Amit Shah, who is planning to visit Tamil Nadu soon, is said to have assigned the job of bringing back both Panneerselvam and Dinakaran into the NDA to former BJP State president K Annamalai, while the latest entrant to the fledgling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) and veteran politician, K A Sengottaiyan, has exhorted his former colleagues in the AIADMK to align with the party that he has joined recently.

It is a different matter that the past overtures of both the former AIADMK honchos to cozy up with TVK failed to evoke a positive response from the party founder and president Vijay, who he did not want an alliance with Dinakaran’s party and refused to let Panneerselvam into the party’s rank and file. Now Sengottaiyan, who has emerged as the TVK’s strategist, among other things, is said to be making the necessary moves for roping in both of them, either as allies or as members.

Palaniswami, who had earlier vehemently resisted any sort of engagement with expelled AIADMK leaders, is said to have mellowed down and agreed to let the BJP have its own way on forging the alliance provided the national party did not demand more than the 74 seats from it. As long as the BJP could share the 74 seats allotted to it with whoever it would like to bring into the coalition, it would be okay for Palaniswami.

He is said to be particular only about not giving away more than 74 seats out of the total 234 as he wanted to form a government on his party's own strength, if the alliance wins the polls. All that Palaniswami now wants to ensure is to not share power with anybody.

Taking into account the possibility of the BJP succeeding in its bid to bring the two former AIADMK groups into the NDA fold, Palaniswami has given instructions to AIADMK functionaries to not ruffle the feathers of the groups led by Panneerselvam and Dinakaran by making critical remarks against them.

Even if the efforts of Annamalai does not bear fruits and enable the AIADMK’s former leaders to be back in the NDA fold, Sengottaiyan might succeed in his efforts and get them a place in the TVK, which has been of late open to taking in leaders from other parties that could beneficial during the polls.

There is also a speculation that Vijay, who may soon be summoned to New Delhi to depose before the CBI in the case relating to the September 27 stampede at Karur, might make use of the opportunity to call on some Congress leaders in the national capital and explore the possibility of a tie-up, the foundation for which has been laid by AICC leader Praveen Chakravarty during his recent visit to Chennai.

Though Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu dismiss Chakravarty as a non-entity, he holds the post of Chairman in the Professionals’ Congress and Data Analytics and has not been taken to task for his remarks that have the potential to rock the alliance boat.

Despite the popular knowledge that Chakravarty was close to Congress Lok Sabha leader Rahul Gandhi, the Congress never bothered to question him or officially deny the statements made by him disparaging the DMK government. So the possibility of Congress aligning with the TVK could not be ruled out, too, some observers said.