OPS camp firm on BJP tie-up, vows to send EPS team to prison before LS polls

CHENNAI: V Pugazhendhi, propaganda secretary of former chief minister O Panneerselvam faction, exuded confidence that OPS would head of his faction of the AIADMK-BJP alliance in Tamil Nadu in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and said the former chief minister through his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Tiruchy airport on Tuesday has laid the “foundation” for the alliance.

In an interview to Shanmugha Sundaram J, Pugazhendhi said that Panneerselvam is likely to meet Modi in Delhi shortly. Armed with “potential secrets,” which he would share with the PM, Panneerselvam would ensure Edappadi K Palaniswami and his coterie landed in prison before the polls.

He also predicted that the AIADMK led by EPS is likely to face the Lok Sabha polls without the ‘Two-Leaves’ symbol as there is a slim chance of arriving at logical conclusions in the legal battle in the next two months.

Days after OPS announced Narendra Modi will be the PM candidate for his alliance for LS polls, he was invited as one of the special guests to Tiruchy airport to receive him. What is the message?

Our leader O Panneerselvam received the PM in the capacity of ‘AIADMK coordinator.’ It is a sign of a strong foundation being laid for the OPS faction AIADMK-BJP alliance under the leadership of Panneerselvam for 2024. Moreover, the meeting clearly indicates that the PM realised that Palaniswami was an untrustworthy person, who backstabbed leaders who supported him during difficult times. Hence, the PM invited our leader as he values him more than EPS.

After Amma (Jayalalithaa), our leader is loyal to Modi as he helped the merger of the party and extended support for the AIADMK regime to complete full term. Our leader remained firm in his decision to stay in the NDA, while EPS backtracked.

With less time left for the Lok Sabha polls, there is no clear picture about the pending cases connected to AIADMK affairs and the symbol. In such circumstances, who would get the Two Leaves symbol or would it be frozen?

It is highly impossible for the judiciary to end the deadlock over the party affairs within two months. By that time, the election would be announced. This ultimately would lead us to the situation similar to the bypoll for RK Nagar in 2017 when the party symbol was frozen. Nearly 95 per cent chances are there for the freezing of the symbol for LS polls.

In that case, will the candidates representing OPS group contest under BJP’s symbol?

No, definitely not. I am strongly against it. Our party and its symbol ‘Two-Leaves’ have a legacy created by our leaders MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. So, we prefer to contest with a common symbol. It is my personal view, but I strongly hope our leader (OPS) will also hold the same view.

Team EPS says that they moved out of BJP alliance as they respect the sentiment of the minorities and wanted to win back their trust. But you’re willing to align with the BJP despite knowing the ground reality in the state. Are you prepared for the consequences electorally?

We know the sentiment and emotions of the minority. It is not possible to convince them to vote for us when we align with the BJP. But, we are hoping that the minorities who accepted MGR and Jayalalithaa would also accept OPS and vote for him.

On the other hand, I can say that the minorities will not forgive EPS for several bills and policies of the Centre when he was in power. Leave alone the community, I doubt whether the family members of A Tamil Magan Hussian will vote for EPS. In fact, I doubt whether Tamil Magan Hussain would himself vote in favour of EPS-led team in the LS.

A few days ago, OPS said that EPS would land in Tihar jail, if he revealed certain secrets? What was stopping him from revealing them all these days?

Secrets should be disclosed to the right person at an appropriate time. Our leader is likely to meet the PM in Delhi soon. He might share the secrets along with potential information regarding multi-crore corruption in smart city projects, construction of 11 medical colleges and several other projects involving EPS and his close associates. The Centre and its agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax department would take action as per law.

We cannot rule out the possibility of EPS, along with former ministers C Vijaya Baskar, SP Velumani, P Thangamani, KP Anbazhagan and a few others, landing in prison before the LS polls. I want to point out how EPS reacted to the charges. He was agitated and started blabbering, according to the adage – Kuttram Ulla Nenju Kurukum.

Both EPS and OPS flayed the DMK govt over its policies and preparedness to handle natural disasters in the recent past. But, there is a perception that both the leaders were refraining from criticising the Modi government for not releasing financial assistance to the state, particularly the NDRF at the time of crisis. What is your view?

Our leader pinpoints the wrongdoings of the TN government and never hesitates to appreciate when it does good work. Similarly, he is also voicing for the state rights and issued statements according to the situation and urging the Centre to release funds to support the state government. He also issued a statement demanding the Centre to allocate additional funds to TN to handle the damages caused by the flood and cyclones in December. He also made a statement that the Centre was not releasing adequate financial support to the states.

EPS and former ministers continue to charge that OPS heads the DMK’s ‘B’ team and is trying to destroy the AIADMK? Your view on this?

Chief Minister MK Stalin is the better person to say who is DMK’s B team. Let me put it clear that the court had given a common direction to inquire 18 persons in connection with the Kodanad heist-cum-murder case. Except EPS, the ruling government inquired 17 persons, including VK Sasikala and the state government is not intensifying the investigation into the Rs 4,800 crore PWD tender scam and giving a free hand.

A sitting Minister was sentenced to jail and forgotten, while another senior Minister K Ponmudy was convicted recently in a disproportionate assets case, but the former ministers of AIADMK involved in corruption cases are roaming freely. This will clarify who is the B team.