OPS’ return to TN without meeting PM sparks speculations of AIADMK-BJP rift

Panneerselvam, who used to meet the Prime Minister during his earlier visits to New Delhi, did not follow the usual practice this time. With Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami saying that the Prime Minister would be invited for the MGR centenary celebrations to be held in the Assembly, it was expected that Panneerselvam would meet Modi in person to invite the latter. 

To a volley of questions from the media at Delhi, whether the AIADMK and BJP are moving away from each other, the Deputy Chief Minister denied any such rift. “There is no rift between the Prime Minister and Tamil Nadu government,” he said. When asked if he had any personal difference with the Prime Minister, OPS asserted, “I have no personal differences with Modi now and there will not be any such differences in future also.”

When asked why he did not invite Modi in person for the MGR centenary celebrations, Panneerselvam, who is also the AIADMK co-ordinator, said a letter had already been sent to the Prime Minister inviting him for the function. “I will meet Modi in person next time and speak about the function,” the AIADMK co-ordinator said.

This is the first visit of Panneerselvam after the ruling AIADMK lost the RK Nagar bypoll. The saffron party’s poor show was attributed to the perception that it was backing the AIADMK regime. Saffron supporters, including right wing ideologue S Gurumurthy, had openly called for an alliance between Rajinikanth’s proposed party and the BJP.

However, political analyst Ravindran Duraisamy said, “The PM could not have wished to see OPS, since he does not want to create an impression that the Deputy CM has more clout with him than the CM and such a perception will create a rift in the AIADMK.