AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday categorically ruled out the return of expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam and V K Sasikala into the party. Following a late-night meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, he said the senior BJP leader had already made it clear that his party will not interfere in AIADMK’s internal affairs.
“There is no place for OPS and Sasikala in the AIADMK. I made this clear on multiple occasions, and the party’s stand remains firm,” Palaniswami said.
The AIADMK leader, however, evaded a question on whether T T V Dhinakaran’s AMMK can join the NDA, saying some parties were in talks and details would be announced once formal agreements were reached. According to the AIADMK leader, discussions with Shah, who “he could not meet during his recent visit to the state due to prior commitments,” was limited to the prevailing political situation in Tamil Nadu.
Responding to Chief Minister M K Stalin’s remarks about “outsiders” ruling the state, Palaniswami said alliances change with circumstances and that the people are bigger than any party or leader. He also recalled the DMK’s alliances with the Congress during the Emergency, its role during the anti-Hindi agitations, and also the tie-up with the BJP to make his point.
Palaniswami accused the DMK government of presiding over deteriorating law and order and claimed Tamil Nadu’s rising debt. He said documents related to an alleged scam had been submitted to the Governor and that the Enforcement Directorate had flagged the issue, seeking registration of an FIR.
EPS’s Delhi visit triggered political buzz amid reportedly strained seat-sharing negotiations between NDA allies—AIADMK and BJP—ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Tamil Nadu BJP is said to be seeking around 40 Assembly seats, particularly in constituencies where it performed well in the Lok Sabha election. The Delhi visit coincided with his announcement of an alliance with the Anbumani Ramadoss-led PMK, which he termed a “natural alliance” aimed at defeating the DMK’s “anti-people” government. “With the BJP already part of the alliance and the PMK joining now, the coalition has become stronger. More parties are likely to join us soon,” EPS said.