Not BJP, EPS to decide on OPS, Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s return to AIADMK: Nainar

COIMBATORE: BJP state president Nainar Nagendran on Sunday said BJP will not interfere in the internal matters of other parties, after a meeting with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami at his residence in Salem.

“The BJP will not interfere in the internal matters of other parties, including AIADMK and PMK,” he said. The saffron party leader was accompanied by its national in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Arvind Menon, and state vice president KP Ramalingam. After the half-hour meeting, Nainar Nagendran sought to play down his meeting with EPS by saying it was just a “courtesy call” and politics was not on the discussion table.

Replying to a query on reuniting estranged factions of AIADMK, the BJP leader said taking back O Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran, and VK Sasikala will be decided by the AIADMK leadership. “My wish is that everyone should unite and six more months are left for the polls. There are no permanent friends or foes in politics,” he said.

The BJP leader declared that the crowd turning up for TVK leader Vijay’s meeting may not convert into votes. “He has just started his party. There is still a long way to go, as candidates need to be chosen and people should vote. The crowd coming for Vijay may not turn into votes. Everyone knows what happened to popular actors, except MGR, who started political parties in Tamil Nadu,” he said, while replying to Vijay’s claim that the real contest in the ensuing 2026 assembly polls is only between DMK and TVK.

Nainar Nagenthran said it’s not right to compare TVK with BJP, calling the saffron party a major political force with 300 MPs and 1,200 MLAs across the country. He also attacked the DMK government, saying people yearn for a change in regime because no welfare works were implemented during the last four years of rule.

“A mega alliance will be formed under AIADMK-BJP for the 2026 Assembly polls. I will start my campaign from Madurai on October 11,” he said.