BJP's Annamalai Meets Dhinakaran To Persuade Him To Return To NDA

Former Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai visited AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran at his residence on September 21 night, attempting to convince him to rejoin the National Democratic Alliance.

Chennai:

K Annamalai, who previously led the BJP in Tamil Nadu, met with TTV Dhinakaran of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) in an effort to bring him back into the NDA coalition following his recent departure.

Dhinakaran, who has ongoing conflicts with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami since being expelled from that party, has publicly stated his opposition to Palaniswami leading the alliance in Tamil Nadu.

In a recent media interaction, Dhinakaran indicated he would consider returning to the NDA if an alternative candidate for Chief Minister was proposed for the upcoming 2026 Assembly election.

Annamalai's meeting with the AMMK leader is particularly significant as he has been advocating for both Dhinakaran and another expelled AIADMK leader, O Panneerselvam, to rejoin the alliance.

"I had previously spoken with Dhinakaran by telephone, and I intended to meet him personally to urge his return to the NDA," Annamalai had stated before the meeting took place at Dhinakaran's residence on September 21 night.

However, a senior figure in the AIADMK expressed concerns, suggesting that having both Panneerselvam and Dhinakaran within the NDA could negatively impact electoral prospects. "Palaniswami is currently heading the alliance in Tamil Nadu, and such decisions should ultimately be his to make," the official commented.