Chennai, Aug 4 (IANS) AMMK General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran has stepped into the escalating tussle between Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran and former AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam.

He has urged both state and national BJP leaders to initiate steps to bring OPS back into the NDA fold.

Dhinakaran, in a statement, said, “OPS was associated with the BJP even before I joined the NDA. The BJP leadership must act to bring him back. He will never align with the DMK.“

His remarks came as tensions flared between OPS and Nainar Nagenthran over claims of failed communication regarding a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The controversy began after Nainar, addressing reporters at Bhavani in Erode district, denied having received any communication from OPS seeking an appointment with the Prime Minister during the latter’s recent Tamil Nadu visit last month.

“OPS never contacted me. In fact, I was the one who reached out to him the day before he met Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,” Nainar said, adding that he chose not to respond to OPS’s accusations.

OPS hit back within hours, showing reporters at the Madurai airport screenshots of text messages he claimed to have sent to Nainar.

But when quizzed about the messages later in the day at Odanilai, Nainar dismissed the evidence, stating that “displaying messages on a phone is not enough proof.”

The feud prompted OPS to issue a statement warning his supporters and party functionaries not to make any remarks about political alliances.

“Speak only about the failures of the DMK government. Conduct public rallies to expose how the AIADMK is crumbling. Any violation of this directive will invite strict action,” he cautioned.

In a related development, senior AIADMK leader C. Ponnaiyan accused OPS of maintaining a “secret understanding” with the DMK, further complicating the former deputy chief minister’s political positioning.

With the 2026 Assembly elections drawing closer, the exchange underscores the ongoing churn within Tamil Nadu’s opposition landscape, as former allies spar in public and third parties like the AMMK attempt to play mediator.

–IANS

aal/dpb