O Panneerselvam in Delhi to meet BJP leaders

CHENNAI: Two days after the AIADMK backed the Narendra Modi government and voted against the no-confidence motion moved by the TDP, deputy CM O Panneerselvam flew to New Delhi on Monday, ostensibly to meet defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman.


Sources said OPS was also likely to meet a few BJP leaders as well and discuss the prevailing political situation in TN. “OPS is in New Delhi to meet BJP leaders to discuss politics, challenges confronting the party and personal issues,” said a senior leader, seeking anonymity.

OPS landed in New Delhi, with his supporters, K P Munusamy (party deputy coordinator) and P H Manoj Pandian (organizing secretary and former legal wing secretary), on a day when PM Narendra Modi began a five-day Africa tour.


OPS visits Delhi as Stalin goes to guv seeking probe on corruption charges

The fact that OPS shares camaraderie with BJP leaders could be gauged from the fact that BJP national president Amit Shah called up the deputy CM on the eve of the trust vote in the Parliament to seek his party’s support.

OPS visit to Delhi assumes significance as it came on the same day that DMK working president M K Stalin met Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit to seek a CBI probe into the “megascams” of the council of ministers under AIADMK regime.

AIADMK leaders pointed out the SC-appointed third judge Justice M Sathyanarayanan also began hearing the 18 MLAs disqualification case on Monday.

On Tuesday, OPS will meet Union minister Sitharaman and thank her for helping to get an air ambulance to fly his ailing brother to Chennai from Madurai, said a leader. The recent I-T searches on the premises of contractors close to the leadership have shaken up the AIADMK camp.

“With Munuswamy and Manoj Pandian accompanying OPS and with some of the MPs of our camp already there, OPS may utilise the opportunity to chalk out a political strategy,” said a source in the party.

Top on the agenda would be to keep up the pressure on chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for setting up the Steering Committee, paving way for the collective leadership to steer the party.

OPS is already facing heat with the Madras high court hearing a disproportionate assets case against him and his family members. The court last week wondered why it should not order a CBI probe into allegations that the deputy CM had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income since he became MLA in 2001.

(With inputs from D Govardan)