Speculations are rife that the BJP is behind KA Sengottaiyan's ultimatum to EPS, asking the latter to bring back those who had left the AIADMK.
Published Sep 05, 2025 | 6:58 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 08, 2025 | 2:23 PM
In happier times: KA Sengottaiyan and E Palaniswami. Credit: www.facebook.com/KASengottaiyan
Synopsis: The BJP does not want to be weak when its alliance takes on DMK and allies in the 2026 Assembly polls. The turmoil in AIADMK has left the BJP worried, and it seems to be seeking ways to keep all in good humour.
The power struggle and the resultant turmoil in its ally, the AIADMK, seem to have caused much worry to the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
What is of concern to the NDA in general, and the BJP in specific, is TTV Dhinakaran pulling his party — the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) — out of the Front on 3 September.
Dhinakaran’s exit followed O Pannerselvam, a long-time ally of the BJP, leaving the NDA on 31 July. Pannerselvam — OPS as he is popularly known — leaving the alliance after AIADMK rejoined NDA in April, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of the Dravidian party, as the combination’s chief ministerial candidate.
Incidentally, OPS and Dhinakaran have significant clout among the Mukkulathor community that could make or mar the prospects of political parties in several constituencies. If both leaders decide to contest the polls separately, it might affect the NDA’s prospects.
Several political pundits viewed senior AIADMK leader and former minister KA Sengottaiyan’s ultimatum to EPS (Palaniswami) as part of the BJP’s strategy to strengthen the Front ahead of the elections. Sengottaiyan urged the leadership to bring back those who had left the party within 10 days.
“If we had allied with the BJP in 2024, we would have captured 30 seats,” Sengottaiyan told reporters at Gobichettipalayam in Erode on Friday, 5 September. He added that those who had parted ways with the party wanted to return, and wrote to the general secretary to take them back.
The Gobichettipalayam MLA further said that electoral victory would be assured if they were welcomed back.
However, he added that EPS was not in favour of accepting them back. “Six of us — myself, Natham Viswanathan, SP Velumani, Thangamani, Anbazhagan, and CV Shanmugam — met the general secretary. But he was not in the mindset to accept our view,” the former minister said.
Incidentally, on Thursday, 4 September, Tamil Nadu BJP’s former president K Annamalai urged OPS and Dhinakaran to reconsider their decision to quit NDA. Political experts felt it was not a coincidence. OPS left the NDA after he had felt slighted by the BJP, especially the party’s state chief, Nainar Nagendran.
Amit Shah’s stern message to the state BJP leadership — bury the differences and ensure unity before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the state later in September — also reflected the importance the party has accorded to fighting the DMK-led alliance.
Sengottaiyan’s statements evoked much interest in political circles. It is unlikely that he spoke against his party leadership without strong backing.
It may be noted that Nagendran was quick to support Sengottaiyan.
A BJP source told South First that the party’s central leadership discussed the possible issues while firming up its alliance with the BJP. “It was anticipated that such problems would arise until December, with alliance leaders creating trouble,” he said.
The source debunked media speculation that the BJP had decided to abandon OPS, Dhinakaran, and AMMK.
“As far as the BJP leadership is concerned, OPS and Dhinakaran are needed. But if their demands are openly conceded, it undermines Edappadi’s leadership. If they are not included, it undermines Amit Shah’s leadership,” he said.
In this scenario, the source said, the BJP would likely somehow keep the breakaway AIADMK leaders in good humour. It might use Annamalai to operate through backchannels.
Senior journalist Priyan Srinivasan felt the BJP had a role in these developments. However, he offered a word of caution: “We must wait and watch.”
The BJP source felt that at some point in the near future, EPS — directly or through associates — might demand Dhinakaran’s inclusion in the alliance. OPS may not be immediately included, but the BJP has a plan to appease him. The source, however, did not reveal the plan.
Journalist Srinivasan offered a different take. “The exit of OPS and Dhinakaran is a loss for the BJP-AIADMK alliance. However, the BJP looks unperturbed. Perhaps it has calculated that the loss to AIADMK will weaken it and push it towards destruction, allowing the BJP to rise by sidelining a Dravidian party. Or they may wait until after the Bihar elections. Or perhaps their target is not 2026, but 2029 (Lok Sabha polls),” he opined.
The journalist further doubted that Sengottaiyan’s statements might lead to his expulsion. It may be noted that Sengottaiyan had on Wednesday denied media speculations of him meeting VK Sasikala and planning to switch parties.
“Until AIADMK stayed away from the BJP, there was no problem,” Srinivasan said. “But once the alliance was restored, Sengottaiyan raised the flag. His demand is merely that all should be united. EPS has sidelined Sengottaiyan, and hence, he will not value his views. EPS has already made clear that bringing back OPS is a demand past its time. From what I hear, Sengottaiyan may even be temporarily suspended from the party as early as today,” Srinivasan said.
He added that EPS was not a leadership material and that he lacked self-confidence. “For Edappadi, it is enough if the party is in his hands. Win or lose, he only wants to remain the leader. No one other than EPS has demanded chief ministerhip. But to reach such a height, a good leader must embrace everyone — that’s what MGR and Jayalalithaa did.”
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
