Amit Shah asks Tamil Nadu BJP leaders to desist from commenting on OPS, Dhinakaran

BJP’s key electoral strategist and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (September 3, 2025) met with the core group of the Tamil Nadu party unit at his residence in New Delhi and urged them not to comment on testy issues like the differences between the AIADMK leadership and O. Panneerselvam and T.T.V. Dhinakaran.

Instead, he asked them to concentrate on strengthening the party organisation and coordination with AIADMK on the ground. This comes against the backdrop of Mr. Panneerselvam, who heads the ADMK Workers Rights Retrieval Committee and Mr. Dhinakaran, founder of AMMK, distancing themselves from the NDA after feeling sidelined.

Former State unit chief K. Annamalai’s absence was conspicuous at the meeting, which was attended, among others, by Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran, BJP Mahila Morcha national chief Vanathi Srinivasan, and senior leader Tamilsai Soundararajan. In Chennai, Mr. Annamalai said he had committed to attending a wedding and hence could not travel to Delhi.

“The high command made it very clear that no one from the state unit or local leadership needs to add to any commentary on issues like OPS, Mr. Dhinakaran, or even the situation within the PMK (the estrangement between the party founder S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani). Instead, we need to shore up our organisational preparedness for the upcoming Assembly polls,” said a senior office bearer of the BJP.

The core group was asked to identify Assembly seats where the BJP might contest in alliance with the AIADMK in 2026, although no number was provided.

“Other than that we have been asked to organise regional conferences, set up booth level committees, and, importantly, set up local coordination committees with the alliance partners,” said a source. No discussion with regard to the issues to be raised in the elections was held, added sources.