Ex-CM Panneerselvam is part of NDA says TN BJP chief

    Madurai (Tamil Nadu), May 16 (PTI) Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam continued to be part of the National Democratic Alliance in Tamil Nadu, state BJP chief Nainar Nagenthiran asserted on Friday.

    In an effort aimed at placating Panneerselvam, Nagenthiran maintained that the leader continued to be a constituent of the NDA.

    Panneerselvam was expelled from the AIADMK by his estranged colleague Edappadi K Palaniswami, another former Chief Minister.

    Nagenthiran’s statement comes a day after Panneerselvam openly expressed regret that he was not invited by the BJP during Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai on April 11 for the formal announcement on poll ties with the AIADMK under Palaniswami.

    “He (Amit Shah) was in Chennai for a different purpose and finalised the poll alliance with the AIADMK and announced it,” Nagenthiran told reporters here.

    In Thiruvannamalai, former state president K Annamalai too expressed in a similar vein and claimed the NDA was a strong force.
    “Some parties like the DMK are trying to create confusion about our alliance. But the NDA combine is strong,” he told reporters.

    A majority in the AIADMK who opted Palaniswami to lead them as the party’s general secretary, are not comfortable with Panneerselvam remaining in the same camp.
    The AIADMK unsuccessfully contested the previous Lok Sabha election while Panneerselvam, despite contesting as an independent candidate from Ramanathapuram, couldn’t succeed in making a mark. Palaniswami 's AIADMK returned to the NDA fold in April.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)