Reports Suggest TTV Dhinakaran and OPS May Align with Vijay in Tamil Nadu Politics

Chennai: Reports suggest that TTV Dhinakaran, who recently parted ways with the National Democratic Alliance, and O. Panneerselvam (OPS) may potentially align with Vijay ahead of the upcoming political realignments in Tamil Nadu. Over the past few weeks, both camps have been publicly praising Vijay, and sources indicate that discussions on alliances may commence after Vijay’s scheduled campaign tour in December.

With just seven months remaining for the state assembly elections, political analysts predict a four-cornered contest involving DMK, AIADMK, TDP, and ND. While the DMK alliance appears largely consolidated, the AIADMK camp is yet to finalise its alliances. Actor-politician Vijay has reportedly stated that any coalition would be formed under his leadership alone. So far, no party has officially entered discussions with him. According to sources from Vijay’s camp, alliance talks will formally begin only after the conclusion of his December tour.

The campaign aims to showcase Vijay’s influence across Tamil Nadu, potentially attracting parties to join his coalition. Although formal discussions have not yet started, speculation is rife that some parties may form a third front under Vijay’s leadership. Parties such as AMMK and OPS’s faction are believed to be possible late entrants, as AIADMK’s leadership under Edappadi Palaniswami is reportedly unwilling to bring them into its fold—a position confirmed by AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran.

Over the past few weeks, both OPS and TTV Dhinakaran have repeatedly praised Vijay. During a media interaction in Madurai, OPS remarked that there is no need to impose additional restrictions on Vijay’s campaign and dismissed rumours about joining him as mere speculation. “Vijay enjoys immense public popularity. Whether this translates into votes will be clear from the election results,” OPS added. Similarly, TTV Dhinakaran has also praised Vijay on multiple occasions and raised the question of potential collaboration, reinforcing the perception that both factions view Vijay favourably.

Political analysts note that if TTV Dhinakaran and OPS’s supporters join forces with Vijay, it could pose a significant challenge to both DMK and AIADMK in the southern districts. In the previous elections, AIADMK lost 23 seats that were expected to go their way to AMMK, and there is widespread speculation that Vijay could influence similar outcomes this time around.