BJP courts OPS, Dhinakaran to revive NDA in Tamil Nadu amid Vijay’s political surge

The BJP is making a renewed push to rebuild its position in Tamil Nadu ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. Fresh from its victory in Bihar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has directed party cadres to prioritise Tamil Nadu and West Bengal as the next key battlegrounds.

Also read | Why Sengottaiyan quit AIADMK and joined TVK, and what is BJP's game plan?

With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing only 11.24% of the vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, the BJP leadership is attempting a course correction. A key part of this effort is a quiet outreach to two estranged AIADMK leaders, O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran, with the aim of strengthening the NDA as a consolidated anti-DMK front.

EPS signals strategic outreach

Sources close to the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit reveal that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), who is also the NDA's anointed chief ministerial face, has tacitly approved the outreach. “EPS sees the value in numbers,” a senior party functionary confided. “OPS and Dhinakaran command loyal pockets of Thevar votes in the south, up to 5-7% in key constituencies. Allocating them seats from the BJP’s quota, on the lines of the Bihar model, could consolidate the anti-DMK vote without diluting AIADMK's primacy.”

In Tamil Nadu, this means OPS’s faction and Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) could get 10–15 seats, giving a boost to an NDA that has been losing support since the AIADMK left the alliance in 2023. Yet the BJP’s moves come at a time of rapid realignments that could challenge the long-standing DMK–AIADMK duopoly in the state.

Vijay reshapes political equations

Actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), launched in February 2024 with a promise to challenge “corrupt” Dravidian parties, is working to build a strong third-front appeal. At its Madurai conference in August 2025, Vijay called the BJP a “fascist ideological enemy” and the DMK a “political foe,” presenting TVK as a new option for disillusioned youth and urban voters. With over 70,000 booth agents now active across the state, TVK’s grassroots effort is not just a star-driven show; it is a planned attempt to draw 10–15% of the anti-incumbency vote.

Vijay’s key move this week was the defection of KA Sengottaiyan, the nine-time MLA and Jayalalithaa-era strategist who was expelled from the AIADMK in October 2025 for pushing factional unity. His formal induction into TVK has energised the party’s cadre. “Sengottaiyan’s organisational strength in western Tamil Nadu gives TVK instant credibility. He is the link to AIADMK rebels, turning TVK from a star-driven outfit into a coalition contender,” said a party strategist. Insiders say TVK’s outreach to OPS and Dhinakaran is increasing, with Vijay aiming for a “united non-DMK front” that could overshadow the NDA’s revival attempt. “Why settle for scraps from EPS when you can lead the charge?” the strategist said.

OPS and Dhinakaran’s dilemma

For OPS, the 75-year-old former chief minister, the choices are clear but difficult. Expelled from the AIADMK in 2022, he has long pushed for a “unified AIADMK” to reclaim Amma’s legacy. His recent exit from the NDA, citing EPS’s unchallenged CM candidacy as the deal-breaker, has left him without an alliance but still active. Three options lie before him: rejoin the NDA under EPS, align with Vijay’s TVK, or quietly join the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA). Sources say the NDA remains OPS’s “first choice,” encouraged by quiet signals from Amit Shah’s team. At the same time, a secret meeting with Chief Minister MK Stalin last month suggested DMK contingency plans, with OPS reportedly getting a nod for alliance discussions. “He is wary of burning bridges with his old BJP allies,” a close aide said. “December 15 is the deadline he is waiting for, after the AIADMK’s executive-general council meeting on December 10, hoping for a pro-unity resolution that supports his return.”

Also read | TVK not in alliance talks with any party, says Arunraj

Dhinakaran, the AMMK chief and Jayalalithaa’s nephew, faces a more difficult path. His NDA exit in September 2025, framed as a principled stand against EPS’s “betrayal,” mirrors OPS’s grievances, and the two announced a tactical tie-up with Sengottaiyan that month, vowing to “eradicate betrayers and revive Amma’s rule.” Dhinakaran’s strong anti-DMK rhetoric makes a DMK alliance unlikely, limiting his options to returning to the NDA or joining hands with TVK. “Vijay is the wildcard,” an AMMK insider said. “Dhinakaran sees TVK as a platform for Thevar consolidation without BJP baggage. Talks are underway, but nothing is final.”

High-stakes alliance manoeuvres

Recent buzz suggests Dhinakaran’s camp sees TVK’s anti-BJP ideology as flexible if it ensures prime seats in Theni and other southern strongholds. As the BJP’s top team holds talks with OPS and Dhinakaran, the stakes are high. A successful effort to bring them back could increase the NDA’s vote share by 8–10%, according to internal projections, challenging the DMK’s stronghold. But if Vijay brings the rebels into TVK first, the party could become the election’s disruptor, creating a three-way split among the DMK’s organisation, the AIADMK’s remaining base, and a Vijay-led coalition.