'OPS’s exit forced us to leave NDA': TTV Dhinakaran cites neglect after AIADMK’s return; party open to new alliances for 2026

MADURAI: AMMK General Secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday said his party was forced to walk out of the NDA due to persistent neglect after Edappadi K Palaniswami-led AIADMK rejoined the bloc and the manner in which Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran handled the exit of former chief minister O Panneerselvam.Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Dhinakaran said the BJP did not give AMMK proper attention within the alliance once AIADMK came in. "This neglect and the way Nainar dealt with OPS’s exit forced us to leave the NDA. Annamalai managed alliance affairs more effectively, and it was under his leadership that we were brought into the alliance," he said.He clarified that while OPS’s exit was mishandled by the BJP state leadership, AMMK’s decision to quit was primarily triggered by the lack of respect shown to his party.

"We are independent, and no one should assume Delhi will ‘fix’ us. This was a mismatch of an alliance, and we could not continue for electoral convenience," he added.Dhinakaran said AMMK remained open to alliances and would be part of a winning front in the 2026 elections. "We will announce our decision in December, and whichever front we join will be the one to form the govt. Our first preference remains the NDA, but new opportunities may emerge," he said.

On AIADMK, Dhinakaran remarked that cadres and functionaries needed to be vigilant if the party was to return to power. He also expressed support for senior AIADMK leader K A Sengottaiyan’s call for unity, saying AMMK would stand by any genuine effort in that direction. "AMMK will firmly stamp its victory in the coming polls," Dhinakaran asserted.