OPS–Annamalai meet at Coimbatore wedding triggers political buzz

With the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections approaching next year, political activities across the state have gathered pace, with parties intensifying their organisational work and election preparations.
Political parties are actively engaging in campaigning, public meetings, welfare programmes, consultations with party functionaries, and efforts to strengthen their respective party structures in view of the polls.
Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, who was expelled from the AIADMK, had earlier formed the AIADMK Cadres Rights Retrieval Committee. The organisation was initially aligned with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. However, O. Panneerselvam withdrew from the NDA alliance in July and announced that he would reveal his future political course on the 15th of this month.
In the past few days, O. Panneerselvam visited New Delhi, where he met and held discussions with senior BJP leader Amit Shah, further fuelling political speculation.
In this backdrop, O. Panneerselvam met former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai in Coimbatore on Monday. The meeting took place during the wedding ceremony of an executive member of the AIADMK Cadres Rights Retrieval Committee.
The unexpected meeting between O. Panneerselvam and Annamalai has now become a major topic of political discussion, with wide speculation over possible future alignments.