Chennai, Jan 22 (IANS): AIADMK's deposed leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneersevalm (OPS), who has announced that his faction would be fielding a candidate in the East Erode Assembly bypoll has left for Gujarat to meet key leaders.

The visit of OPS to Gujarat is considered crucial as he had met the Tamil Nadu BJP state president, K. Annamalai on Saturday.

It may be noted that OPS was expelled from the AIADMK in July 2022 and the deposed leader has been trying to forge unity with the former interim general secretary of the AIADMK, V.K. Sasikala, and her nephew and the general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), TTV Dhinakaran.

OPS had openly announced that his faction would either field a candidate for the Erode East bypolls or would support the BJP has raised many eyebrows. The BJP and AIADMK is in a political alliance in Tamil Nadu and AIADMK has already announced that the party would be contesting the bypolls.

When asked before leaving for Gujarat, OPS told the media persons that he was reaching Ahmedabad to attend a Pongal celebration of the Tamil community there. However, sources close to him told IANS that the visit assumes more significance as he would be meeting certain key leaders in Ahmedabad.

With both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, the two power centres of the BJP, hailing from Gujarat, there are unconfirmed reports that OPS is trying to gain the confidence of these two leaders through their close aides in Gujarat.

Tamil Nadu MLA, Manoj Pandian of AIADMK is also travelling with OPS to Ahmedabad.