Two birds with a stone -- how it always is in politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposed visit to Tamil Nadu on July 28 is no different. While the Prime Minister will be there to inaugurate the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, all eyes will be on his meetings with Ottakarathevar Panneerselvam (OPS) and Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has issued a statement detailing his itinerary for the Tamil Nadu visit. It reads, “The Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects of Sabar Dairy at Gadhoda Chowki, Sabarkantha, and thereafter travel to Chennai and declare open the 44th Chess Olympiad at JLN Indoor Stadium, Chennai, at around 6 pm. These projects will empower local farmers and milk producers and increase their incomes.”

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Besides inaugurating infra projects, the Prime Minister will also attend the 42nd Convocation of prestigious Anna University in Chennai on July 29.

PM Modi to meet EPS and OPS?

PM Modi is expected to hold separate meetings with OPS and EPS. The two Tamil leaders -- representing the two separate factions of BJP's ally AIADMK -- are engaged in a slugfest to establish their proximity with the power centre in the national capital. Both OPS and EPS are aware that the support of the PM and the BJP could prove crucial in the ongoing tussle to ‘legitimise’ their faction of the once Jayalalithaa-led party and remove the other one from the picture.

Recently, both EPS and OPS had come to Delhi expecting to hold separate meetings with PM Modi. However, the two leaders couldn't secure an appointment either with the PM or BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda. While OPS could only meet President Droupadi Murmu to assure his support in the Presidential election, EPS attended the farewell hosted for outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind by PM Modi. In fact, when EPS returned to Chennai from Delhi, the OPS faction even mocked the leader for not receiving BJP's support.

Some political observers believe that PM Modi won't pick sides during the visit. They added that the BJP brass wants a united MGR-Jayalalithaa party as factions would only divide votes. Another section of analysts says that the BJP sees the cracks within the AIADMK as an opportunity for itself. They believe that the BJP would try to sideline both the factions of the AIADMK to emerge as the chief opposition party in Tamil Nadu.

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(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)