O Panneerselvam Joins DMK: Major Shift in Tamil Nadu Politics

Three-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) is set to join the DMK today in Chennai, according to multiple political sources. The move comes after prolonged differences with the AIADMK leadership and unsuccessful attempts to regain influence within the party.

OPS is expected to formally join the DMK in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam. Sources indicate that the DMK may offer him an opportunity to contest in the upcoming Assembly elections, possibly from the Bodinayakkanur constituency in Theni district, which he won in 2021. However, party insiders suggest that alternative constituencies in the region are also being considered due to internal competition.

The political shift follows AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) aligning with AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran within the NDA framework, while maintaining a firm stance against reinstating OPS into AIADMK. In August, OPS had withdrawn from the NDA alliance, citing dissatisfaction and alleged disrespect from BJP leaders. Later, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing that he would not rejoin the NDA unless AIADMK factions were reunited.

OPS reportedly stated that Amit Shah acknowledged the strength of the DMK alliance against a divided AIADMK and conveyed that attempts to reconcile party factions had not succeeded. With reconciliation efforts failing, OPS decided to take a new political direction.

His close associates, including R Vaithilingam and Paul Manoj Pandian, recently resigned from their MLA positions and joined the DMK, signaling the shift ahead of his formal induction.

O Panneerselvam has had a significant political journey in Tamil Nadu. He was chosen by former AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa as stand-in Chief Minister in 2001 and 2014 during her legal challenges. Following Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, OPS again became Chief Minister but was later replaced after an internal power struggle. He subsequently served as Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK coordinator. In July 2022, EPS amended party bylaws to remove the dual leadership structure and expelled OPS from AIADMK.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, OPS contested independently from Ramanathapuram as an NDA ally and secured second place with 3.42 lakh votes.

His decision to join the DMK marks a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and sets the stage for a direct contest with his former party leadership.