Supporters thronged Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, chanting slogans as the veteran leader crossed over from the very political universe he once battled fiercely, marking a dramatic realignment ahead of the fiercely contested 2026 assembly elections.
Panneerselvam’s rise was inseparable from his loyalty to former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) head and chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, who treated him as a dependable sentinel of her authority.
Who is O Panneerselvam?: From grassroots worker to reluctant king
Long before the television cameras, convoys and court battles, Panneerselvam’s story began in the dusty lanes of Periyakulam, where he entered politics in the early 1970s as a grassroots worker aligned with the movement that would later shape his destiny. He rose quietly—first as a municipal chairman in the late 1990s, then as a loyal organisational hand known more for obedience than ambition.
As has been the tradition in Tamil Nadu politics, political storms have toppled governments. OPS had been the man summoned to steady the ship—sworn in multiple times as not only as chief minister but also a trusted stand-in.
Ballots, bastions and battles: A trusted loyalist in Tamil Nadu politics
Across two decades in electoral politics, O. Panneerselvam built a reputation as one of the AIADMK’s most reliable constituency performers. He won the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections five consecutive times — first from Periyakulam (Theni district) in 2001 and 2006, and then from Bodinayakkanur (Theni district) in 2011, 2016 and 2021 — often with comfortable vote margins above 45%.
But his long arc of victories was punctured in 2024 when he contested the Lok Sabha polls from Ramanathapuram as an independent and lost, polling about 30.86% votes against the IUML’s K Navas Kani. The defeat underscored how dramatically his political fortunes had shifted after his rupture with the AIADMK establishment.
After Jaya: Survival in a fractured empire
Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 detonated the power structure of the AIADMK. What followed was a struggle for succession within the political party—alliances broken, factions hardened, and Panneerselvam, once the major loyalist, found himself locked in a political duel with rival claimant Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).
OPS fought through courts, forums and election authorities to reclaim relevance, but the years that followed steadily eroded his base across the state, leaving him isolated in the political wilderness.
Allies to adversaries: The OPS–EPS rift that shattered a power axis
That rupture traces back to a bitter leadership struggle with Edappadi K. Palaniswami, once OPS’ ally in the party’s dual-leadership model. The AIADMK general council expelled Panneerselvam and his supporters in 2022 for alleged “anti-party activities.” The split reflected deeper tensions: EPS enjoyed overwhelming backing among MLAs, while OPS fought legal and political battles to retain influence within the organisation.
The feud soon turned openly hostile. Panneerselvam accused Palaniswami of arrogance and betrayal, alleging he was blocked from speaking at party meetings and targeted by orchestrated attacks, while also blaming him for declining vote share and electoral setbacks. His camp later argued the party’s strategic missteps and poor poll results stemmed from EPS’s leadership decisions.
Even after expulsion, OPS attempted to maintain a parallel political base, but defections steadily weakened his faction, with senior aides and former MLAs drifting away and questioning his decisiveness.
The final turn of the wheel
After expulsion from his the AIADMK and months of speculation about his next move, the veteran chose the most dramatic possible pivot. On Friday, OPS joined the very party he once opposed, DMK, in the presence of Stalin. His decision reportedly followed internal shifts and alliance manoeuvres that reshaped Tamil Nadu’s electoral chessboard.
“EPS is behaving as a dictator, and he has created an AIADMK which cannot get victory hereafter,” he said, while talking to reporters.
He noted that Stalin is giving good governance to people, and people are watching it. “EPS is keen on making sure no leaders from the South become strong. To save Dravidian Movement, policy of the Dravidian, it’s the DMK which is working. I have just joined as a cadre. I will be one among the party cadres and work for the party’s development,” the new joinee said.
