CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Friday joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), marking a dramatic shift in the state’s political landscape ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections.Along with OPS, his son P Ravindhranath Kumar also joined DMK ahead of the forthcoming Tamil Nadu polls.Popularly known as OPS, the three-time former chief minister had been sending feelers to the ruling party for months. Senior DMK leaders confirmed there had been an exchange of messages and that he was formally inducted into the party leadership fold.Sources said OPS took the decision after Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), welcomed AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran into the NDA fold but remained firm on not reinducting OPS.
The Jayalalithaa years: Trusted stand-in CM
OPS rose to prominence under former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, who appointed him stand-in chief minister twice — in 2001 and 2014 — when she was disqualified from holding office following court verdicts.Following Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, OPS was sworn in as chief minister again. However, within months, he was replaced after a power struggle within the party.
The EPS–OPS power struggle
In February 2017, EPS took over as chief minister with the backing of a majority of AIADMK MLAs. OPS later served as deputy chief minister and the party functioned under a dual leadership structure, with both leaders designated as coordinators.However, tensions between the two factions persisted.In July 2022, the AIADMK general council amended the party bylaws, abolished the dual leadership model and reinstated the post of general secretary. EPS was elected to the position, and OPS was expelled from the party along with his supporters.The leadership dispute reached the Madras High Court and later the Supreme Court of India, which ultimately upheld the validity of the July 2022 general council resolutions, effectively recognising EPS’s leadership and sealing OPS’s expulsion.
From NDA exit to DMK entry
In August 2025, OPS withdrew from the NDA, citing repeated “insults” from BJP leaders. Four months later, he met Union home minister Amit Shah and reportedly conveyed that he would not align with the NDA unless AIADMK factions were unified.On February 20, 2026, OPS publicly congratulated chief minister M. K. Stalin on completing five years in office and remarked that the DMK stood a strong chance of returning to power — a statement widely interpreted as a political signal.Supporters said OPS concluded that aligning with a “powerful force” like the DMK was the only viable route to politically counter EPS.
Electoral performance and shifting base
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, OPS contested as an independent candidate from Ramanathapuram as an NDA ally and finished second with 3.42 lakh votes.His loyalists, including R Vaithilingam and Paul Manoj Pandian, resigned their MLA posts and joined DMK in recent months, signalling the gradual migration of his faction.Regarding a possible assembly seat, DMK leaders indicated that while Bodinayakkanur has strong internal claimants, OPS may be accommodated elsewhere in the region.
Loyalty vs power: The larger political lesson
OPS’s journey reflects a broader truth about Tamil Nadu politics.He built his reputation on loyalty and dependability during a personality-driven era under Jayalalithaa. But after 2016, the political environment shifted. Control over organisational machinery and legislative numbers became decisive.While OPS enjoyed moments of public sympathy and moral positioning during the 2017 rebellion phase, he was unable to convert that momentum into sustained organisational control. EPS consolidated district-level structures, secured legislative backing, and eventually legal validation.The split weakened the AIADMK and strengthened the DMK, enabling Stalin to consolidate authority.With OPS now joining the DMK, Tamil Nadu politics has come full circle — from trusted stand-in chief minister to expelled faction leader, and now to a new political home in the rival camp.
