Tamil Nadu Elections: Snubbed By Party, Former CM Paneerselvam Finds A New Home In DMK

The return of O. Paneerselvam to the political mainstream — this time on the rival side — has added a new twist to Tamil Nadu’s pre-poll churn.

O. Paneerselvam, the most trusted lieutenant of late J. Jayalalithaa, has now joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) just ahead of the crucial Assembly election. Popularly known as OPS, he reached Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters in Chennai, and completed the formalities in the presence of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and his son, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

The move comes as a setback to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which leads the opposition NDA in the state. The AIADMK is already grappling with internal dissension and a lingering leadership vacuum after Jayalalithaa’s demise. 

OPS had been mulling a shift for over a year. His strained relationship with AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami — his long-time bete noire — had effectively shut the doors on his re-entry into the party’s power structure. Despite repeated attempts, including outreach through BJP leaders, his efforts to regain influence within the AIADMK failed to make headway.

Exasperated by the continued rebuff, OPS called on the Chief Minister last week — a meeting that set the stage for his formal induction into the ruling party.

According to DMK sources, he may be allotted a seat in Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Assembly election, signalling that the ruling party sees strategic value in his crossover at a politically sensitive moment.

Soon after joining the DMK, O. Paneerselvam lavished praise on Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, asserting that “the entire country is watching his leadership.” He said Stalin had delivered growth across sectors and provided stable governance to Tamil Nadu.

At the same time, OPS took a swipe at his former party colleague and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. “He has created a situation in which the AIADMK will never be able to achieve success,” Paneerselvam said, in a sharp remark that underscored the bitterness of his split from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

He and his associate Aiyyappan, resigned their MLA seats soon after both joined the party.

Jayalalithaa loyalist

O. Paneerselvam  served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu three times — twice as a stop-gap arrangement and once as a full-term incumbent. Though sworn in on three occasions, his cumulative tenure at the helm remained relatively brief.

His rise as a trusted stand-in for J. Jayalalithaa came during moments of crisis, when she was compelled to step down following adverse court rulings. OPS’s elevation each time was widely seen as a reward for his unwavering loyalty to the then all-powerful AIADMK leader.

That very loyalty, however, drew sharp criticism from political opponents, who derided it as bordering on servility. After Jayalalithaa’s demise in 2016, the equations within the AIADMK shifted dramatically. OPS soon found himself isolated amid an intense internal power struggle.

In the prolonged war of attrition that followed, he was unable to consolidate his position within the party. Marginalised and politically bruised, an ego-hurt OPS eventually walked out, marking the beginning of his long and uncertain political drift.

After the death of J. Jayalalithaa, O. Paneerselvam openly challenged V.K. Sasikala, signalling what many saw as his attempt to emerge as an independent power centre within the AIADMK. However, he struggled to consolidate his position, and Edappadi K. Palaniswami gradually pushed him to the margins.

Shifting loyalties

Several political commentators observed that OPS appeared most comfortable operating under a dominant leader. After Jayalalithaa’s demise, he moved closer to the BJP. When he exited the AIADMK and floated a coordination committee, he aligned with the BJP — a move that surprised sections of his Dravidian support base, given the ideological divergence.

When the AIADMK under Palaniswami snapped ties with the BJP ahead of the last Lok Sabha election, OPS continued his association with the national party. Yet, that alignment failed to revive his political fortunes.

The “unkindest cut”, according to his aides, came when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly declined to grant him an audience after the AIADMK later realigned with the BJP. That perceived slight is widely believed to have nudged him toward his one-time bete noire, the DMK

Speculation about a possible thaw began when OPS “accidentally” met Chief Minister M. K. Stalin during a morning walk a few months ago. At the time, he dismissed the rumours. A BJP functionary later claimed that OPS had even attempted to use the BJP as a channel to negotiate his re-entry into the AIADMK fold, but Palaniswami remained unrelenting.

There was also speculation that OPS might join actor Vijay’s fledgling party, the TVK, particularly after AIADMK MLA K. A. Sengottaiyan distanced himself from the parent party. However, putting all conjecture to rest, OPS ultimately chose to join the DMK.

According to DMK insiders, he may be fielded from the Bodinayakanur Assembly constituency or a nearby seat in southern Tamil Nadu.

OPS belongs to the Thevar (Mukkulathor) community, which constitutes an estimated 10–12% of Tamil Nadu’s population, with a significant concentration in the southern districts. The AIADMK has traditionally depended on a social coalition of Thevars in the south and Gounders in western Tamil Nadu. By inducting OPS, the DMK is believed to be attempting a calibrated social strategy — aiming to fragment the AIADMK’s Thevar vote base and dent its core support in the south.