OPS, who has fought towards the DMK all through his political profession, stated he felt “full happiness” in becoming a member of the celebration as a cadre and stated the celebration has achieved an exemplary job in defending Tamil Nadu and making certain its progress.
“I wish to categorical my gratitude to Thalapati for hugging me so lovingly,” OPS stated. (75) He stated referring to CM Stalin. (72).
The chief additionally recalled that late DMK supremo M. Karunanidhi had as soon as praised him as ‘Pachai Tamisar Panneerselvam’ (true Tamilian Panneerselvam) when he took over as Chief Minister earlier.
The OPS skilled its weapons on AIADMK normal secretary Edappadi Okay. Palaniswami (EPS), who fought a fierce factional battle throughout the celebration, and stated the AIADMK was transferring in the direction of destruction beneath EPS.
OPS claimed that EPS was “sidelining” leaders within the southern district of the state.
Hailing from Thevar neighborhood in Southern Theni district of Tamil Nadu, previously OPS represented Periyakulam from 2001 to 2006 in parliamentand Bodinayakanur constituency in the identical district since 2011.
his DMK The transfer comes months after it stop the BJP-led NDA in July 2025. at a private degree. There have been subsequent negotiations with the alliance, however they went in useless as there was no inexperienced mild from EPS, which didn’t enable him to return to the AIADMK, creating uncertainty over his political future.
Amid this, a number of of his allies defected to the DMK, together with former AIADMK minister R. Vaithilingam, who joined the celebration in January this 12 months.
EPS and OPS have been politically estranged because the management contest following the demise of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa in 2016. Over time, EPS has tightened its grip on the celebration.
After factional divisions widened, the AIADMK Normal Meeting abolished the twin management system in 2022, elevated EPS to interim normal secretary, and eliminated OPS and its supporters from the celebration’s core membership.
Since then, OPS’s makes an attempt to reconcile with EPS and return to a unified AIADMK have repeatedly failed.
press launch
Within the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin
Former Prime Minister O. Panneerselvam assumes management
Former Member of Lok Sabha Ravindranath, Former Member of Parliament, Usilambatti Congress Member P. Ayyappan, MLA. and… pic.twitter.com/RpqUpOIYff
— DMK (@arivalayam) February 27, 2026
Presently, AIADMK is working with Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and others.
Former AIADMK chief Dhinakaran floated AMMK after being expelled from the Dravidian celebration in 2018.
Just a few days in the past, OPS had made it clear that Jayalalithaa had no intention of forming her personal celebration, a line taken by one other shut aide of Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala, who was additionally expelled from the AIADMK.
Subrasinam, who was earlier within the OPS camp and is now a DMK functionary, informed ThePrint that OPS’s newest transfer got here after his “all-out” try and reunite the AIADMK, which was thwarted by the EPS.
“On the invitation of Amit Shah, he (OPS) went to Delhi to fulfill him. He had defined his place. However even after that, EPS As an alternative of making an attempt to let the alliance (NDA) win, it tried to keep up management of the celebration (by not letting OPS return)” he stated, including {that a} determination on OPS’s candidature within the meeting polls could be taken quickly.
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for April-Could within the state. “He (OPS) represents the Bodhi constituency and our chief Stalin will take the precise determination,” Subrasinam stated.
In an interview with ThePrint, political analyst Sumanth C. Raman stated OPS becoming a member of the DMK camp will enhance the visibility of the ruling alliance within the run-up to the elections, but it surely won’t have a serious influence on the bottom.
“The AIADMK had refused to take him again. The Bharatiya Janata Get together was additionally lukewarm. After that, he had nowhere else to go. I imply, he may have gone to TVK, however seeing what occurred to Sengotaiyan, he would have been apprehensive. However politically, that is it for him. What can he get from the DMK? At most, grow to be an MLA,” Sumanth stated.
Sumanth added that OPS misplaced its credibility by having 4 MLAs. who remained loyal to him even when EPS consolidated management of the celebration— in some unspecified time in the future you are going to lose that organizational construction.
Former minister Sengotaiyan was expelled from the AIADMK final 12 months for brazenly selling unity with different expelled leaders similar to OPS.
He joined actor-politician Mr. Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) in November and was appointed chief coordinator of the celebration’s high-level administrative committee and organizing secretary for the 4 western Nilgiris districts of Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur.
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OPS is taken into account a detailed ally of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who herself served as chief minister thrice from September 2001 till March 2002 when Jayalalithaa was convicted within the TANSI land case. From September 2014 to Could 2015 (when he was convicted in an unjust property case). And after she handed away in December 2016.
In 2017, OPS went to open battle with one other shut aide of Jayalalithaa, VK Sasikala, the celebration’s former normal secretary who was set to exchange him as chief minister. Nevertheless, Sasikala was discovered responsible in a bootleg property case and expelled from the celebration in the identical 12 months.
After adopting a twin management mannequin in 2017 with each EPS and OPS as coordinators, the celebration skilled additional inner struggles. The system resulted in 2022 after celebration leaders moved towards OPS, resulting in his expulsion for “anti-party actions” and paving the way in which for EPS to take management of the celebration.
Nevertheless, OPS moved the Madras Excessive Courtroom searching for his ouster. His enchantment was dismissed in January 2024.
The celebration chief then aligned himself with the Bharatiya Janata Get together-led NDA forward of the 2024 meeting polls. The alliance fielded him as an impartial candidate, however he misplaced to IUML candidate Navas Kani, an ally of the DMK, by a margin of over 100,000 votes.
He remained a part of the alliance for over a 12 months earlier than leaving the alliance in July 2025.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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