Three-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), 75, is widely expected to join the DMK on Friday, 27 February 2026, according to multiple political sources, in a move that could reshape the state’s pre-election landscape.
Sources indicated that OPS may meet Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin at Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters in Chennai, before Stalin departs for the DMK western zone booth agents’ conference in Coimbatore. His reported visit has triggered intense speculation over whether he will formally join the DMK or extend electoral support to the ruling party’s alliance ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Senior DMK functionaries confirmed that back-channel communication had taken place in recent weeks. Party insiders said OPS had been sending feelers to the DMK and that discussions culminated after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami firmly ruled out taking him back into the party. The situation reportedly hardened further after Palaniswami welcomed AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran into the NDA fold.
OPS has been engaged in a prolonged but unsuccessful legal and political battle to regain his position within the AIADMK, including proceedings before the Election Commission of India. His position weakened further as several key supporters drifted away. Former allies R. Vaithilingam and Paul Manoj Pandian resigned their MLA posts and joined the DMK earlier, while others such as Ku. Pa. Krishnan and JCD Prabhakar moved towards the TTV Dhinakaran camp. MP Dharmar aligned with the Edappadi Palaniswami faction, and Panruti Ramachandran launched a new political outfit, declaring that OPS’s political phase had effectively ended.
Political observers note that OPS had earlier placed considerable faith in the BJP and remained keen on re-entering the AIADMK fold. However, after the BJP chose to work with the EPS-led AIADMK, OPS withdrew from the NDA in August, citing humiliation from the BJP camp. Months later, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and reportedly conveyed that he would not return to the NDA unless the AIADMK factions were unified. OPS later indicated that Shah had described the DMK alliance as strong enough to defeat a divided AIADMK.
Against this backdrop, OPS is said to have concluded that aligning with the DMK was his most viable political option. Close aides acknowledged that the decision was difficult and faced resistance within sections of his family but argued that joining a major political force was necessary for OPS to remain relevant and effectively challenge Palaniswami.
Speculation about the shift intensified after OPS recently met Chief Minister Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin along with his son, former MP OP Ravindranath. Ravindranath himself is now also reported to be among those likely to join the DMK.
Within the Assembly, OPS-supporting Usilampatti MLA Ayyappan had already publicly predicted the DMK’s return to power. Ayyappan too is said to be preparing to resign his Assembly seat and cross over to the ruling party.
There is also discussion within DMK circles about a possible electoral berth for OPS. Party sources suggested he could be fielded from Bodinayakkanur in Theni district, the constituency he won in 2021, though some leaders noted there are existing aspirants for the seat and an alternative constituency in the region could be considered.
OPS’s political journey has been closely tied to late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who appointed him stand-in Chief Minister twice, in 2001 and 2014. He assumed the top post again briefly in 2016 following her death but lost power within months. He later served as Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK joint coordinator before his differences with Palaniswami escalated. In July 2022, the AIADMK amended its bylaws to abolish the dual leadership model and formally expelled OPS.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, OPS contested independently from Ramanathapuram and finished second with 3.42 lakh votes, demonstrating that he still retained a measurable vote base despite political setbacks.
With the Assembly election approaching, OPS’s anticipated move to the DMK, potentially accompanied by key loyalists, has injected fresh volatility into Tamil Nadu politics and set the stage for a new phase in the long-running AIADMK power struggle.
Source: OneIndia Tamil
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