By joining the DMK, former Chief Minister and coordinator of the AIADMK, O. Panneerselvam, has adopted the trail taken by a number of leaders of his mum or dad get together. However, the similarity ends there, as nobody else has been a three-time Chief Minister.
Since Nanjil Ok. Manoharan, the primary Finance Minister of the AIADMK authorities throughout 1977-80, there was a protracted line of outstanding leaders – together with S. Raghavanandam and P.U. Shanmugam – who’ve returned to the DMK. After all, this crop of leaders had reduce their tooth within the 76-year-old Dravidian main. Many of the Ministers within the current DMK regime, akin to Ok.Ok.S.S.R. Ramachandran, S. Muthusamy, S. Regupathy, R.S. Rajakannappan, and E.V. Velu, left the AIADMK on completely different events as they might not settle for the management of Jayalalithaa for one purpose or one other. Post-Jayalalithaa, youthful AIADMK leaders – V. Senthil Balaji, P. Palaniappan, and Thanga Tamilselvan, as soon as thought of a bete noire of Mr. Panneerselvam, as each hail from Theni district – gravitated in direction of the DMK. Between August 2025 and January 2026, outstanding figures from the Panneerselvam camp within the AIADMK – V. Maitreyan, P.H. Manoj Pandian, and R. Vaithilingam – additionally adopted swimsuit.
Quick ascension
None of those that went again to the DMK or started their new innings within the ruling get together have been severely thought of for the put up of Chief Minister once they have been within the AIADMK. But the previous coordinator of the AIADMK was handpicked by Jayalalithaa in 2001 and 2014 to move the federal government when courts of legislation had terminated her chief ministership. When Jayalalithaa died in December 2016, the mantle fell on him once more, regardless that, by then, reservations have been more and more being expressed throughout the AIADMK over the advisability of his choice.
Immediately after Mr. Panneerselvam stop the Chief Minister’s put up for the third time in February 2017 and launched “dharmayudham,” a political marketing campaign in opposition to former interim general secretary V.K. Sasikala, perceived to have been considered one of his benefactors until then, his recognition touched an all-time excessive. However, his drawback was that he couldn’t convert it right into a sturdy asset for the faction – AIADMK (Puratchi Thalaivi Amma) – that he headed for about six months that 12 months. In August, his group after which Chief Minister Edappadi Ok. Palaniswami’s faction – AIADMK (Amma) – got here collectively beneath one fold, and the image of “two leaves,” which had remained frozen for about eight months, was allotted to the amalgamated entity. Mr. Panneerselvam, who was the get together treasurer until his expulsion in July 2022, had, many a time, attributed his 2017 transfer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recommendation.
After his exit from the AIADMK, Mr. Panneerselvam didn’t lose time in re-establishing his ties with the founding father of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who had performed a key function in catapulting him to the Chief Minister’s put up in 2001. After all, Mr. Panneerselvam, who was with the Janaki Ramachandran faction of the get together throughout 1988-89, was nearly an unknown determine outdoors his space, and the one place of significance he had held was the chairpersonship of the Periyakulam municipality throughout 1996-2001. It was solely in the course of the 2001 Assembly ballot that he was fielded for the primary time. The revival of the connection between the 2 leaders occurred seamlessly as a result of Mr. Dhinakaran had turn out to be a bitter critic of Mr. Palaniswami. Unsurprisingly, the AMMK chief and the previous Chief Minister contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election as constituents of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
O. Panneerselvam, then Finance Minister, arrives with then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, to current the State Budget for the 12 months 2012-2013, on the Assembly, in Chennai
| Photo Credit:
R. Ragu
Signalling a shift
As somebody who started his political profession from a modest background by operating a tea store in Periyakulam, about 80 km west of Madurai, the 75-year-old Mr. Panneerselvam, who hails from the Maravar sub-sect of the Mukkulathor neighborhood (a social coalition of three subsects together with Kallar and Agamudaiyar), dropped hints of inching nearer to the DMK even in July-August final 12 months when he referred to as on Chief Minister and ruling get together chief M.Ok. Stalin on a number of events. For the following six months, he maintained an ambivalent public stance, persevering with to exhibit a delicate nook in direction of Mr. Modi and Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah. In reality, when the NDA received in Bihar in November, Mr. Panneerselvam, who was now not a part of the NDA within the State then, greeted the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.
There have been instances when he additionally praised the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder, Vijay. In early January, Ok.A. Sengottaiyan, who had joined the TVK in November after being within the AIADMK for over 50 years, expressed the hope that Mr. Panneerselvam would additionally be part of the fledgling get together, as the 2 leaders had met in Pasumpon, Ramanathapuram district, on the event of the beginning anniversary of Forward Bloc’s outstanding chief U. Muthuramalinga Thevar in October final 12 months. The final straw for Mr. Panneerselvam got here when Mr. Palaniswami, even after bringing Mr. Dhinakaran into the alliance, stoutly reiterated his stand in opposition to him and Ms. Sasikala.
The presence of his son and Theni’s former Member of Parliament, P. Ravindranath, when Mr. Panneerselvam met Mr. Stalin to formally be part of the ruling get together on the Anna Arivalayam within the metropolis on Friday, assumes significance, as the previous Chief Minister would have saved in thoughts his son’s political future. His different son, V.P. Jayapradeep, a member of the AIADMK till July 2022, can be recognized to be politically bold.
What’s in it for DMK?
As for the DMK, OPS’ addition could partially, if not wholly, fortify its energy within the southern districts. Fighting the issue of anti-incumbency, the ruling get together, which has a robust grip within the Cauvery delta and the Kancheepuram-Tiruvallur-Chengalpattu-Chennai belt, hopes to sail by the south as properly, leveraging its in depth community, Mr. Panneerselvam’s entry, and the assist of junior companions, together with its latest ally, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam. Besides, there’s a notion that the ruling get together doesn’t have many outstanding figures from the Maravar neighborhood, to which Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu belongs. By admitting Mr. Panneerselvam and his followers into his organisation, Mr. Stalin can hope to fill this social hole within the get together.
Published – February 27, 2026 01:58 pm IST
