Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Feb 27: In a dramatic turn in Tamil Nadu politics ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, former Chief Minister and expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is expected to join the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday, according to sources.

The 75-year-old leader, who was expelled from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 2022, is likely to be formally inducted into the party in the presence of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin at the DMK headquarters in Chennai. Sources said OPS has held multiple rounds of meetings with his supporters in recent days before taking the decisive step.

Panneerselvam, a three-time Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and a long-time loyalist of former AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa, has been at odds with the AIADMK leadership since her death in 2016. His prolonged power struggle with Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) led to a deep split within the party, eventually resulting in OPS losing organisational control and political ground.

After being sidelined within the AIADMK, OPS attempted to carve out an independent political identity, projecting himself as the true inheritor of Jayalalithaa’s legacy. However, his faction struggled to gain significant traction across the state.

Sources indicate that his dissatisfaction with the AIADMK’s alignment with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) further widened the rift. His likely move to the DMK is being viewed as a strategic realignment ahead of the polls.

For the DMK, OPS’s induction is seen as an effort to consolidate its support base in southern Tamil Nadu, particularly in the Thevar-dominated belt where he continues to wield influence. Political observers believe the move could further weaken the AIADMK by splitting its traditional vote base and attracting disgruntled cadres into the DMK fold.