Chennai, Feb 27 O Panneerselvam has chosen to begin his political journey with the DMK after nearly half a century with the AIADMK, following his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami's decision to permanently shut the doors for his reentry.
Sasikala, the expelled AIADMK leader, criticized Panneerselvam's move, saying he joined the DMK "an evil force that should be removed from Tamil Nadu."
Sasikala described the situation as "very unfortunate" and blamed the AIADMK leadership for the current circumstances, stating, "the time for the traitors is coming."
Panneerselvam joined the AIADMK in 1973 and, over the years, developed close ties with late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who trusted him more than anyone else in the party.
This loyalty earned him the "Amma loyalist" tag, which further solidified his position within the party until his fortunes declined after Jayalalithaa's death in 2016.
He was made Chief Minister on two occasions by Jayalalithaa, first in 2014 and then again in 2016, following her court-ordered removal.
He also served as Deputy Chief Minister when he merged his faction with Palaniswami, paving the way for the latter to become Chief Minister.
Panneerselvam held various positions, including Leader of the House and Joint Coordinator of the AIADMK from August 2017 to June 2022.
He was later expelled from the AIADMK by Palaniswami after a series of internal conflicts and court cases.
On February 27, 2026, Panneerselvam resigned from his legislative assembly seat and joined the ruling DMK in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin.
A senior BJP leader suggested that Palaniswami's decision not to re-admit Panneerselvam, coupled with his alliance with the AMMK led by T T V Dhinakaran (whom they both had expelled from the party), and the BJP's reliance on Palaniswami for the upcoming Assembly election, might have influenced Panneerselvam's decision.
Following his defeat in the Lok Sabha election in alliance with the BJP, Panneerselvam reiterated his call to the AIADMK factions to reunite, even as the AIADMK rejected his plea, stating that he was only creating confusion.
He had even launched the AIADMK Workers Rights Retrieval Committee to reunite the AIADMK factions.
However, K A Sengottaiyan's meeting with Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran, and Sasikala in Ramanathapuram's Pasumpon, led to Sengottaiyan's expulsion from the AIADMK.
While Sengottaiyan joined actor-politician Vijay led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Sasikala had recently announced the launch of her own political party.
Interestingly, during a power struggle with Palaniswami, Panneerselvam had claimed that Jayalalithaa had likened him to Bharata (Lord Ram’s brother) for his loyalty.
Former AIADMK Minister K P Munusamy told reporters that Panneerselvam "is only living for himself and has no principles or loyalty to the AIADMK or its leaders. He would only safeguard his own interests."
DMK's ally Thol Thirumavalavan, heading the VCK, praised Panneerselvam for joining the DMK.
Hours after Panneerselvam joined the DMK, his loyalist Vellamandi Natarajan, former state minister, rejoined the AIADMK in the presence of Palaniswami.
BJP leader and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan criticized Panneerselvam for his decision and said Jayalalithaa dedicated her entire political life opposing the DMK - "a party that, without regard for her, treated her in an extremely disrespectful manner in the Legislative Assembly."
"Joining that very party and describing it as feeling like reuniting with a 'mother party' is something the people of Tamil Nadu will not accept. Furthermore, if Chief Minister @mkstalin claims that inducting leaders like OPS is a great strength for the DMK, it only reflects the extent of fear and desperation within the party. The inclusion of OPS into the DMK will, in fact, become a major setback for the party’s electoral prospects,” Tamilisai said in a post on the social media platform ‘X.’
Many took to social media targeting the 77-year-old leader for his decision to join the DMK "burying his loyalty" to Jayalalithaa and giving the impression that he had no other option.
Born on January 14, 1951, Ottakarathevar Panneerselvam, popularly known as OPS, served as Chief Minister in December 2016, and previously from 2001 to 2002, and from 2014 to 2015. He was Deputy Chief Minister from 2017 to 2021 in the Palaniswami-led government and had served as Finance Minister.
