Expelled AIADMK leader OPS, son join rival DMK ahead of TN polls

Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and his son joined the ruling DMK ahead of the state polls. The move follows praise for CM MK Stalin from the OPS camp and drew criticism from TTV Dhinakaran for invoking Jayalalithaa's name.

Expelled AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Friday joined Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) in the presence of party chief and CM MK Stalin in Chennai. Along with OPS, his son P Ravindhranath Kumar also joined DMK ahead of the forthcoming Tamil Nadu polls. O Panneerselvam was expelled from the party after a leadership tussle with Edappadi K Palaniswami back in 2022.

Shift Follows Praise for Stalin

This comes after Panneerselvam's praise for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his prediction regarding the return of the DMK government in the state. On Friday, Tamil Nadu MLA P Ayyappan, who is seen as part of former CM O Paneerselvam's camp, expressed his desire to see M. Stalin lead the state again following the next assembly polls.

Ayyappan stated in the Assembly that M K Stalin must once again become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. He further said, "The Breakfast Scheme was introduced with a visionary outlook. For small children who come to primary schools, the Chief Minister provides hot meals like a mother."

"Those who once raised slogans claiming that the Chief Minister had merely given Rs 5,000 are nowhere to be seen today. As long as Tamil Nadu exists, the Breakfast Scheme will continue to praise the Chief Minister. In the upcoming election, M.K. Stalin should once again win and return as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. With the blessings of Puratchi Thalaivar M.G.R. and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, and with the wishes of our elder brother O. Panneerselvam, I express my gratitude at this moment," Ayyappan added.

Backlash from TTV Dhinakaran

Earlier this week, NDA ally and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran hit back at OPS, saying he's got the right to choose alliances, but can't drag Jayalalithaa's name into it. He called out OPS's remarks about CM MK Stalin getting blessings from Amma and Puratchi Thalaivar as unacceptable.

He further said, "As far as O Panneerselvam is concerned, he has every right, in his personal capacity, to decide which alliance he wants to join or contest with. However, the remarks he made in the Legislative Assembly, suggesting that Stalin of the DMK would return to power with the blessings of Puratchi Thalaivar and Amma, are unacceptable to me and to any of Jayalalithaa's loyal supporters. We will not accept statements that bring disrepute to the legacy and honour of our leaders."

2026 Tamil Nadu Polls Context

The 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly will go to the polls in the first half of 2026, where the MK Stalin-led alliance will look to project the 'Dravidian Model 2.0' for the win against the BJP-AIADMK alliance. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry with his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is expected to turn the Tamil Nadu polls into a three-way contest.

In the 2021 polls, the DMK won 133 seats in the 2021 Assembly polls. Congress won 18, PMK won five, VCK won four, and others won eight seats. The Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), led by DMK, which consisted of Congress, won 159 seats collectively. While the NDA won 75 seats, the AIADMK emerged as the largest party in the alliance with 66 seats. (ANI)

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