AIADMK Rift Deepens as OPS Joins DMK, Sasikala Floats New Party
EPS Faces Twin Challenge Ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu Polls
- O Panneerselvam joins DMK, slams EPS as “arrogant”
- VK Sasikala announces new party, vows to contest polls
- Leadership churn weakens AIADMK’s southern base
- 2026 Assembly battle may reshape state politics
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 28th Feb: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is grappling with renewed internal turbulence in Tamil Nadu as two close aides of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa escalate attacks on party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections.
Days after Jayalalithaa’s long-time confidante V K Sasikala announced the launch of a new political outfit and unveiled its flag, declaring her intent to contest the upcoming polls, another jolt followed.
Former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), once regarded as Jayalalithaa’s trusted lieutenant and twice appointed by her as stand-in CM, formally joined the rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
In a sharp broadside against EPS, OPS described him as “arrogant and autocratic,” while praising DMK president M K Stalin for what he termed “good governance” and inclusive welfare schemes benefiting women and marginalised sections.
After Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, OPS was sworn in as chief minister once again, reflecting the trust she had reposed in him. However, internal equations shifted dramatically thereafter. Sasikala had backed EPS to replace OPS as chief minister, but during her imprisonment, EPS and OPS joined forces under a dual leadership arrangement in the party and government.
That fragile truce collapsed following the 2021 Assembly elections — the AIADMK’s third consecutive electoral defeat — after which EPS expelled OPS and consolidated control as general secretary of the party.
The exits of Sasikala, OPS and TTV Dhinakaran — all influential figures from the Thevar community — are widely viewed as having eroded the AIADMK’s support base in southern Tamil Nadu. While EPS is reportedly open to a possible rapprochement with Dhinakaran within the NDA framework, he has shown little inclination to re-induct Sasikala or OPS, both seen as potential rivals for the top post.
The AIADMK leadership, however, has downplayed the impact of OPS joining the DMK. Party MP C Ve Shanmugam remarked that OPS’s departure was “like Diwali, an occasion to celebrate.”
With the 2026 Assembly elections approaching, the leadership tussle within the AIADMK could prove pivotal. A fractured verdict may weaken EPS’s grip further, potentially creating space for its ally, the BJP, and reshaping Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.
