By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Twists and turns in Tamil Nadu politics continues even a few weeks ahead of Tamil Nadu legislative assembly election to be held in April-May. The latest in the series is O Panneerselvam’s, popularly known as OPS, joining DMK today, which is being dubbed as a “seismic realignment” in the Tamil Nadu political landscape. OPS, the three times former chief minister of the state and a staunch loyalist of former AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa, and his supporters were expelled from the AIADMK in July 2022. He had contested the Lok Sabha Election 2024 as an independent candidate from Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha Constituency and was backed by the BJP-led NDA. OPS had started a political forum called ADMKTUMK, that had turned into a political party only about three months ago in November 2025. OPS’s switching over to DMK is therefore significant at this juncture.
T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) supremo had rejoined the NDA led by AIADMK in the state only a little over a month ago on January 21. If that shift had bolstered the prospect of the NDA in the forthcoming election in Tamil Nadu, the latest switch over of OPS to DMK has brightened the prospect of DMK in particular, and INDIA bloc in general. It has increased the difficulties of the BJP, which has been trying hard to make headway in Tamil Nadu. OPS’s joining DMK is a great setback to NDA, since BJP has been advocating united AIADMK to face the DMK in forthcoming election and were hopeful of possibility of OPS joining NDA. State BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran had recently said, “In politics, anything is possible.”
Only a week ago on February 19, DMDK led by it general secretary Premlatha Vijaykant has joined DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in Tamil Nadu, which is known as INDIA bloc at the national level. It was a major shift not DMDK, which was previously an ally of AIADMK. It was also a setback to the NDA in the state. Premlatha Vijaykant is the wife of late founder of the party actor-politician Vijaykant, who has significant support base. DMK had actually outmanoeuvred the AIADMK by bringing DMDK into INDIA bloc.
Political dynamics in the state has thus been changing fast, seems largely in favour of INDIA bloc which is led by DMK leader and CM M K Stalin. Indian National Congress and MMK are also part of the INDIA bloc. However, everything is not well within the coalition and there is considerable tension on the matter of seat-sharing.
Seat-sharing negotiations between the Congress and DMK have been a source of friction. The Congress has demanded a significantly higher share of assembly seats (reportedly 35-45 for itself), while the DMK has been reluctant to go that high — pointing to negotiations still in progress. Congress leaders have also been pressing on share in the government if the coalition comes to power, but the DMK leadership has dismissed calls for a formal coalition government or power-sharing arrangement, with MK Stalin stating that a joint power-sharing model “would not work” in Tamil Nadu’s political context.
Though, AIADMK and the BJP have become NDA allies for the forthcoming election, they have to forge stronger bond forgetting their past hostilities. AIADMK has revived it alliance with the BJP in April 2025. BJP leader Amit Shah had announced BJP-AIADMK alliance for 2026 Tamil Nadu election with Edappadi Palaniswami leading NDA. Though both the parties hope to gain from the alliance, they find it still hard to make headway, chiefly because some smaller parties that were expected to join or remain within the NDA have either backed out or shown hesitancy in joining them. Seat sharing discussions among NDA allies have further complicated the matter.
DMK leader and CM MK Stalin has said, “AIADMK is relying on Dabba Engine BJP while BJP is banking on the sinking ship AIADMK. Zero plus zero will be zero. It will not result in power. Our Dravidian model governance is super-fast engine.”
There are also new and emerging political players in the State. Ms VK Sasikala, former close aide of late AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa, has floated her own party on February 24 in a public meeting to mark the birth anniversary of Jayalalithaa. She unveiled flag her party which carries the portraits of former CM CN Annadurai, MG Ramachandran (MGR), and Jayalalithaa. The party would champion the cause of the poor and marginalised while eliminating both enemies and traitors, she said. Taking an indirect jab at former CM E K Palaniswami, she said that she did not even wish to utter the name of the person who had “betrayed her” after coming to power. It is anybody’s guess that AIADMK is going suffer, and will not be able to help BJP making further inroads.
Other smaller parties and new entrants are – NTK, actor Vijay-led TVK, and local outfits who may contest the election independently. They are sure to influence vote shares in key constituencies, particularly by attracting younger or regional-centric voters.
With welfare schemes, regional identity, caste equations, and development agendas in play, the election is shaping up to be highly competitive. Currently DMK led INDIA bloc is dominant force, but suffering from anti-incumbency sentiments on which AIADMK-BJP alliance has been attempting to consolidate their strength. (IPA Service)
