India, Dec 06 : In a dramatic political turnaround, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) has denied ever announcing the formation of a new political party an unexpected reversal that comes days after his Delhi visit and meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The move has reignited speculation about renewed efforts to bring him back into the AIADMK fold.
According to party sources, OPS’ softened stance reportedly follows assurances from senior BJP leaders. Discussions to facilitate his return to the AIADMK are expected to begin soon. A key resolution paving the way for this is likely to be taken up at the party’s general council meeting on December 10, signalling a possible shift in opposition leadership equations.
OPS, once a trusted lieutenant of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, has had a turbulent political journey marked by abrupt alliances and bitter splits. After rebelling against V.K. Sasikala in 2017 and sharing a short-lived dual leadership with Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), he was expelled from AIADMK in 2022. Since then, he has led the AIADMK Workers’ Rights Retrieval Committee and repeatedly hinted at floating a new party an idea he now appears to have shelved.
His latest stand has also dampened the brief camaraderie he shared with TTV Dhinakaran and senior leader K.A. Sengottaiyan following their Pasumpon meeting in October. Their separate visits to the Jayalalithaa memorial this week further suggested widening distances among the factions.
Meanwhile, Dhinakaran reiterated that his AMMK will not align with the NDA as long as EPS remains its chief ministerial face. Sasikala, once vocal about uniting splinter groups, remained cautious commenting only that Sengottaiyan should not have rushed into joining Vijay’s TVK, while avoiding any renewed call for unity.
With OPS, Dhinakaran, and Sasikala still without a coordinated strategy, political observers say that immediate consolidation within AIADMK appears unlikely. But OPS’ U-turn has nonetheless injected new uncertainty and heightened curiosity as the state edges closer to the 2026 Assembly elections.