Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) on Thursday publicly declared that he was “ready” for reunification with Edappadi K Palaniswami’’s (EPS) AIADMK faction ahead of Tamil Nadu‘s 2026 assembly polls.At a press meet in Madurai, OPS threw a pointed challenge at both EPS and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, asking whether they were prepared to take the leap. “I am ready for that. Are they ready?” he said, invoking the possibility of rival factions closing ranks under the NDA umbrella.But EPS’s response was a door-slam: “There is no chance of admitting OPS into AIADMK. OPS has already been removed from the basic membership position.” EPS cited the party’s general council, which had expelled OPS in 2023, saying there could be no re-induction.The sharp exchange has reopened a question Tamil Nadu politics has been quietly circling for months: what does OPS do in 2026. A three-time chief minister and once a stand-in in AIADMK for J Jayalalithaa after her death, why is he pushing so hard now?
OPS’s reunion pitch: A challenge or a last attempt?
OPS’s reunion line comes amid a BJP-driven effort to revive and expand the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu. With BJP increasingly invested in forging an anti-DMK front, the party has been nudging splintered AIADMK factions to align, or at least avoid damaging vote-splits.In that backdrop, OPS framed reunification as the “natural” outcome if EPS and Dhinakaran who were bitter rivals could close ranks. If such a rapprochement is possible, he argued, what stops his return?OPS also returned to his familiar ideological peg: the restoration of MGR-era by-laws and “cadres’ rights”. His committee, later evolved into a kazhagam, he said, exists only to reclaim the party’s original rules, not to become a full political party for 2026.When asked about reported talks with BJP’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Piyush Goyal and rumours of a 2-seat offer, OPS refused to answer directly, calling it “parama ragasiyam” (a profound secret). Dhinakaran, meanwhile, positioned himself as mediator, urging OPS to join NDA to revive the “Amma regime”.
Why EPS rejected the offer
EPS’s refusal is being framed by his camp as a matter of party discipline and organisational authority.AIADMK leaders point to the 2023 general council decision expelling OPS for “anti-party activities”, saying it was a unanimous verdict by a council of over 2,500 members. EPS has repeatedly argued the party cannot return to “dual leadership” politics, and that the focus is to defeat the DMK with a consolidated NDA.The BJP too has indicated where it stands. Union home minister Amit Shah has backed EPS as the NDA’s leading face for the 2026 contest, with decisions on the future shape of the alliance to be taken post-election.In other words, OPS’s biggest problem is not just EPS. It is that the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit has moved on without him.
Why OPS looks desperate ahead of 2026 polls
OPS’s urgency is rooted in one blunt reality – political isolation is fast turning into electoral irrelevance.He is a former chief minister with three stints, but in Tamil Nadu’s current alliance arithmetic, OPS has limited negotiating power. This is because he no longer controls three negotiation essentials – a party, a symbol or a demonstrable seat-winning base.In the last two election cycles, OPS has failed to convert name recognition into measurable electoral influence. In 2021 assembly polls, his camp failed to emerge as a force. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, OPS did not win a seat, contesting as an Independent under the jackfruit symbol, which he described as a “test of cadre support” for his reunification pitch.Meanwhile, OPS has also been structurally locked out of the AIADMK. EPS’s camp points to OPS’s 2023 expulsion for “anti-party activities”, endorsed by a 2,500+ member general council, making re-entry not a matter of personal goodwill but a question of organisational authority. Without access to district units and booth machinery, OPS is left with .just sentiment politics and not the election machinery.The bigger squeeze is coming from the NDA itself. BJP, which once saw OPS as a useful fracture point inside AIADMK, now appears firmly invested in EPS-led consolidation. In this ecosystem, OPS is being offered only a small role: TOI sources suggest 2–3 seats, either through AMMK’s quota or a BJP-backed independent route.That might be why OPS is pushing “reunion” so publicly. In 2026, his fight is not for power, but to stay politically alive.Apart from this, OPS is also facing a personal political deadline. At around 75, he has limited time to rebuild. His reunion pitch for EPS can therefore be read not only as a negotiation tactic, but also a legacy attempt – a final effort to remain relevant in the story of AIADMK after Jayalalithaa.
3 scenarios for OPS ahead of assembly election
With EPS shutting the door, OPS effectively has only three options left ahead of assembly poll:Scenario 1: Backdoor NDA entry via AMMK (most likely)
- OPS joins NDA through Dhinakaran’s AMMK arrangement.
- Gets 2–3 seats from AMMK’s quota.
- Stays in the game, avoids total invisibility.
Risk: Becomes a junior player under Dhinakaran and BJP, with limited voice.Scenario 2: Go solo-lite with BJP support (possible)
- OPS contests with BJP backing, either on BJP’s symbol or as an Independent.
- Helps BJP widen footprint in the south.
- Keeps OPS out of AMMK shadow.
Risk: Without AIADMK machinery, OPS may remain confined to pockets.Scenario 3: AIADMK reunion miracle (least likely)
- EPS allows a return under some formula.
- OPS returns with symbolic honour.
- Reunion narrative energises some cadres.
Risk: EPS may only accept him on strict terms, or not at all.OPS’s recent “I’m ready for reunion” pitch is not merely a message to EPS or Dhinakaran. It is a signal to the BJP-led NDA: don’t finalise 2026 election plan without me. But Tamil Nadu’s political reality is unforgiving. Currently, the NDA alliance math is being built around EPS-first consolidation and OPS is being negotiated not as a central point but as a marginal add-on, with talk of only 2–3 seats. That is why he has wrapped a survival bid in the language of legacy – MGR by-laws, cadre rights and unity. The question now is simple: will the AIADMK gates reopen for OPS, or will 2026 mark his last election appearance as a consequential player?
