There are indications of a major political upheaval once again in the politics of Tamil Nadu. Former Chief Minister of the state and current DMK MLA O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is said to be extremely angry due to the neglect he and his son are facing within the party. There is strong talk in political circles that Panneerselvam may soon leave Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and join actor-turned-politician Thalapathy Vijay’s party ‘Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam’ (TVK). If this step is taken, it will prove to be a huge upset in Tamil Nadu politics.
Disappointment in DMK due to not getting any major responsibility even after six months
O. Panneerselvam may have formally denied the news of leaving the party recently, but inside reports are telling something else. Even after a long time of six months had passed since he joined DMK, O. Panneerselvam and his son OP Ravindranath have not been assigned any important role or administrative responsibility within the party. Despite winning a landslide victory from Theni seat in the recent assembly elections, he continues to be ignored in Theni Lok Sabha constituency. Political experts believe that DMK MP Thanga Tamil Selvan has complete dominance in this area and it is he who rules the local political matters, due to which Panneerselvam is being sidelined.
Thalapathy Vijay’s TVK can become a new political destination
Hurt by his continuous neglect in regional politics and not getting any hope of any big post in the party, O. Panneerselvam along with his son is now seriously considering saying goodbye to DMK. Sources close to him say that he is in touch with the Chief Minister and TVK chief Thalapathy Vijay. After the recent major changes in the electoral history of Tamil Nadu and the equations of third place, Thalapathy Vijay’s party is emerging as a new and strong option for the youth and dissatisfied veteran leaders, due to which the OPS camp also seems to be quite impressed.
Disruption continues in AIADMK, many former ministers join TVK
These days, in the politics of Tamil Nadu, the process of leaders breaking away from the main opposition party AIADMK (AIADMK) and joining other parties is going on rapidly. Only last month, many veteran and popular leaders of AIADMK had left their old party and joined Thalapathy Vijay’s ruling party TVK (Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam). Among the prominent faces who joined TVK is former minister Udumalai K. Radhakrishnan, M.C. Sampath, Kadambur C. Raju and N.R. Big names like Shivpati are included. All these leaders reached the TVK headquarters in Panayur suburb on the East Coast Road (ECR) and met the party’s General Secretary Anand and Election Campaign Management General Secretary Adhav Arjuna and formally accepted the membership, which clearly shows that the influence of TVK is increasing rapidly in the state.