Palaniswami Bars OPS Return, Credits BJP For Safeguarding AIADMK Government

Edappadi K. Palaniswami, general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), has categorically ruled out the reinduction of expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam (OPS) and T.T.V. Dhinakaran, labelling them as betrayers unfit for the party. Speaking at an event honouring the birth anniversary of Dravidian icon C.N. Annadurai, Palaniswami emphasised that the AIADMK, built for the poor, prioritises self-respect over power. His remarks come despite calls for reunification from leaders like K.A. Sengottaiyan and V.K. Sasikala ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Palaniswami’s stance addresses ongoing internal rifts within the AIADMK, which intensified after the 2016 death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. OPS, a former deputy chief minister, rebelled against then-party chief Sasikala and voted against Palaniswami’s government in a 2017 trust vote, contributing to political instability.

Supporters of OPS were also accused of vandalising the AIADMK headquarters in July 2022 before his expulsion. Similarly, Dhinakaran, leader of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, was implicated in a 2017 attempt to topple the government by swaying 18 dissident MLAs. Palaniswami condemned these actions, stating, “The party office is like a temple,” and vowed to protect the AIADMK from internal sabotage.

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Amid speculation of a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss party issues, Palaniswami clarified that the postponement of a campaign in Dharmapuri due to heavy rain forecasts sparked false reports. He praised the BJP-led central government for safeguarding the AIADMK government in 2017 when factions attempted to destabilise it, underscoring the party’s loyalty to its allies. Responding to criticism from the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over the AIADMK-BJP alliance, he highlighted the DMK’s own partnerships with the BJP in 1999 and 2001, accusing them of targeting the AIADMK out of fear of electoral defeat in 2026.

Palaniswami, who rose from a party worker to chief minister, reaffirmed the AIADMK’s democratic ethos, contrasting it with the DMK’s family-centric structure. Quoting Jayalalithaa’s vision of the party enduring for a century, he urged unity to thwart attempts to “pawn” the AIADMK. “Anyone betraying the party will be left stranded,” he warned, signalling a firm stand against reconciliation with dissenting factions as the party prepares for the upcoming polls.

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