TVK or Own party? OPS at crossroads ahead of December 23 meet

Expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam has announced that he will convene a meeting of his supporters on December 23 to decide his next course of action, triggering fresh political speculation in Tamil Nadu over whether the former chief minister will join actor Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) or launch a party of his own.

In a statement issued on December 14 , Panneerselvam said that Panruti Ramachandran , veteran political strategist and former AIADMK leader from the MGR era , will take part in the consultation meeting, lending political weight to the deliberations. The meeting will be held under the banner of the AIADMK Workers Rights Retrieval Committee, floated by Panneerselvam after his expulsion from the party.

The announcement comes amid reports that a majority of district secretaries and office bearers aligned with Panneerselvam have already expressed their preference to align with TVK, which has been positioning itself as a new political alternative ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections .

The developments have gained significance following the BJP’s decision to project AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the NDA leader in Tamil Nadu, effectively sidelining Panneerselvam. Both Panneerselvam and AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran subsequently walked out of the NDA , opposing Palaniswami’s leadership within the alliance.

Political observers say Panneerselvam now faces a crucial strategic choice. If he joins TVK, it could substantially strengthen Vijay’s party, giving it organisational depth, experienced leadership and access to a segment of traditional AIADMK voters, potentially altering the existing political equations.

Such a consolidation could also trigger fresh alliance calculations, including the possibility of tactical understandings involving the DMK and the EPS-led AIADMK to counter a rising TVK . In a scenario where TVK aligns with O Panneerselvam (OPS) , the latter could be projected as a Chief Ministerial or Deputy Chief Ministerial face, while the DMK would continue with M K Stalin as its established Chief Ministerial candidate, reshaping future political alignments in the state.

On the other hand, if Panneerselvam chooses to float his own party , Tamil Nadu could see a four-cornered contest involving the DMK, AIADMK, TVK and an OPS-led formation , with smaller parties and expelled leaders aligning themselves strategically. Analysts warn that this route carries the risk of vote fragmentation , making pre-poll and post-poll alliances inevitable.

The December 23 meeting also followed a failed attempt to reunite expelled AIADMK leaders, including Panneerselvam, Dhinakaran and V K Sasikala. Senior AIADMK leader K A Sengottaiyan, who had vowed to bridge differences, was later expelled after meeting them and has since joined TVK, underlining the growing churn within the Dravidian major’s extended political family.

As the state inches closer to the next Assembly polls, Panneerselvam’s decision is being seen as a turning point, not only for his own political future but also for the shape of alliances and power equations in Tamil Nadu politics in the years ahead.