CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister and AIADMK Cadres’ Rights Retrieval Kazhagam coordinator O Panneerselvam has suffered a fresh political setback with senior leader and former minister R Vaithilingam, considered a close aide, joining the DMK, reinforcing perceptions of his growing isolation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The development comes amid a steady erosion of support for Panneerselvam, with several of his loyalists already switching sides due to delays in declaring an alliance and uncertainty over his political future. Former MLAs PH Manoj Pandian and A Subburathinam were among those who recently joined the DMK.
Senior journalist Priyan told DT Next that the present situation was largely the result of Panneerselvam’s own political decisions (or lack of them) and warned against dependence on the BJP. He said the veteran leader’s options were narrowing and that even a possible entry into the DMK may not revive his career.
Panneerselvam has been attempting to rebuild relevance since his expulsion from the AIADMK in July 2022, following the party’s decision to abolish the coordinator posts and restore the general secretary system. Legal challenges to his removal failed, and efforts to reunite with the AIADMK through BJP mediation also failed.
In March 2024, he floated the AIADMK Cadres’ Rights Retrieval Committee and contested the Lok Sabha election from Ramanathapuram as an independent with NDA support, but lost. He later exited the NDA after failing to secure a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Tamil Nadu.
Subsequent attempts to align with TTV Dhinakaran, former minister KA Sengottaiyan, actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, or the DMK alliance yielded no concrete outcome. In December, after missing a deadline to reinstate him into the AIADMK, he renamed his outfit the AIADMK Cadres’ Rights Retrieval Kazhagam, formally making it a political party.
Once a dominant figure in the AIADMK and thrice Chief Minister, Panneerselvam rose to prominence in 2001 and remained the party’s second-most influential leader until Jayalalithaa’s death. His political decline began with the 2017 revolt against VK Sasikala and successive leadership changes that ultimately pushed him to the margins.
With Vaithilingam’s exit, Panneerselvam appears increasingly isolated, with clarity on his next political move still elusive as the State heads towards the Assembly polls.