Can OPS Achieve What Other AIADMK Leaders Couldn’t in DMK?

Fast Summary:

• Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, expelled AIADMK coordinator, is moving closer to the DMK.
• Historically, senior AIADMK leaders who fell out with the party and aligned with DMK have struggled politically:

– S.D. Somasundaram: Expelled by MGR for corruption accusations; his parties performed poorly and ultimately merged back with AIADMK before his death.
– S. Thirunavukkarasar: Launched splinter parties after falling out with Jayalalithaa; briefly allied with DMK but eventually merged back into other political affiliations like Congress or BJP post failed attempts at independent relevance.
– R.M. Veerappan: dropped from Jayalalithaa’s Cabinet in a controversy; faded politically without the AIADMK symbol and name, highlighting their importance for survival.

• A veteran affiliated with AIADMK emphasized that leaving the party frequently enough leads to failure due to reliance on its identity.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The reported political movements of O. Panneerselvam evoke historical parallels within Tamil Nadu politics where expelled leaders from prominent dravidian parties faced challenges maintaining influence outside their parent organizations. The cases of SDS, Thirunavukkarasar, and Veerappan suggest intrinsic dependency on party symbols and history over individual political capital in this region’s context.

If Mr. Panneerselvam edges closer to an alliance or association with DMK-a traditional rival-the practical implications might hinge not only on this collaboration’s optics but also whether it can energize voter bases beyond existing loyalties tied firmly to iconic dravidian identities like those upheld by AIADMK’s leadership legacy.

The broader significance lies less in individual defections than in testing whether Tamil nadu voters remain consistent about valuing shared histories of symbolism over breakaway attempts without proven organizational heft-something both O.P.S.’s future moves could illuminate more clearly as Dravidian dynamics adapt gradually.

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