CHENNAI: For Amma loyalist-turned-deserter O Panneerselvam, a victory on a DMK ticket could have been politically ironic and emotionally bittersweet. But with DMK's defeat, OPS sweeping past the winning post in Bodinayakanur in Theni district means little or nothing.
Once seen as the most devoted follower of Jayalalithaa, OPS shocked everyone by switching sides. The three-time interim chief minister, who had spent decades defending the AIADMK, crossed over to the DMK camp in February. At 75, the switch can hardly be described as a carefully crafted long-term strategy to climb politically. Since being expelled from the AIADMK in 2022, OPS had been struggling for relevance. He found himself dependent on the BJP in the hope of forcing a reconciliation with the AIADMK leadership. That effort failed.
OPS's subsequent alliance with the DMK offered him a chance at political rehabilitation and a possible cabinet berth. In his Theni stronghold, he could have strengthened his influence by combining his AIADMK support base with DMK sympathizers. But TVK's victory in the state has changed everything. Voters rewarded his gamble. Whether it will positively redraft his turbulent political journey remains to be seen.
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