Three-time Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and former AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam on Friday joined the DMK at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai, in the presence of party chief and CM M.K. Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin. OPS, who was expelled from the AIADMK in 2022 after a bitter power tussle, had recently signalled a softening stance toward the DMK, with his camp praising Stalin’s governance and predicting the ruling party’s return in 2026. The defection is being seen as one of the biggest political developments ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.