Recent developments read like screenplay twists: Former chief minister O Panneerselvam has joined the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK); V K Sasikala has launched a new outfit; and a divorce petition involving actor-turned-politician Vijay has added an unexpected personal dimension to an already charged campaign season.
One of the most dramatic turns came on Friday with Panneerselvam — expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader and long-time loyalist of the late J Jayalalithaa — switching sides. His move is significant for optics as much as arithmetic.
“Stalin is giving good governance to people, and people are watching it. Edappadi K Palaniswami is keen on making sure no leaders from the South become strong. To save the Dravidian movement and its policies, it is the DMK that is working. I have joined as a cadre. I will be one among the party cadres and work for the party’s development,” Panneerselvam told media. The DMK is expected to field him from his home turf of Bodi Mettu in Theni district. The move is seen as a bid to dent the AIADMK’s hold over the influential Thevar community, which accounts for roughly 8 per cent of the electorate.
Perception, analysts argue, matters in a state where margins can be slender. In the last Assembly election, the vote share gap between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was about five percentage points. The DMK alliance secured 45 per cent of the vote and 159 seats, while the Opposition won 75. Panneerselvam’s induction follows the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), founded by the late actor-politician Vijayakanth, formally joining the DMK-led bloc. Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) had aligned with it earlier.
“In the last elections, of 234 seats, around 28 were decided by less than 5,000 votes and about 50 by less than 10,000. All these parties were with the Opposition then... In a tight contest perception battles can tilt the edge. Panneerselvam could not even win his own constituency in the last parliamentary polls,” said Tamil writer and activist Maalan Narayanan.
BJP confident of an NDA win
The DMK has opened an online portal to crowdsource manifesto ideas and recently credited ₹5,000 to 13.1 million women beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thittam, in what it described as a targeted welfare measure. The NDA has countered with its own promises: A one-time assistance of ₹10,000 per family, a monthly unemployment allowance of ₹2,000 for graduates and ₹1,000 for those who have completed Plus Two and are registered with employment exchanges and awaiting job. Under the proposed Kula Vilakku scheme, it has pledged ₹2,000 per month to all ration card-holding families. It has also promised to increase employment guarantee workdays from 100 to 150, exceeding the Union government’s proposal of 125, and to provide ₹25,000 subsidies to 500,000 women to purchase two-wheelers. “No Jayalalithaa supporter will vote for Panneerselvam,” said Narayanan Thirupathy, BJP chief spokesperson.
Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar, widely known as Thalapathy Vijay, is expected to command a notable vote share. His Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has drawn large crowds and sustained media attention, with several surveys suggesting it could secure close to or above 20 per cent, potentially cutting across established party bases. Yet a divorce petition filed by his wife, Sangeetha Sornalingam, has introduced uncertainty. In her filing, she alleged that she discovered Vijay’s involvement in an extramarital relationship with an actress in 2021.
“This could affect Vijay’s women voters,” Maalan said. The BJP has suggested that Vijay’s rise is amplified by media hype. Whether embraced by mainstream parties or not, a sizeable section of the electorate expects him to secure a significant share of the vote.
For now, Tamil Nadu’s political arena stands poised for a contest as layered and unpredictable as any film script.
 "O Panneerselvam")
