By Ananya Sharma 
Chennai, November 4: It was still early when the calls started, “He’s at Arivalayam.” By the time anyone could double-check, it was true. P.H. Manoj Pandian, the AIADMK MLA from Alangulam, had joined the DMK. One photograph made it official: M.K. Stalin draping the party shawl across Pandian’s shoulders. No statement, no grand speech, just a quiet defection that said everything.
The Mood Outside
Outside Anna Arivalayam, there was no commotion, just curiosity. A handful of cadres, half smiling, half unsure what to make of it. Someone muttered, “Another one gone.” Within minutes, TV vans lined up along the road. Tamil channels flashed the image on loop the smile, the handshake, the end of years of loyalty.
Why He Left
People who’ve known Pandian for years say the signs were there. He barely showed up for AIADMK meetings lately, and when he did, he looked worn out. The OPS–EPS feud had stretched too long. “He stayed too decent for too long,” one local functionary from Thenkasi told me. “In this party now, that’s a mistake.”
Earlier in the day, Pandian said the AIADMK had turned into “a branch of the BJP.” Those words hit home. It’s what a lot of disillusioned members say privately but never on record. Coming from him, it sounded final.
The OPS Camp’s Quiet Collapse
For O. Panneerselvam, this one hurts. Pandian wasn’t just a name on a list he was a believer. During the roughest phase of OPS’s political exile, he was there, defending him on TV, staying loyal when everyone else went silent.
That’s over now. A close aide in the OPS camp admitted, “He’s tired. We all are.” The tone said more than the words.
Reports in the Daily Thanthi say Pandian will hand over his MLA resignation this evening. That means Alangulam is heading for a by-election. Small seat, but a big signal one that tells voters the AIADMK can’t keep its own people together.
What The DMK Gains
For the DMK, this is less about strength and more about message. Stalin’s team has been working methodically in the south, Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Thenkasi, trying to reclaim ground. Manoj Pandian’s arrival fits neatly into that plan.
A DMK functionary from the district said it plainly: “He may not bring votes, but he brings proof that people from there now see us as the main party.”
Inside Arivalayam, nobody cheered too loudly. There’s an awareness that Tamil Nadu’s politics has shifted into quiet moves, not noise. “Let the other side react,” another DMK member said. “That’s victory enough.”
Inside The AIADMK, Tension And Silence
It’s been a bad stretch for the opposition. Just yesterday, the party expelled 17 members for talking to V.K. Sasikala. Now this defection. In the AIADMK office, phones were ringing, but few were picking up. Everyone wanted to know who’s next.
A worker from Tirunelveli said softly, “There’s no leader to call now.” Then he hung up. That’s the sound of fatigue, not anger.
What Happens Next
If Pandian’s resignation goes through, the Election Commission could announce a by-poll within weeks. Whether the DMK fields him or not, the real test will be on the ground if people see him as a turncoat or a survivor.
Analysts in Chennai say this is part of a bigger churn. “It’s not betrayal anymore,” one said. “It’s migration. Everyone’s just finding where the power is.”
Pandian’s late father, P.H. Pandian, once served as Assembly Speaker under Jayalalithaa a loyalist to the core. That legacy makes today’s move bittersweet. When reporters asked the son if he’d thought of his father before switching, he just smiled.
By evening, social media was split. Some called him a “traitor,” others said he’d finally done what most AIADMK leaders were too scared to do. For Pandian, maybe it’s neither. Maybe it’s just exhaustion turned into decision.
The day closed like most political days here do too many opinions, no clear ending. But something shifted, quietly but permanently. The OPS camp shrank again. The DMK gained another story to tell. And Tamil Nadu politics, as always, kept moving.
Stay ahead with Hindustan Herald — bringing you trusted news, sharp analysis, and stories that matter across Politics, Business, Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle, and more.
Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube, and join our Telegram community @hindustanherald for real-time updates.
Covers Indian politics, governance, and policy developments with over a decade of experience in political reporting.
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/ananya/
