In a seismic shift that has reverberated through the corridors of power in Chennai, Manoj Pandian, a pivotal figure in the O. Panneerselvam (OPS) faction of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), has defected to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), delivering a devastating blow to the already beleaguered OPS wing and intensifying the civil war within the AIADMK ahead of the 2026 assembly elections