O. Panneerselvam

O. Panneerselvam
Panneerselvam in 2017
2nd Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
21 August 2017 – 7 May 2021
Chief MinisterEdappadi K. Palaniswami
Preceded byM. K. Stalin (2009)
Succeeded byUdhayanidhi Stalin (2024)
6th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
In office
6 December 2016 – 16 February 2017
GovernorC. Vidyasagar Rao
CabinetPanneerselvam III
Preceded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded byEdappadi K. Palaniswami
In office
28 September 2014 – 23 May 2016
GovernorKonijeti Rosaiah
CabinetPanneerselvam II
Preceded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded byJ. Jayalalithaa
In office
21 September 2001 – 2 March 2002
Governor
CabinetPanneerselvam I
Preceded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
11 May 2021 – 14 February 2024
Leader of OppositionEdappadi K. Palaniswami
Preceded byDurai Murugan
Succeeded byR. B. Udhayakumar
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
16 May 2011 – 27 February 2026
Preceded byS. Lakshmanan
ConstituencyBodinayakkanur
In office
14 May 2001 – 15 May 2011
Preceded byL. Mookiah
Succeeded byA. Laser
ConstituencyPeriyakulam
Coordinator of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
21 August 2017 – 23 June 2022
Deputy
Joint CoordinatorEdappadi K. Palaniswami
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Treasurer of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
22 August 2017 – 11 July 2022
Coordinators
Preceded byDindigul C. Srinivasan
Succeeded byDindigul C. Srinivasan
In office
28 August 2007 – 14 February 2017
General Secretary
Preceded byT. T. V. Dhinakaran
Succeeded byDindigul C. Srinivasan
Personal details
Born (1951-01-14) 14 January 1951
Periyakulam, Madras State (present-day Tamil Nadu), India
PartyDMK (2026–present)
Other political
affiliations
AIADMK (1973–2022)
Independent (2022–2026)
Spouse
P. Vijayalakshmi
(died 2021)
Children3 (including P. Ravindhranath)
Parents
  • M. Ottakkara Thevar (father)
  • Palaniammal Nachiar (mother)
EducationB.A.
Alma materHajee Karutha Rowther Howdia College
OccupationPolitician
AwardsInternational Rising Star of the Year-Asia (2019)
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Ottakarathevar Panneerselvam, popularly known as OPS (born 14 January 1951) is an Indian politician who was the former chief minister of Tamil Nadu in December 2016 and previously from 2001 to 2002 and from 2014 to 2015. He also served as the deputy chief minister from 2017 to 2021 in the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led government. As a finance minister, he has presented the state budget of Tamil Nadu 11 times.

Paneerselvam joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 1973. He was a loyalist of former chief minister and AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa. His first two terms as the chief minister came when he replaced Jayalalithaa in the role, after she was forced to resign by the Indian courts. His third term began in the aftermath of Jayalalithaa's death and ended two months later when Palaniswami was selected as the chief minister by the party. On 4 January 2018, he was elected as leader of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, and served till 2021. He also served as the joint coordinator of AIADMK from August 2017 to June 2022. On 27 February 2026, he resigned as a member of the legislative assembly, and joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).