Why Did Sengottaiyan Get Expelled from AIADMK?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- K.A. Sengottaiyan faces expulsion from AIADMK.
- His meeting with expelled leaders sparked controversy.
- Political realignment within AIADMK is speculated.
- EPS acted swiftly to expel Sengottaiyan.
- 2026 elections are approaching, raising stakes.
Chennai, Nov 1 (NationPress) Former Tamil Nadu minister and AIADMK figure K.A. Sengottaiyan stated on Saturday that he would clarify his stance, just a day after party General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) expelled him from the party. This decision followed his notable meeting with expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, and V.K. Sasikala at Pasumpon.
Speaking to reporters in Gobichettipalayam, Sengottaiyan remarked: "I will clarify the issue and give my explanation from the party office today."
His comments emerged amidst increasing speculation regarding a potential political reshuffling within the divided AIADMK faction.
The controversy ignited after Sengottaiyan, one of the senior-most leaders in AIADMK and a long-standing confidant of the late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, was seen traveling in the same vehicle as former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam from Madurai to Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district. They attended the 118th birth anniversary and Guru Puja of freedom fighter Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar.
At the memorial event, the two leaders were accompanied by Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran. Together, they placed garlands on Thevar’s statue and paid floral tributes.
Subsequently, both OPS and Sengottaiyan had a meeting with Sasikala, a close aide of Jayalalithaa, who also visited Pasumpon to show her respect.
The unusual gathering of these four influential figures from AIADMK has stirred a political uproar throughout Tamil Nadu.
This meeting followed Sengottaiyan's public appeal for the return of those who had departed from AIADMK, aiming to strengthen the party. He had even set a tentative deadline for EPS to revitalize the organization ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. His statements were interpreted as a subtle critique of EPS’s leadership, resulting in his removal from all party positions earlier this month, although he remained a party member until now.
In response to these developments, EPS quickly organized a meeting at his residence in Salem on Friday evening with senior officials, including Deputy General Secretaries K.P. Munusamy and Natham R. Viswanathan, Treasurer Dindigul C. Srinivasan, and Headquarters Secretary S.P. Velumani. Following their discussions, EPS declared Sengottaiyan’s expulsion from the party due to "anti-party activities."
Political analysts consider Sengottaiyan’s ousting as indicative of escalating divisions within the AIADMK, with discussions surrounding renewed efforts by the Sasikala-OPS-Dhinakaran faction to regroup ahead of the upcoming 2026 elections.