Tamil Nadu’s main opposition, the AIADMK on Friday sacked its former minister and veteran leader K A Sengottaiyan, a day after he met with the expelled trio O Panneerselvam(OPS), TTV Dhinakaran and his aunt V K Sasikala and called for a unified party.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) said in a statement that despite being aware that those within the party must not maintain contact with those expelled from it, Sengottaiyan had met them going against the party’s policies and principles. “Sengottaiyan is hereby removed from all responsibilities, including his position as a basic member of the party, with immediate effect. I request that no party member maintain any contact whatsoever with him,” EPS said.
Sengottaiyan has been associated with the AIADMK since its founding by M G Ramachandran (MGR) in 1972. By expelling Sengottaiyan, EPS was also sending a message to the BJP, which has been pushing for AIADMK to bring back sacked leaders to be stronger to fight against the ruling DMK. EPS has been steadfast against accommodating the leaders he expelled, worried that it would create another power centre in the AIADMK and affect his political future in the run up to the 2026 assembly polls.
On October 30, on the 118th birthday anniversary of caste leader Muthuramalinga Thevar when political leaders including chief minister M K Stalin and EPS went to pay tributes in Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district, Sengottaiyan went in a car with OPS. In Pasumpon they first met Dhinkaran and later Sasikala.
{{/usCountry}}On October 30, on the 118th birthday anniversary of caste leader Muthuramalinga Thevar when political leaders including chief minister M K Stalin and EPS went to pay tributes in Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district, Sengottaiyan went in a car with OPS. In Pasumpon they first met Dhinkaran and later Sasikala.
{{/usCountry}}Ahead of the 2026 elections, the leaders sought to pander to the Thevar community who are politically dominant in south Tamil Nadu and have been upset with the AIADMK after three of its leaders OPS, Dhinakaran and Sasikala were expelled by EPS who belongs to the Gounder community, that is strong in western Tamil Nadu.
In September, after Sengottaiyan (a Gounder like EPS) had called for the expelled leaders to be brought back and met Union home minister Amit Shah seeking to merge all factions of the AIADMK, EPS had removed him from all party positions. But he had continued to be a member of the AIADMK.
In the 2021 assembly elections too, the AIADMK in alliance with the BJP won only 18 of the 58 assembly constituencies in southern Tamil Nadu that is dominated by the Thevar community which has traditionally voted for the party since its founding.
Sengottaiyan, OPS and Dhinkaran spoke to reporters together a day ago in Ramanathapuram. When asked if EPS would remove him from the party for joining the expelled leaders on Thursday, Sengottaiyan said, “I’ll be happy if I’m removed.” He did not react after his expulsion. OPS and Dhinakaran recently quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the EPS-led AIADMK re-joined the BJP in April. Dhinakaran, chief of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) a breakaway faction of the AIADMK said that they were only opposed to EPS and want all the factions to unite.