K.A. Sengottaiyan. File
| Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Friday (October 31, 2025), expelled senior leader and Gobichettipalayam MLA K.A. Sengottaiyan from the party, a day after he accompanied expelled leader O. Panneerselvam and AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran in the same car to Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district and also addressed a joint press meet.A statement from Mr. Palaniswami said that Mr. Sengottaiyan's actions contradicted the party's principles and objectives and he consistently acted against the interests of the party, despite being aware that AIADMK was against associating with those who have been expelled from the party.Mr. Palaniswami also said that the AIADMK partymen were not to have any association whatsoever with Mr. Sengottaiyan. The dramatic turn of events merely a few months ahead of the Assembly polls due in Tamil Nadu, have evidently presented fresh challenges to Mr. Palaniswami's leadership, marking a consolidation of voices that call for the coming together of factions which were once part of the AIADMK.The former Minister's meeting with Mr. Paneerselvam, and their eventual act of appearing together in full public view, was rather orchestrated than a coincidence, aimed at voicing out loud a message both to the AIADMK leadership and its partymen, irrespective of the possible effects it may have on Mr. Sengottaiyan continuing in the party. Mr. Sengottiayan also met V.K. Sasikala, former aide of late AIADMK supremo and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.Mr. Sengottaiyan was considered a staunch loyalist of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. He had started his political career in the 1970s as president of the Kullampalayam panchayat unit of the AIADMK. A nine-time legislator, the 77-year-old leader was first elected from the Sathyamangalam Assembly constituency in 1977 when the AIADMK captured power. Three years later, he shifted to his native place, Gobichettiyapalaym (in Erode district), from where he won eight times losing only in 1996.He had served as Transport and Forests Minister in the first Jayalalithaa Cabinet (1991-96). He was next inducted in the Ministry in May 2011 but was removed 14 months later. Following Jayalalithaa’s death, with the intervention of her aide V.K. Sasikala, he returned as Minister in the Edappadi K. Palaniswami Cabinet in February 2017.Over the last several months, he had developed differences with Mr. Palaniswami and had initially remained aloof from party affairs before calling for unification of all ‘factions’ of the party. Published - October 31, 2025 06:44 pm IST
