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AIADMK expels K.A. Sengottaiyan after five decades, citing his outreach to OPS and Dhinakaran. Edappadi K. Palaniswami asserts strict discipline ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu polls.
AIADMK expels K.A. Sengottaiyan after five decades, citing his outreach to OPS and Dhinakaran. Edappadi K. Palaniswami asserts strict discipline ahead of 2026 Tamil Nadu polls. (Pic: DTNext)
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Friday expelled senior leader and former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, ending his five-decade association with the party. The decision, announced by General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), follows rising internal friction over Sengottaiyan’s calls to reconcile with expelled figures V.K. Sasikala, O. Panneerselvam (OPS), and T.T.V. Dhinakaran.
Sengottaiyan, one of the AIADMK’s most senior members and a nine-time MLA, said he was “pained, sleepless and heartbroken” over his expulsion. “I was not even given an opportunity to explain myself,” he said, recalling his decades of service under M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa.
Sources said Sengottaiyan’s expulsion was triggered by his public outreach to OPS and Dhinakaran, and his presence at a recent event with them — a move seen by EPS as defiance of party discipline.
Clarifying the decision, Palaniswami stated that a unanimous resolution had been passed at the AIADMK’s general council meeting, directing all cadre to avoid any contact with ousted leaders, including Sasikala, OPS, and Dhinakaran. “They are working to bring the DMK back to power,” EPS said, accusing them of acting against the party’s interests.
Sengottaiyan’s removal underscores EPS’s tightening control over the party and his intent to prevent any revival of the Sasikala-OPS factional influence.
Once considered the AIADMK’s western strongman, Sengottaiyan held key portfolios such as Education and Agriculture and played a vital role in organisational expansion during Jayalalithaa’s tenure. His expulsion marks both the end of an era and a signal of zero tolerance for dissent ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Political observers say the move could widen internal rifts within the AIADMK, especially in western Tamil Nadu, where Sengottaiyan retains considerable grassroots support.
November 01, 2025, 14:59 IST
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