Meanwhile, speaking to private channel Sengottaiyan said, "I convey my greetings. justice will prevail."
Published Sep 06, 2025 | 12:50 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 06, 2025 | 12:50 PM
Sengottiaiyan has raised the banner of revolt, demanding EPS to bring back those who had left the party.
Synopsis: Following the deliberations, EPS announced that Sengottaiyan was being relieved from all responsibilities in the party, including his positions as AIADMK Organisation Secretary and Erode West Suburban District Secretary. Significantly, EPS also removed other district-level functionaries who had openly backed Sengottaiyan, underscoring his firm grip over the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday, 6 September, announced that senior leader and former minister KA Sengottaiyan has been relieved from all party responsibilities.
A statement issued by Edappadi K Palaniswami read, “Sengottaiyan has been removed from his roles as Organisation Secretary and as Secretary of the Erode (West Suburban) district unit.”
மாண்புமிகு கழகப் பொதுச்செயலாளர் புரட்சித் தமிழர் @EPSTamilNadu அவர்களின் முக்கிய அறிவிப்பு pic.twitter.com/ZJnQwrjI2c
— AIADMK – -SayYesToWomenSafety&AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) September 6, 2025
Meanwhile, speaking to private channel Sengottaiyan said, “I convey my greetings. justice will prevail.”
EPS on Saturday held consultations in Dindigul with senior party leaders and district-level alliance functionaries amid growing pressure from veteran leader KA Sengottaiyan, who had set a deadline for uniting the party.
The hour-long meeting was attended by former ministers Dindigul Srinivasan, Natham Viswanathan, KP Munusamy, SP Velumani, Kamaraj, Vijayabaskar, and several other senior functionaries.
Following the deliberations, EPS announced that Sengottaiyan was being relieved from all responsibilities in the party, including his positions as AIADMK Organisation Secretary and Erode West Suburban District Secretary.
Significantly, EPS also removed other district-level functionaries who had openly backed Sengottaiyan, underscoring his firm grip over the party ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Sengottaiyan issued an ultimatum to the party leadership on Friday, 5 September, to unite the organisation, which now stands divided.
Addressing the media at Gobichettipalayam in Erode, he said that the AIADMK could win only if it took back those who had left the party. He said those who had left were not asking for positions or responsibilities in the party, but wanted to be taken back into the fold.
He said they had even written letters to the AIADMK leadership, urging them to take them back, adding that victory would be certain if they were reincluded into the party.
Issuing a pointed warning, the Gobichettipalayam MLA said that if quick steps were not taken towards this effect, all those who shared his thoughts would come together and make the necessary arrangements themselves. He, however, did not specify the “necessary arrangements”.
Sengottaiyan declared that he would join party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy on his victory journey only if a decision was made on this matter.
In recent months, Sengottaiyan, has openly displayed differences with the party leadership. The strain became evident during the function celebrating the Athikadavu–Avinashi water project in the Kongu region.
Sengottaiyan boycotted the event, saying the invitation failed to include images of party icons MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa. However, AIADMK insiders claimed he was upset that he was not given due importance.
The cracks widened further when Sengottaiyan met BJP leaders in Delhi just before the AIADMK–BJP alliance was formally announced. Reports even suggested that the BJP preferred Sengottaiyan as AIADMK’s general secretary to finalise the alliance. But once Edappadi K Palaniswami sealed the deal and made the announcement himself, Sengottaiyan’s Delhi visit lost relevance.
Since then, Sengottaiyan has skipped several AIADMK events. He was notably absent when Palaniswami launched his statewide campaign “Save the People, Save Tamil Nadu” at Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district.
In return, Palaniswami too avoided visiting Sengottaiyan’s home turf, Erode, during his campaign tour across the Kongu belt—an unmistakable sign of friction between the two.
For several months, Sengottaiyan avoided mentioning Palaniswami’s name in public speeches. Recently, he told the media that only a united AIADMK could defeat the DMK, stressing the need for reconciliation.
His remark was widely seen as a call to bring back sidelined leaders like O Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran, and VK Sasikala into the party fold. Against this backdrop, Sengottaiyan has now announced he will openly speak on 5 September.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Subash Chandra Bose)
