The AIADMK chief is said to have expressed displeasure over Shah’s reported meeting with senior AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan. Shah, in turn, is said to have clarified that he had not met Sengottaiyan privately but only in a parliamentary setting.
Published Sep 16, 2025 | 11:12 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 16, 2025 | 11:12 PM
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami with Union Home Minister Amit Shah (file photo)
Synopsis: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on 16 September, during which he reportedly asked the BJP leadership to refrain from engaging with those who have broken away from the AIADMK. At the closed-door meeting, Palaniswami is also believed to have expressed his displeasure at Shah’s reported meeting with senior AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah at his residence in Delhi late on Tuesday, 16 September, accompanied by senior AIADMK leaders KP Munusamy, CV Shanmugam, SP Velumani, and MPs M Thambidurai and Inbadurai.
The meeting lasted over half an hour, beginning at around 8.10 pm, after which Palaniswami held a private 20-minute meeting with Shah.
At the meeting, Palaniswami reportedly urged Shah not to interfere in the party’s internal affairs and specifically asked that BJP leadership refrain from meeting those whao have broken away from AIADMK, according to sources within the party.
Palaniswami is also said to have expressed displeasure over Shah’s reported meeting with senior AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan. Shah, in turn, is said to have clarified that he had not met Sengottaiyan privately but only in a parliamentary setting.
The AIADMK chief is also believed to have raised concerns over BJP’s internal troubles in Tamil Nadu, especially the corruption allegations against former BJP state president K Annamalai, which have been voiced by BJP members themselves.
Palaniswami reportedly told Shah that these issues were damaging the alliance’s image and needed to be addressed.
Palaniswami’s meeting with Shah comes amid sharp internal tensions within AIADMK. On 5 September, Sengottaiyan publicly stated that if the BJP-National Democratic Alliance wanted to win the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami must unite with leaders who had left the party.
He had further issued Palaniswami a ten-day deadline to act.
The next day, Palaniswami instead ordered Sengottaiyan’s removal from all party posts. Sengottaiyan later admitted that during his visit to Delhi on 8 September, he had met Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and repeated the same at Coimbatore airport on 9 September.
This fuelled speculation that the BJP was engaging with estranged AIADMK leaders.
Meanwhile, with Sengottaiyan’s deadline having expired on 15 September, Palaniswami’s Delhi visit the following day to meet Amit Shah has gained significance.
After the meeting, Palaniswami left Shah’s residence in a different car, seen covering his face with a handkerchief to avoid being spotted.
Senior journalist Brian Srinivasan suggested that Palaniswami may soon announce Sengottaiyan’s complete removal from AIADMK. “Palaniswami might strip Sengottaiyan of all basic party positions as early as tomorrow,” he observed.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the AIADMK delegation met newly elected Vice President CP Radhakrishnan at his residence. The meeting lasted over two hours, including a 90-minute one-on-one conversation between Palaniswami and Radhakrishnan.
Just hours later, BJP national president JP Nadda also met Radhakrishnan at the same venue.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
