Sengottaiyan ousted from AIADMK posts; 300 supporters resign in protest

AIADMK senior K A Sengottaiyan was removed from his party posts by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami after he sought re-entry for expelled leaders. The move triggered protests, with 300 supporters quitting the party, as Sasikala termed the decision “childish”

Chennai/Erode: AIADMK senior KA Sengottaiyan, who demanded party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to take back into the AIADMK fold all those who left the party, was stripped of his party posts on Saturday.

A brief statement from the party said Palaniswami has removed Sengottaiyan from the posts of (State) organisation secretary and Erode suburban west district secretary.

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In another release from the party, Palaniswami announced that former minister and legislator from Mettupalayam AK Selvaraj would be in-charge of the Erode Suburban west district.

Selvaraj, a senior functionary, is also one of AIADMK’s organisation secretaries.

In Erode district, about 300 supporters of Sengottaiyan resigned from the party protesting against the action on him.

Ousted former interim general secretary of AIADMK V K Sasikala censured the party leadership for the chastisement and said removing Sengottaiyan from party posts appeared “childish.”

“Opposing the DMK should be our common goal. We should unite and win (the 2026 election),” she said in a statement here.

During his “open talk” with the media in Erode on September 5, Sengottaiyan had set an ultimatum to Palaniswami to initiate steps to bring about a unification among the expelled leaders within 10 days.

Reacting to the disciplinary action, nine-time MLA Sengottaiyan said, “I never expected my removal from the party posts of AIADMK organisation secretary and Erode Suburban West District Secretary by the AIADMK General Secretary.”

Speaking to reporters from his farmhouse in his native village, Kullampalayam near Gobichettipalayam on Saturday, he termed the action as “undemocratic” and added that he would continue his efforts to unite the expelled leaders with the party.

Sengottaiyan avoided using Palaniswami’s name and referred to him as ‘General Secretary’ as he did during his press conference on Friday.