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The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leadership, on Saturday, September 6, initiated sweeping disciplinary action against senior leader KA Sengottaiyan, expelling him from his posts in the party. The move comes a day after he publicly challenged the party high command with an ultimatum to reinstate estranged leaders within ten days or risk losing ground ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
In a brief statement, the AIADMK announced that the 77-year-old Gobichettipalayam MLA had been removed from all key organisational responsibilities, including his posts as Organisation Secretary and Erode (Rural West) District Secretary. Sengottaiyan, a nine-time legislator and veteran who has served in several ministerial roles, was relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
The decision followed a closed-door meeting in Dindigul chaired by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami that was attended by senior leaders KP Munusamy, SP Velumani, C Vijayabaskar, Kamaraj, Natham R Viswanathan and Dindigul C Srinivasan.
The move was seen as a direct response to Sengottaiyan’s warning that the party must reinstate estranged leaders within ten days or risk losing ground ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
In a show of strength, Palaniswami extended the purge beyond Sengottaiyan. Six functionaries in the Erode (Rural West) district unit, considered close to Sengottaiyan, were stripped of their responsibilities too. Those removed included union secretaries, town secretaries and IT wing office-bearers, underlining the leadership’s resolve to dismantle Sengottaiyan’s local network.
On September 5, Sengottaiyan had publicly demanded that the party reopen its doors to sidelined leaders, invoking precedents set by founder MG Ramachandran and former Chief Minister late Jayalalithaa, who had accommodated dissenters in the interest of unity. He warned that if the leadership failed to act, like-minded leaders would come together and make their own political moves.
Meanwhile, Sengottaiyan hit out at the party leadership, questioning whether democracy truly functioned within the party. Speaking to reporters in Gobichettipalayam after the announcement, Sengottaiyan said he had merely voiced the opinion of the cadre and people.
“Only a united AIADMK can return to power. Yesterday I expressed my views, and today I have been relieved of my posts,” he remarked.
Without naming AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, he observed that democracy in a party meant seeking an explanation before disciplinary action. “He himself has said that anyone can express their opinion freely. Then why not allow me the same space?” he asked.
When pressed on whether Palaniswami was directly behind his removal, Sengottaiyan said he cannot comment on that. He maintained that his appeal was in line with popular sentiment, recalling that even expelled leaders had requested to rejoin unconditionally.
He further stressed that his stand had received support from several political figures, including Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran, Bharatiya Janata Party’s H Raja, and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) chief Premalatha Vijayakant.
“This is not about personal gain. It is about the future of the party,” he said, adding that time would show whether he had consulted senior colleagues before going public.
Asserting that his removal would not deter him, Sengottaiyan vowed to continue pressing for unity and inclusiveness within the AIADMK, insisting that the path he had chosen was aligned with the aspirations of both the cadre and the public.