Axed AIADMK dissident leader Sengottaiyan slams EPS as a betrayer

Debunking AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami as a betrayer, axed dissident leader KA Sengottaiyan on Saturday said he would challenge in the court his expulsion, which was agonising for him.

“I feel very sad and in tears, for I had been with the party for 53 years since 1972, when the party was launched by MG Ramachandran (MGR). I couldn’t even sleep. Even a show cause notice was not served to seek an explanation from me and hence the expulsion was against the party constitution. In the party, I am a senior to even EPS himself. He is functioning like an autocrat,” the nine-time legislator told reporters at Gobichettipalayam, reacting to his expulsion.

Advertisement

“EPS is only a temporary general secretary of the party. Opportunity came to me twice, but in the interest of the party I had declined on both the occasions. When Sasikala asked me, I recommended EPS and canvassed support for him in the aftermath of Jayalalithaa’s demise. If there is a Nobel Prize for betrayal, he should be given that,” he fumed.

On Friday, a day after Sengottaiyan dared the party leadership to remove him from the party, EPS, after consulting party seniors, expelled him from the primary membership of the AIADMK. Earlier, after the Gobichettipalayam legislator issued an ultimatum to EPS to initiate the process for the home coming of the expelled leaders, TTV Dhinakaran, O Panneerselvam (OPS) and VK Sasikala, he was stripped of the AIADMK Organisation Secretary and Erode District Secretary. Scores of his loyalists were also axed from party posts.

While Sasikala has been lying low but for occasional rants about party unity, TTV, heading the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and OPS, leading the AIADMK Workers Retrieval Committee, have been left with no other options but to leave the NDA after their hopes of a return to the AIADMK with the help of the BJP national leadership proved futile once EPS came back to the saffron fold for the 2026 assembly election. Both TTV and OPS were partners of the NDA in the 2024 LS poll. They have been vocal in demanding removal of EPS as Chief Minister candidate of the NDA and Sengottaiyan demanding their homecoming and playing into their hands was not palatable to EPS.

However, the final straw was his teaming up with Sasikala, TTV and OPS at the guru pooja of Thevar community icon, U Muthuramalingam, at Pasumpon in Ramanathapuram district, on Thursday. At the media interaction along with the trio, he dared the party leadership to expel him. “I will only be happy if removed from the party,” he had said in response to a question.

Reacting to Sengottaiyan’s expulsion, TTV termed it as an act of ‘self-destruction’ by EPS and displays his hunger for power. “Palaniswami’s act of betrayal itself will lead to his fall. The AIADMK is on a losing streak since 20198 and now, he is taking the AIADMK as though it is a ‘B’ team of the DMK. Myself, OPS and Sengottaiyan will reclaim the AIADMK,” he said speaking to reporters at Sholavandan near Madurai.