Capping days of intense speculation, expelled AIADMK strongman K A Sengottaiyan on Wednesday met actor-turned politician Vijay within hours after resigning as a legislator.
He is the first senior leader from a major political party with vast political experience making entry into the fledgling TVK.
The former minister and a 9-time MLA, currently representing Gobichettipalayam constituency in Erode district, considered his stronghold, drove straight to Vijay’s residence in suburban Panaiyur, where he met the film star-turned neta along with TVK functionaries. The modalities of his joining the TVK were discussed and finalised, sources said.
Even as the ruling DMK had attempted to lure him to its ranks like few other AIADMK leaders, including former Minister Anwar Rajhaa and others, Sengottaiyan had decided to team up with Vijay, a charismatic crowd puller like the late AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister MGR (MG Ramachandran), who himself was an iconic actor.
His loyalists and supporters were overwhelmingly in favour of Vijay, who has positioned himself as an alternative to the DMK.
Earlier in the day, he submitted his resignation letter to Assembly Speaker M Appavu, at the latter’s chambers in the Secretariat. His resignation is expected to be accepted shortly.
“Please wait for a day,” was all that he said to the waiting newspersons at the secretariat, neither confirming nor denying the raging speculation about his joining the TVK. Interestingly, the AIADMK flag was absent from his car. He was expelled from the AIADMK by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) for raising the banner of revolt, demanding that O Panneerselvam (OPS), TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala, be readmitted into the party to strengthen it to taken on the ruling DMK.
As his next political move has triggered intense speculation of his gravitating towards Vijay, the DMK too has stepped in, apparently in an attempt to rope him into the party. Shortly after Sengottaiyan tendered the resignation letter to the Speaker, DMK leader and Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Minister PK Sekarbabu met him and had a discussion for a while at the Speaker’s chamber itself.
Both have worked together in the AIADMK under late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and it is believed that Sekarbabu had persuaded him to enter the DMK-fold.
Elected to the assembly from Sathyamangalam in 1977, he had won eight times from Gobichettipalayam, losing only once in 1996 when the party was routed under Jayalalithaa. In his long political career, he had handled the portfolios of Revenue, Transport, IT and Forests among others.
With his vast experience and network in the Kongu belt, Western districts of Tamil Nadu where the OBC Goundars are the dominant community, Sengottaiyan’s entry would be a gain for the TVK as it would strengthen the party in the region, considered a stronghold of the AIADMK since the times of MGR. He is known as an astute campaign manager of late Jayalalithaa during the elections.