Sengottaiyan's expulsion triggers fresh internal feud in AIADMK

Infighting within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has escalated with senior leader and former Minister KA Sengottaiyan’s expulsion from the party on Friday (October 31).

Sengottaiyan’s ouster has intensified a bitter power struggle within the party just months before the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Also read: Why Sengottaiyan's exit could make or break larger AIADMK flock

The move, announced by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), has drawn sharp rebukes from other expelled rivals, including O Panneerselvam (OPS) and TTV Dhinakaran, while Sasikala, the late J Jayalalithaa's close aide, condemned it as “childish and self-destructive”.

‘EPS deserves Nobel Prize for betrayal’

Sengottaiyan, the Gobichettipalayam MLA and a veteran of over five decades in the party, hit back during a press conference in Gobichettipalayam on Friday, accusing EPS of being the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)'s "A-team".

"EPS is the one who deserves a Nobel Prize for betrayal," Sengottaiyan thundered, referencing the Kodanadu murder case in which EPS is listed as accused No. 1. "The DMK hasn't taken any action against him to this day. He calls me their B-Team? No, he's the real A-Team."

Also read: Sengottaiyan removed from AIADMK posts after calling for uniting expelled leaders

Sengottaiyan claimed that the expulsion order, issued without prior notice, stripped him of all party positions, including primary membership. "They didn't even send me a notice. The party's rules weren't followed," he alleged, vowing legal action through a counsel. "I will announce the next steps soon. My goal is to continue working for this party."

The feud traces back to simmering tensions post-Jayalalithaa's 2016 death, but it boiled over recently.

On October 30, Sengottaiyan joined OPS — expelled earlier that day — and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief Dhinakaran at the Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar memorial in Ramanathapuram to pay floral tributes, signalling a potential alliance among the disgruntled faction.

EPS attacks Sengottaiyan

EPS, who took over as AIADMK’s general secretary after Jayalalithaa's demise, defended the expulsion as a response to "anti-party activities".

Speaking to reporters in Salem, he accused Sengottaiyan of undermining the party for the past six months. "In the Athikadavu-Avinashi project event, he falsely claimed Jayalalithaa's photo was missing — a baseless allegation even after organisers clarified it," EPS said.

Also read: BJP, Sasikala and OPS rally behind Sengottaiyan’s call for AIADMK unity

"Traitors can't be loyal to the party. We've brought DMK to power before; OPS and others want to do it again. We won't tolerate anyone weakening the AIADMK," he added.

Sengottaiyan, undeterred, lambasted EPS's leadership record. "Since taking charge after Amma's passing, EPS has led us to defeat in every election — local bodies in 2019 and 2021, and the crushing loss in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. MGR's era had no defeats; Jayalalithaa turned losses into historic wins. But under EPS? Zero victories in 10 straight contests."

Dhinakaran slams EPS’s ‘Hitler mindset’

Recounting his own legacy, the 76-year-old Sengottaiyan said he joined MGR's political journey in 1972, not just as a member but as a secretary. "I organised the first general committee meeting in Coimbatore in 1975 flawlessly, earning praise from KA Krishnasamy and RM Veerappan. Under Jayalalithaa, I toiled day and night for the party. She even mentioned it at my wedding."

He claimed he twice declined opportunities to break away post-Jayalalithaa era to prevent the party's fracture.

"Sasikala called everyone together, urging unity. I even got recommendation letters for EPS," Sengottaiyan revealed. Six months ago, he said a group of six leaders — including unnamed allies — met EPS to voice cadres' frustrations and push for course correction. "But he denied that anyone had met him when journalists asked. That's betrayal at its peak."

From Madurai, Dhinakaran amplified the chorus of criticism. "EPS has an arrogant streak; he'll court his own destruction bit by bit," the AMMK leader said in an interview. Branding EPS as operating with a "Hitler mindset" and the DMK's "A-Team", Dhinakaran argued the expulsion was driven by "self-interest, not qualification." "This war has begun, and EPS will face defeat. He has no right to oust Sengottaiyan."

Even Sasikala, sidelined since her 2017 expulsion but still influential among loyalists, issued a stinging statement. "Expelling Sengottaiyan is deeply painful and utterly childish," she wrote. "Instead of nurturing the party, such acts destroy it — unforgivable and condemnable. It's like sitting on a branch and sawing it off, dooming the AIADMK banyan tree. Correct this mindset now, or the cadres will surely do it."