Chennai: Expelled AIADMK leader and nine-time MLA K. A. Sengottaiyan on Wednesday resigned from his Assembly membership ahead of his formal entry into actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
Sengottaiyan met Assembly Speaker M. Appavu at the Secretariat in Chennai and tendered his resignation, marking a major political development just months ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Sengottaiyan, one of the most senior figures in the AIADMK, began his electoral journey in 1977, winning his first term from the Sathyamangalam constituency.
Since then, he has been elected eight more times from the Gobi (Gobbichettipalayam) constituency, emerging as one of the party’s most enduring and influential leaders.
Over the decades, he has served as Minister for several key departments, including Forest, Transport, Agriculture, Information Technology, and Revenue, during various AIADMK administrations.
Following the death of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, Sengottaiyan held the important organisational post of AIADMK Organising Secretary.
However, differences gradually emerged between him and party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
The friction intensified when Sengottaiyan demanded that expelled AIADMK leaders like O. Panneerselvam, V. K. Sasikala, and TTV Dhinakaran be reinstated, a move that EPS strongly opposed. This reportedly resulted in Sengottaiyan being removed from all party positions and subsequently expelled from the AIADMK along with several of his loyal supporters.
After weeks of maintaining silence, Sengottaiyan has now decided to align with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, which is preparing to make its electoral debut next year.
He is expected to join the party along with his supporters on Thursday at the TVK headquarters in Panaiyur, Chennai, in the presence of Vijay.
His resignation adds to the growing political churn in Tamil Nadu. Earlier, AIADMK MLA Manoj Pandian from Alangulam had also quit his Assembly seat and joined the DMK.
Sengottaiyan’s move is expected to further impact the AIADMK’s internal dynamics and could boost TVK’s momentum as it seeks to attract experienced political leaders ahead of the state elections.
With a decorated political career spanning nearly five decades, Sengottaiyan’s switch to TVK marks a significant reshaping of Tamil Nadu’s political landscape as the state enters a crucial pre-election phase.
(IANS)
