ERODE: Expelled AIADMK leader and Gobichettipalayam MLA K.A. Sengottaiyan on Friday revealed that it was the BJP that had approached him, seeking the unification of the two factions of the AIADMK. He clarified that the BJP had not used him to divide the party.
Sengottaiyan said the AIADMK was currently caught in the grip of succession politics and that senior party functionaries had been forced to bow down to the general secretary’s son and relatives.
The expelled leader asserted that if the AIADMK were to unite, it would not need to seek alliances with other parties; instead, those parties would naturally come forward to ally with the AIADMK. He made this remark while referring to the refusal of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to join the AIADMK-led alliance.
Addressing the media in Gobichettipalayam on Friday, Sengottaiyan said, “It was the BJP that invited me and spoke about uniting the party. I told them the same thing. I also emphasised then that we have no other option but the BJP. At the same time, I mentioned to BJP functionaries that there is no alternative to the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. I also told them that the BJP should help us return to power in the state, and in return, we will help fulfil the BJP’s goals in 2029.”
He reiterated that the BJP was not engaging in divisive politics by using him.
Sengottaiyan further alleged that the AIADMK was being run by the family members of Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), including his son and sons-in-law. “This has created a situation where those who have sacrificed their lives for the AIADMK and loved this movement are now forced to bow before people who know nothing about the party,” he said.
He also questioned why the AIADMK had not demanded a CBI investigation into the Kodanad estate murder-heist case. “Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who calls for CBI probes into ordinary cases, did not insist on a CBI investigation into the Kodanad estate case. From this, everyone can understand who the DMK’s ‘B team’ is in Tamil Nadu,” he remarked.
“Only a united AIADMK can realise the dream of our pioneers, M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa, in Tamil Nadu. I merely insisted on that. They expelled me from the party for saying so. If the leadership continues to remove everyone who talks to me, it will only weaken the AIADMK,” Sengottaiyan said, questioning how many more members the leadership planned to expel and urging it to reconsider.
Meanwhile, EPS continued the purge of Sengottaiyan’s supporters from the AIADMK. On Friday, he expelled 14 members, including former MP V. Sathyabhama, from the party’s primary membership.