Sengottaiyan quits MLA post ahead of likely TVK move

CHENNAI: Gobichettipalayam MLA KA Sengottaiyan resigned from his Assembly post on Tuesday, a day before he is widely expected to join the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The senior AIADMK leader met Assembly Speaker M Appavu in person and submitted his resignation letter, formally ending his nearly five-decade association with the party.

Sengottaiyan, one of the AIADMK’s most influential figures in the western region, has been elected to the Assembly nine times — first from Sathyamangalam and later for eight consecutive terms from Gobichettipalayam. Regarded as a leader groomed during the tenure of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, he held several key positions in the party and government.

His exit follows months of internal tensions. Sengottaiyan, along with six former ministers, had urged AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to readmit expelled leaders O Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran and VK Sasikala to strengthen the party. EPS rejected the proposal, after which Sengottaiyan’s influence in the organisation reportedly declined.

Matters escalated when Sengottaiyan held a press conference issuing a 10-day deadline for Palaniswami to unite all factions. Within 24 hours, he was removed from all party posts. On September 8, he travelled to Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussing issues concerning the AIADMK.

Last week, during the Devar Jayanthi event at Pasumpon, Sengottaiyan joined Sasikala, Dhinakaran and Panneerselvam in garlanding the Devar memorial — a move that led to his expulsion from the AIADMK’s primary membership.

Speaking to reporters after tendering his resignation, Sengottaiyan declined to confirm his next political step amid strong speculation about his entry into TVK. “Wait for one day to see how things unfold,” he said.