Chennai: Senior AIADMK leader and former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan, who had recently expressed disappointment over party’s leadership, has now pitched for a unification of all breakaway leaders of the party, setting a 10-day deadline for the party leadership to unite.
Speaking to reporters in Erode district Friday, Sengottaiyan said the AIADMK can no longer afford divisions, if it wants to come back to power in 2026.
“The party should not weaken. We should unite all of them (leaders), we should strengthen the party. Forget and forgive is the lesson our leaders have taught us. Only then can we win the election and fulfil the wishes of people for a change in regime,” he told reporters.
Sengottaiyan also set a deadline for unification of the breakaway leaders. “All who are to be united must be brought together within ten days. If they don’t, I will bring together like-minded people,” he said.
Without naming former AIADMK leader V.K. Sasikala, T.T.V. Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam, he stressed he was not deciding who should reunite, but was leaving it to the general secretary.
“It is not my decision who should be reunited. It is for the general secretary to decide. But I will push for unity, because only then can AIADMK regain its strength,” he said.
This is not the first time Sengottaiya has expressed his discomfort with the party. In February, he expressed displeasure over the functioning of the party. He expressed discontent over former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa’s images missing from invitations to a felicitation ceremony for Edappadi K. Palaniswami in Coimbatore.
He also accused AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami of being unwilling to accommodate detractors. “We, six former ministers, met the general secretary and requested him to take back those who left the party. But he did not agree. He is not even ready to discuss party responsibilities with me,” Sengottaiyan said.
It was in July 2024, that Sengottaiyan, along with five other ministers, met EPS at his residence and requested him to unite all breakaway leaders. However, EPS rejected the proposal. Sengottaiyan referred to how Jayalalithaa had once removed EPS from party positions in 2009.
He also expressed concern over how the party has been fragmented after the demise of former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa.
“After Amma’s death, there were many issues inside the party. Twice, opportunities came to me, but I chose unity. From 2017 onwards, we have only seen defeats, from 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 2021 assembly elections, to 2022 and 2024 local body elections, we have lost all elections. Only unity can bring victory,” Sengottaiyan said.
After Sengottaiyan spoke to reporters in Erode, breakaway leader O. Panneerselvam also met reporters in his native Theni district. He said Sengottaiyan had expressed the views of thousands of AIADMK party workers.
“I also wish the same to happen. I will pray to god that all AIADMK leaders are united once again,” he told the reporters in Theni.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: With OPS & Dhinakaran out of Tamil Nadu NDA, why Vijay’s TVK could benefit from crisis