Senior AIADMK leader and former Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan has stressed the need for unity within the party if it is to return to power in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Speaking at a press meet in his hometown Gobichettipalayam, the veteran legislator asserted that the AIADMK cannot form a government on its own if it continues to remain divided.
Sengottaiyan Bats For United AIADMK With OPS, Sasikala
Sengottaiyan, considered a strongman in the AIADMK’s Kongu belt, arrived at the venue in a campaign vehicle that notably did not feature the image of party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS). In a candid revelation, he said that he, along with senior leaders Velumani, Thangamani, CV Shanmugam, Anbazhagan and himself, had earlier urged EPS to reinstate VK Sasikala, TTV Dhinakaran, and O. Panneerselvam (OPS) into the party fold in 10 days.
“Without bringing back the expelled leaders, AIADMK cannot come to power again. EPS did not have the maturity or mindset to accept our advice,” Sengottaiyan remarked, reported ABP Nadu. He further recalled that EPS himself had once been ousted by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2009.
His remarks come a day after OPS and Dhinakaran formally announced their exit from the NDA alliance in Tamil Nadu, signaling fresh realignments in state politics ahead of 2026.
Sengottaiyan Warns, “If Leaders Don’t…”
Sengottaiyan warned that unless AIADMK leadership takes immediate steps to unify, grassroots workers and senior functionaries may act independently to bring the factions together.
“If the leaders do not unite, we ourselves will take steps to unite the party. Only a united AIADMK can win in 2026,” he declared.
Known as one of the longest-serving MLAs in Tamil Nadu, Sengottaiyan shares this distinction with senior DMK leader and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan. His latest remarks are being seen as a direct challenge to EPS’s authority and could intensify internal debates on reconciliation with expelled leaders.
