Chennai, Sep 2 (IANS) Amid renewed speculation of unease within the AIADMK, senior leader and former minister K. A. Sengottaiyan on Tuesday announced that he will publicly air his views on Friday, setting the stage for a potentially significant political statement.
Emerging from a meeting with his supporters in Erode, Sengottaiyan told reporters that he would “speak out his mind” at the AIADMK office in Gobichettipalayam on September 5.
“Everyone can know my views then,” the Gobichettipalayam MLA said, choosing not to elaborate further when pressed by the media about whether his discontent with the party leadership had resurfaced.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of recent tensions within the party.
Sengottaiyan had openly expressed displeasure last month over what he saw as a slight to the AIADMK’s founding leaders.
At a Coimbatore event organised to felicitate party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami for the implementation of the Athikadavu-Avinashi Scheme, the invitation and banners reportedly omitted the photographs of former chief ministers M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa.
Sengottaiyan, considered a traditionalist loyal to the party’s core legacy, viewed this as a symbolic disregard of the AIADMK’s ideological roots.
In protest, he skipped the function altogether, triggering speculation of a widening rift. However, in a subsequent move that surprised observers, Sengottaiyan softened his stance and praised Palaniswami, crediting him for delivering governance in line with the standards set by MGR and Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu.
Tuesday’s remarks suggest that the issue may not have been fully resolved and that Sengottaiyan could use the September 5 gathering to clarify his position within the party and vis-à-vis its leadership.
Party insiders say the statement is being keenly awaited, as Sengottaiyan continues to hold influence in western Tamil Nadu and among certain sections of the cadre.
For Palaniswami, who has consolidated his leadership since taking over as general secretary, the prospect of discord from a veteran like Sengottaiyan could prove a test of internal unity, particularly as the AIADMK prepares its organisational machinery for the 2026 Assembly elections.
–IANS
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