Former AIADMK Minister Sengottaiyan weighs leap to Vijay’s TVK
Both sides reportedly discussed modalities; while the ousted AIADMK veteran had spoken with Vijay, his family members met Aadhav Arjuna
TVK leader Vijay, former AIADMK minister KA Sengottaiyan
CHENNAI: Political circles in Tamil Nadu are abuzz with speculation that former AIADMK Minister KA Sengottaiyan may soon join actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), with party insiders indicating that preliminary talks have already taken place.
A clearer picture is expected in the coming days.
Sengottaiyan, a dominant force in the AIADMK’s western belt, has been elected to the Assembly nine times — first from Sathyamangalam and later eight times from Gobichettipalayam. A senior leader with decades of organisational experience, he served as the party's headquarters secretary between 2006 and 2012 and was appointed presidium chairperson in 2017, soon after O Panneerselvam revolted against VK Sasikala.
His ties with the current leadership reportedly soured when he, along with six former ministers, urged AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to readmit expelled leaders Panneerselvam, TTV Dhinakaran, and Sasikala to strengthen the party. The proposal was rejected, and Sengottaiyan’s influence is said to have waned thereafter.
Tensions escalated after he issued a 10-day deadline to party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami to reunify the factions. He was stripped of all party posts the next day. On September 8, he travelled to New Delhi and met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where the AIADMK’s political turbulence was reportedly discussed.
His participation alongside Sasikala, Dhinakaran, and Panneerselvam at the Thevar Jayanthi event in Pasumpon — where they jointly garlanded the memorial — led to his expulsion from the party’s primary membership.
The speculation surrounding Sengottaiyan’s shift also comes at a time when leaders like TTV Dhinakaran and O Panneerselvam — both key players in the 2024 NDA alliance — have distanced themselves from the combine after sensing the BJP’s unwillingness to push for their reinstatement in the AIADMK.
With Palaniswami taking the AIADMK back into the NDA fold for the upcoming Assembly polls, these leaders now find themselves politically sidelined. Analysts say Vijay appears to be their only viable option.
Firm in his refusal to align with the BJP or its allies, Vijay has effectively shut out the AIADMK but remains open to inducting leaders with organisational heft into the TVK, which is positioning itself as a credible alternative to the ruling DMK.
