Chennai/IBNS: In widening of the rift within the AIADMK, party general secretary Edapaddi Palaniswamy on Saturday removed senior leader KA Sengottaiyan from all posts with an immediate effect, media reports said.

Sengottaiyan was the District Organisation Secretary and District Secretary of the party in the Erode Suburban West District.

In an official communication, AIADMK said as quoted by NDTV, "In the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) Erode Suburban West District: Thiru. K.A. Sengottaiyan, M.L.A., who has been holding the responsibilities of District Organization Secretary and District Secretary of the Erode Suburban West District, is hereby relieved of these responsibilities with effect from today."

Sengottaiyan, a veteran and former minister, is leading a push to reintegrate expelled leaders—namely O. Panneerselvam (OPS), V.K. Sasikala, and T.T.V. Dhinakaran—arguing this is essential for party unity ahead of the 2026 elections.

He had publicly issued a 10-day ultimatum to EPS for a decision.

V.K. Sasikala, who has lingered on the sidelines since being expelled, is now signaling her political re-entry—calling the party "not on the right track" and evoking the legacy of J. Jayalalithaa ("restore Amma's rule").

Sengottaiyan’s push for unity appears aligned with Sasikala’s comeback, suggesting a possible coalition of dissident voices. 

Meanwhile, the AIADMK is set to contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections in an alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The lead-up to the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections is being shaped through intense internal realignments—unity vs. factionalism, old guard vs. new leadership, and alliance vs. independence.

EPS is trying to project unity through BJP partnership, while dissenting leaders push the idea that AIADMK’s revival depends on accepting all factions.

AIADMK stands at a crossroads: strength through reunification or fragmentation and internal collapse.

The Tamil Nadu assembly elections will be held in early 2025.