Thevar Jayanthi: Trouble brews in AIADMK as Sengottaiyan joins OPS and TTV in Pasumpon

Chennai: Senior leader K A Sengottaiyan, who was removed from his party posts after he called for unification of the AIADMK, on Thursday met with rebel leaders, O Panneerselvam and T T V Dhinakaran at the Thevar Jayanthi event in Pasumpon.

Sengottaiyan, whose idea to bring back leaders like V K Sasikala, OPS, and TTV into the party has been shot down by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, travelled in OPS’ car from Madurai to Pasumpon, a distance of 90kms. 

Before reaching Pasumpon, Sengottaiyan and OPS moved to a van and stood atop on it for a few minutes and waved hands at their supporters. At Pasumpon, they were joined by Dhinakaran, who welcomed Sengottaiyan’s efforts to unite the AIADMK. 

This is the first time that Sengottaiyan has met rebel AIADMK leaders in public, especially after his September 5 press conference in which he asked Palaniswami to initiate the process of unifying the party. After the press conference, Sengottaiyan was sacked from his party posts, but he soon met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the internal affairs of the AIADMK.

Sengottaiyan choosing Thevar Jayanthi – the birth and death anniversary of Forward Bloc leader Muthuramalinga Thevar – for his meeting with rebel leaders is significant. It will now become difficult for Palaniswami to act against Sengottaiyan as he would claim that he was sacked for simply participating in Thevar event. 

Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Palaniswami said he was aware of Sengottaiyan’s activities but refused to categorically say whether he will act against him. “It's because of such betrayers that the AIADMK could not win the 2026 Assembly elections,” Palaniswami said.

Dhinakaran, OPS, and Sengottaiyan said the efforts to unify the party has begun from Pasumpon and it will continue until the goal is achieved.

“It's heartwarming to see Sengottaiyan join us in asking for unification of the party,” he added.