"Pained, Sleepless": AIADMK Leader Expelled After Half-A-Century With Party

Expelled AIADMK leader KA Sengottaiyan has criticised the Tamil Nadu party for the action against him over his suggestion that other sacked figures like ex-chief minister O Panneerselvam; VK Sasikala, party icon Jayalalithaa's aide, and TTV Dhinakaran may be allowed to return.

"I am pained, in tears and sleepless over my expulsion," Sengottaiyan said.

He said what hurt him the most - after having worked in the party for over half a century - was the AIADMK not giving him at least a notice or a chance to respond to the allegations against him.

"I didn't issue any ultimatum to the party to re-induct expelled leaders. I only wanted a decision after discussions. My suggestions were to renew the AIADMK and fulfil MGR and Jayalalithaa's dreams," he said.

He also launched a direct, frontal attack on Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) for calling him the ruling DMK's "B-team".

"It's true I spoke to the expelled leaders seeking their cooperation. But EPS has said I am the DMK's B-team. The country knows who that is. I am not anyone's B-team, but EPS is A-team," Sengottaiyan said.

The list of sacrifices, Sengottaiyan said, that he has made in the party's service is long.

I have been working since MGR's days, dedicated to AIADMK. I won MGR's appreciation and Jayalalithaa herself acknowledged my sincerity and she rewarded me twice, but I gave up the opportunity to lead the party to avert a split in AIADMK," he said, adding he endorsed EPS to avert a split when Sasikala played her hand after Jayalalithaa died.

The AIADMK, however, alleged Sengottaiyan for unknown motives maintained contact with individuals who had previously been expelled from the party, and violated discipline and brought disrepute to the organisation.

After the expulsion, EPS asked all party members to sever all connections with Sengottaiyan and to refrain from having any form of contact with him. Earlier in September, EPS removed Sengottaiyan from his roles as district organisation secretary and district secretary of Erode suburban west district.