Overview
- AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami removed Sengottaiyan from primary membership, citing anti-party activity and ordering cadres to avoid any contact with him.
- The action followed Sengottaiyan’s October 30 appearance at Pasumpon with expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam and T. T. V. Dhinakaran, and a subsequent meeting with V. K. Sasikala.
- Sengottaiyan had pressed in September for readmitting expelled figures to unify the party before the 2026 Assembly election and was earlier stripped of party posts.
- After the expulsion, Sengottaiyan said he would consult lawyers and challenge it in court, arguing he was denied a chance to explain and questioning EPS’s authority.
- Political analyses frame the ouster as EPS reinforcing control and resisting reunification efforts, seen as a signal to those—including within the BJP—pushing for a broader anti-DMK alliance.