"I am working to ensure a united AIADMK": AIADMK leader Sengottaiyan pitches for bringing back of expelled leaders

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 5 (ANI): AIADMK leader K A Sengottaiyan on Friday called for the induction of the expelled leaders, including V K Sasikala, O Panneerselvam, and T T V Dhinakaran, into the party, arguing that it is necessary for the party to win election.
He said soon after the Lok Sabha election results were announced, senior leaders of the party met AIADMK's general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and asked for bringing back the leaders who left the party. But EPS did not heed the suggestion, he said.
"I am working to ensure a united AIADMK. Since 2016, the election results have not been in our favour. If we had an alliance with the BJP, we would have won 30 seats in the Parliament election," Sengottaiyan said in a press conference here.
"Despite whatever efforts we made, we could not achieve success and win. After we lost the election, we senior leaders met with EPS and offered our suggestions. EPS was not able to listen to and follow our suggestions," he added.
He said AIADMK can only win elections if it brings back the expelled leaders.
"Only if we bring back those (factions) who left us can we win the election. We should accept and induct those who left. They have even stated they have no preconditions for reunification. We should bring our factions together to ensure we win the election and provide good governance in Tamil Nadu. Let us call all those who left us. Let's fulfil the dream of crores of our cadres. Only if we do this soon can we achieve victory in the election. There is not much time left before the election. A decision must be taken soon," he said.
Sengottaiyan, an influential leader from western Tamil Nadu from where Palaniswami also hails, has been sulking for the past several months upset over the functioning of the AIADMK.
There were reports that he has differences with EPS over the way he is leading the party. EPS has been running the party ever since he was named as the general secretary by the General Council in July 2022 following the expulsion of O Panneerselvam. And, the party hasn't registered a victory in any election held since 2016.
AIADMK has recently re-established its tie with the BJP, and has decided to contest the 2025 Assembly election together with other partners in the NDA alliance. (ANI)