How will Vijay’s TVK benefit from Sengottaiyan’s arrival? Ex-TN minister resigns as MLA

Senior AIADMK leader and former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa's ground strategist, K.A. Sengottaiyan, is all set to join actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) on November 27. The veteran Gobichettipalayam MLA resigned as a legislator on Wednesday to facilitate the induction.

Sengottaiyan called on Assembly Speaker M. Appavu in person and submitted his resignation letter, formally ending his tenure as a legislator from the Gobichettipalayam constituency and his five-decade-long association with the AIADMK. His arrival at the Secretariat created a buzz in political circles. DMK senior leader and HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekhar Babu had a brief chat with him inside the Assembly Speaker's room.

As one of the most influential figures from western Tamil Nadu in the AIADMK, Sengottaiyan was known to be a ground-level strategist for AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa. Regarded as a leader groomed by MGR, Sengottaiyan has been elected to the assembly nine times and served as a minister in both MGR and Jayalalithaa's cabinets. He had held several key positions in the party and the government. His exit from the AIADMK followed months of internal tensions. Along with five other former ministers, Sengottaiyan said that he urged AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami to readmit expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, and V.K. Sasikala to strengthen the party. Palaniswami, however, opposed this proposal, and Sengottaiyan’s influence in the party subsequently declined. Incidentally, Sengottaiyan also called on Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and, later, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Chennai. It was said that the BJP ensured that the AIADMK renewed its alliance only after his meeting with Shah. AIADMK sources indicated that Sengottaiyan was considered an option to replace Palaniswami if the latter denied an alliance with the BJP.

However, the meetings did not help Sengottaiyan politically and only ensured his downfall. After realising that he was being sidelined, Sengottaiyan called a press conference and set an ultimatum for Palaniswami to reunite the party. But EPS removed Sengottaiyan from all party positions. Later, when Sengottaiyan called on Dhinakaran and O. Panneerselvam during the Thevar Jayanthi event at Pasumpon on October 30, he was expelled from the party. And now, with the AIADMK's general council scheduled to happen on December 10, it is likely that his expulsion will be ratified.

Left in the lurch, Sengottaiyan had only a few options: stay with rebels OPS and Dhinakaran, choose the DMK, choose to join the BJP, or join Vijay. While Dhinakaran and OPS are also nowhere in Tamil Nadu politics, Sengottaiyan’s chances of going with the BJP were slim, as it was in alliance with the AIADMK. Sengottaiyan’s natural choice was TVK, as he had been groomed as an anti-DMK politician.

Hours before setting out to Chennai to tender his resignation, Sengottaiyan, while replying to questions from the media at the Coimbatore airport, said that he had witnessed several ups and downs. “The reward I have been given is that I should not even be a member of this movement (AIADMK). It is well known that this has caused me deep anguish. I have no further comments on this,” he said.

Advantage TVK

Sengottaiyan joining the TVK is seen as an added advantage for the TVK, as he is well-experienced in electoral politics and can strategise on the ground for Vijay. Until now, Vijay has not had a single experienced politician by his side who is well-versed in electoral politics and has administrative knowledge. Also, being one of the strong faces from the western region, it is believed that he can bring a good chunk of votes from the region to Vijay’s TVK and disrupt the prospects of the Dravidian majors in the region.