Nine-time MLA Sengottaiyan joins Vijay-led TVK ahead of Tamil Nadu polls, after 53 years with the AIADMK

Expelled AIADMK leader and nine-time MLA K A Sengottaiyan on Thursday joined actor-politician Vijay-led TVK in Chennai, after spending 53 years in the M G Ramachandran-founded party.

Sengottaiyan's induction into the TVK, which comes ahead of next year's Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu, was led by the party's founder Vijay, who hailed “Anna's” (elder brother) half a century of political experience.

Videos showed Vijay presenting the former AIADMK member with a yellow and red shawl.

“Sengottaiyan joined with MGR at the age of 20, having earned his trust. At such a young age, he assumed the significant responsibility of becoming an MLA. Within that movement, he was someone trusted by both the great leaders MGR and Jayalalithaa in the political arena,” the TVK founder said in a video message after welcoming the 77-year-old to his party.

“After having remained in the same movement for 50 years, I warmly welcome brother Sengottaiyan along with everyone who has joined him to work with us, with the confidence that his political experience and decades of field work will be a great strength to our Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam,” Vijay added, signalling that the TVK would also welcome Sengottaiyan loyalists who were also expelled from the AIADMK.

TVK insiders, meanwhile, told news agency PTI that Sengottaiyan's presence in the party would help to strengthen it in the Kongu region, especially in the eight Assembly constituencies in the Erode district from where he hails.

Prior to joining the TVK, the nine-time legislator resigned from the post of MLA for the Gobichettipalayam constituency on 26 November.

Why was Sengottaiyan expelled?

The AIADMK veteran was expelled from the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led party on 31 October last month.

The reason behind his expulsion was that he met with sacked leaders O P Panneerselvam, T T V Dhinakaran, and Palansiwami's aunt V K Sasikala, seeking their re-induction into the party.

After Sengottaiyan's expulsion, 14 loyalists of the nine-time MLA were also booted from the AIADMK.