Chennai, 6 Sep

AIADMK senior K A Sengottaiyan, who demanded party General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, to take back into the AIADMK fold all those who left the party, was stripped of his party posts on Saturday.

A brief statement from the party said that Palanisami has removed Sengottaiyan from the posts of (state) organising secretary and Erode rural west district secretary.

During his "open talk" with the media in Erode,Sengottaiyan had asked Palaniswami to initiate steps to bring about unification among the expelled leaders within ten days.

Reacting to the action, nine-time MLA Sengottaiyan, said, "I never expected my removal from the party posts of 'AIADMK Organisation Secretary and Erode Rural West District Secretary' by the AIADMK General Secretary."

Speaking to reporters from his farmhouse in his native village, Kullampalayam near Gobichettipalayam on Saturday, he termed the action an undemocratic approach.

He also said that he would continue his efforts to unite the expelled leaders with the party. Sengottaiyan avoided using Palaniswamy's name and referred to him as 'General Secretary' as he did during his press conference on Friday.

The lawmaker from Gobichettipalayam constituency in Erode district had claimed on Friday that it was ousted interim general secretary VK Sasikala, who endorsed Palaniswami as the CM candidate in the past.

 "If Palaniwami fails to initiate steps to bring about unity in the AIADMK in ten days, then we will unite all like-minded people and ensure the party gets strengthened," the former minister said.

Sengottaiyan's plea for rapprochement on the principle of "marappom, mannippon" (forget and forgive) did not appear to go well with the AIADMK under Palaniswami.

A senior leader in the AIADMK said that EPS had made it clear several times that those who have been expelled from the party would never be accommodated.

"Sengottaiyan is only attempting to create confusion in the party. A majority of us are with Palaniswami," a senior leader said.