ERODE: KA Sengottaiyan, chief coordinator of the Tamilaga Vettrik Kazhagam (TVK), campaigned in Vellalapalayam near Gobichettipalayam and later spoke to reporters. Sengottaiyan said the large crowds gathering for party leader Vijay without being paid showed that people had accepted him and were seeking political change.
He claimed that no other leader in India had received such a welcome and compared Vijay’s popularity to that of former chief minister MGR. Referring to Vijay’s tour in Trichy the previous day, he said Vijay got down from the bus and met the public despite police concerns over security. He described the response from children and youth as remarkable and expressed confidence that Vijay would become chief minister after the 2026 Assembly elections. On local demands, Sengottaiyan said making Gobichettipalayam a separate district, with its headquarters there, had been a long-standing demand. “Efforts were made during 2016–17 when they were in power, but the move was postponed,” he said, adding that if Vijay came to power, Gobichettipalayam would be declared a separate district. He noted that 100 acres of land were ready and government offices could be built immediately without additional cost.
He also said permission for a dyeing unit proposed across the Bhavani River in the Kodiveri area had been withdrawn for the first time in Tamil Nadu’s history. He attributed this to pressure exerted by his party along with farmers’ association leaders and said they remained committed to protecting the Bhavani River, which serves as a source of drinking water and irrigation for 10 blocks. Commenting on Naam Tamilar Katchi coordinator Seeman, Sengottaiyan said Seeman would not come to power and therefore did not merit a response.
He added that while he followed leadership decisions during his tenure as a nine-time MLA, he now had full faith in Vijay. He also referred to former AIADMK Speaker Dhanapal, saying he had been denied the chance to contest the Assembly election, while the TVK had given Dhanapal’s son an opportunity in the party. Sengottaiyan said Dhanapal had twice helped save the AIADMK during difficult times and questioned how such a loyal senior leader could now be sidelined, alleging that only those with money had a place in the party. He also spoke emotionally about being discarded by his former party, saying it was painful to be cast aside suddenly after having been elevated earlier. He said leadership should not be seen as something granted by one individual alone and that everyone had equal rights. He also accused the DMK government of failing to provide adequate security for TVK meetings.
