Senior AIADMK leader and former minister K.A. Sengottaiyan stayed away from Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s campaign event in Gopichettipalayam, even as thousands of party cadres lined the streets to give the opposition leader a grand welcome.
Palaniswami, driving from Salem, was received with elaborate decorations, flags and cheers from supporters across Erode district. At the town bus stand, MLAs Selvaraj, K.C. Karuppanan, and Jeyakumar, along with city secretary Prinyo Ganesh, led the reception, while cadres draped him with a shawl and raised slogans.
The former Chief Minister briefly addressed the gathering before moving towards Sathiyamangalam, where he was greeted again by enthusiastic crowds.
Sengottaiyan’s absence, however, has triggered speculation. The veteran leader, who recently voiced concerns about party coordination, was stripped of some responsibilities after missing the midnight event in Chennai linked to Palaniswami’s route through Gopichettipalayam. His boycott highlights simmering tensions within the AIADMK even as the party projects unity under the slogan “Makkalai Kaappom, Tamilagamai Meetpom.”