K. A. Sengottaiyan
Sengottaiyan in 2017
Cabinet Minister
Government of Tamil Nadu
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 May 2026
Minister
  • School Education
  • Youth Welfare and Sports Development
Chief Minister Vijay
In office
17 May 2017 – 6 May 2021
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Preceded by K. Pandiarajan
Succeeded by Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi
In office
26 January 2012 – 18 July 2012
Minister Revenue Department
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
In office
4 November 2011 – 26 January 2012
Minister Information Technology
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
In office
16 May 2011 – 4 November 2011
Minister Agriculture
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
In office
24 June 1991 – 12 May 1996
Minister Transport and forest
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
Leader of the House in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 May 2026
Chief Minister Vijay
Preceded by Duraimurugan
In office
14 February 2017 – 6 January 2018
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Preceded by O. Panneerselvam
Succeeded by O. Panneerselvam
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
19 May 2006 – 28 May 2006
Leader of Opposition O. Panneerselvam
Preceded by Duraimurugan
Succeeded by O. Panneerselvam
In office
23 June 1990 – 19 January 1991
Leader of Opposition S. R. Eradha
Preceded by Su. Thirunavukkarasar
Succeeded by O. Panneerselvam
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 May 2006
Preceded by S. S. Ramaneedharan
Constituency Gobichettipalayam
In office
7 June 1980 – 10 May 1996
Preceded by N. K. K. Ramasamy
Succeeded by G. P. Venkidu
Constituency Gobichettipalayam
In office
30 June 1977 – 17 February 1980
Preceded by S. K. Subramaniam
Succeeded by R. Rangasamy
Constituency Sathyamangalam
8th Presidium Chairman of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
10 February 2017 – 20 August 2017
General Secretary V. K. Sasikala (Interim)
Preceded by E. Madhusudhanan
Succeeded by E. Madhusudhanan
Headquarters Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
In office
14 August 2006 – 18 July 2012[1]
General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa
Preceded by D. Jayakumar
Succeeded by P. Palaniappan
In office
unknown – 9 June 2003[2]
General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded by D. Jayakumar
Chief Coordinator of the High-level Administrative Committee,
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam
Incumbent
Assumed office
27 November 2025
President Vijay
General Secretary N. Anand
Preceded by Position established
Personal details
Born (1948-01-09) 9 January 1948 (age 78)
Kullampalayam, Madras State, India
Party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (since 27 November 2025)
Other political
affiliations
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (1972–2025)
Parent
  • K. S. Arthanari Gounder[3] (father)
Education SSLC (10th) [4]

Kullampalayam Arthanari Sengottaiyan (born 9 January 1948), better known as K. A. Sengottaiyan, is an Indian politician from Tamil Nadu, who has been serving as a cabinet minister in the Government of Tamil Nadu since 10 May 2026. He is also the leader of the house in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the chief coordinator of the high level administrative committee of Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). He has had a long political career spanning over five decades, primarily with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). He was expelled from the AIADMK and later joined the TVK in November 2025.

Sengottaiyan was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, for the first time during the 1977 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Sathyamangalam constituency. He has been elected to the Tamil Nadu assembly a record ten times, including nine times from the Gobichettipalayam constituency. He has served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from since 1977, except for a period between 1996 to 2006. In the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly, he was the longest serving member of the assembly.

Sengottaiyan has held various portfolios as a minister in the Tamil Nadu Government. He served as the minister of transport from 1991 to 1996, minister of agriculture in 2011, minister of Information Technology from 2011 to 2012, and minister of revenue in 2012 under the chief minister-ship of J. Jayalalithaa. He later served as the minister of school education and youth welfare and sports development from May 2017 to May 2021 in the Palaniswami ministry.

Sengottaiyan served as the leader of the house in the Tamil Nadu assembly from February 2017 to January 2018. He also served as the deputy leader of opposition two times. He has also held various leadership positions with the AIADMK.

Political career

AIADMK (1972 – 2025)

Sengottaiyan was elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) candidate from Sathyamangalam constituency in 1977 election[5] and from Gobichettipalayam constituency in 1980, 1984, 1989 (Jayalalitha faction), 1991, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 in Erode district.[6][7][8][9][10] He allegedly punched Karunanidhi in his face during a violent clash in the assembly in 1989.[11]

Sengottaiyan was the minister for transport from 1991 to 1996 during the first cabinet of Jayalalithaa.[12] The 1992 Vachathi incident, a case involving mass murder and destruction of property by forest and police personnel in the tribal-dominated village happened during his reign as the forest minister. He later claimed that the report of violence was fabricated.[13][14]

In 2000, Sengottaiyan was convicted in two different corruption cases by the a Central Bureau of Investigation court for criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust involving misappropriation of transport Department funds related to his role as the minister. He was sentenced to four and five years of rigorous imprisonment in the cases respectively and given a fine of ₹0.105 million (US$1,100). Because of these convictions, he was disqualified from contesting the 2001 Assembly elections.[15][16][17] In February 2005, he was acquitted by the Madras High Court in both the cases. In November 2006, the Supreme Court of India declined to interfere with the High Court's judgment as the appeal of the Government of Tamil Nadu was filed with a delay.[18][19]

From 2006 to 2012, he served as the headquarters secretary of the AIADMK.[20] He was the minister for agriculture until November 2011 when a cabinet reshuffle by Jayalalithaa resulted in Sengottaiyan taking over the information technology portfolio.[21] Later in 2012, he was removed from his ministerial berth, and party positions by Jayalalithaa.[22]

After the death of Jayalalithaa on 5 December 2016, and following the appointment of Edappadi K. Palaniswami as the chief minister, Sengottaiyan was appointed as the minister for school education in February 2017. The appointment of Sengottaiyan was the only change made to the cabinet by Palaniswami at that time.[23]

In September 2025, Sengottaiyan urged the party general secretary Palaniswami to take steps to reunite expelled and dissenting leaders to restore the party’s strength ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election.[24][25] On 6 September 2025, he was removed from his party posts by Palaniswami.[26] He subsequently met union ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on 10 September 2025, where he discussed unifying and strengthening the AIADMK.[27][28][29] On 31 October 2025, he was expelled from the AIADMK under the allegation that he had accompanied expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam and T. T. V. Dhinakaran to Pasumpon for the Thevar Jayanthi ceremony.[30][31]

TVK (2025–present)

After Sengottaiyan was expelled from the AIADMK, he resigned as the member of the legislative assembly on 26 November 2025. He joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the presence of its leader Vijay and was appointed as the chief coordinator of the party's high-level administrative committee, and additionally as the organisation secretary for four western districts–Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, and the Nilgiris on 27 November 2025.[32] In the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, he was elected for a record tenth time to the state assembly, and was appointed as a cabinet minister in the Joseph Vijay ministry.[33] On 12 May 2026, he was named as the leader of the house in the assembly.[34]

Elections contested and results

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections

Year Constituency Party Votes % Opponent Opponent Party Opponent Votes % Result Margin %
2026 Gobichettipalayam TVK 82,612 37.60 Nallasivam. N DMK 65,992 30.03 Won 16,620 7.57
2021 AIADMK 108,608 51.00 G. V. Manimaran 80,045 37.58 Won 28,563 13.42
2016 96,177 47.00 S. V. Saravanan INC 84,954 41.52 Won 11,223 5.48
2011 94,872 54.47 N. S. Sivaraj KNMK 52,960 30.40 Won 41,912 24.07
2006 55,181 45.41 G. V. Manimaran DMK 51,162 42.10 Won 4,019 3.31
1996 45,254 40.63 G. P. Venkidu 59,983 53.86 Lost -14,729 -13.23
1991 66,423 68.18 V. P. Shanmoga Sundaram 27,211 27.93 Won 39,212 40.25
1989 37,187 38.14 T. Geetha JP 22,943 23.53 Won 14,244 14.61
1984 56,884 63.08 M. Andamuthu DMK 31,879 35.35 Won 25,005 27.73
1980 44,703 59.38 K. M. Subramaniam INC 29,690 39.44 Won 15,013 19.94
1977 Sathyamangalam 21,145 35.81 C. R. Rajappa 19,639 33.26 Won 1,506 2.55

References

  1. ^ "Jaya changes party HQ office-bearers". The New Indian Express. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. ^ "Jaya sacks two top leaders from party posts". The Times of India. 9 June 2003. Retrieved 9 June 2003.
  3. ^ "K. A. Sengottaiyan: Age, Biography, Education, Wife, Caste, Net Worth & More". One India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  4. ^ "K. A. Sengottaiyan: Age, Biography, Education, Wife, Caste, Net Worth & More". One India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  5. ^ "1977 Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  6. ^ "List of MLAs from Tamil Nadu" (PDF). Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2013.
  7. ^ "1980 Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  8. ^ "1984 Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  9. ^ "1991 Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  10. ^ "2006 Tamil Nadu Election Results" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  11. ^ Naig, Udhav (18 February 2017). "Nothing can 'beat' 1989 violence". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  12. ^ "K.A Sengottayan v. State Of Tamil Nadu". Case Mine. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  13. ^ "The Triumph of Vachathi over a Hostile State". Peoples democracy. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  14. ^ Srividya, P. V. (29 November 2023). "Vachathi | A tribal hamlet's road to justice paved over the course of 31 years amid hurdles". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  15. ^ "Jaya's minister Sengottaiyan gets 4 years' RI". Rediff. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Special judge rejects ex-minister Sengottaiyan's plea for stay". Rediff. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  17. ^ "When a convicted Sengottaiyan stood disqualified from contesting elections". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  18. ^ "SC dismisses the appeal of TN; clean chit to minister". One India. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  19. ^ "A former Minister and his 'vada case'". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  20. ^ "ஜெயலலிதா அமைச்சரவையின் 33 அமைச்சர்கள்: ஒரு பார்வை". One India (in Tamil). 16 May 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Jayalalithaa sacks six Tamil Nadu ministers". NDTV. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  22. ^ "அமைச்சர் செங்கோட்டையன் நீக்கம்; கட்சி பதவியும் பறிப்பு!". Vikatan. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  23. ^ Mariappan, Julie (16 February 2017). "31-member Palaniswami cabinet to be sworn in at 4.30pm". The Economic Times. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  24. ^ "Former T.N. Minister Sengottaiyan sets 10-day deadline for AIADMK unity talks". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 September 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  25. ^ Muruganandham, T. (6 September 2025). "Sengottaiyan's ultimatum puts EPS under pressure as AIADMK faces fresh test of unity". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Sengottaiyan removed as AIADMK organisation secretary, Erode Suburban (West) district secretary: Palaniswami". The Hindu. 6 September 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  27. ^ "AIADMK's K A Sengottaiyan meets Amit Shah; urges unity and return of expelled leaders to strengthen party". The New Indian Express. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  28. ^ "'Don't want to offend EPS': Sengottaiyan-Amit Shah meet brings BJP into AIADMK strife". The Times of India. 10 September 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
  29. ^ "Tamil Nadu Politics: Amit Shah Meets Sengottaiyan, Snubs EPS in AIADMK Rift". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
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  31. ^ "Tamil Nadu: KA Sengottaiyan to move court challenging his expulsion from AIADMK". The Hindustan Times. 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  32. ^ "Sengottaiyan, former Tamil Nadu Minister expelled from AIADMK, joins Vijay's TVK". The Hindu. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  33. ^ "From MGR's era to Vijay's TVK: KA Sengottaiyan's unique political journey". Mathrubhumi. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.
  34. ^ "TVK legislator JCD Prabhakar unanimously elected as TN Assembly Speaker". DT Next. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.