16 AIADMK Workers Dismissed for Association With Sasikala

VK Sasikala was to be released from the Parappana Agrahara Central prison in Bengaluru on the morning of 27 January. Image used for representation.

(Photo: PTI)

At a legislators meeting conducted at AIADMK headquarters in Chennai, 16 party functionaries who had corresponded with former interim General Secretary VK Sasikala were expelled from the party.

The action came following a resolution to take action against party workers who spoke to Sasikala. In a statement, the party termed Sasikala's telephonic conversations with party cadre as 'drama', stating that the party will never destroy itself for the desires of one family, ANI reported.

AIADMK spokesperson V Pugazhendi was also dismissed for anti-party activities, ANI reported.

Earlier this month, at a high-level meeting of AIADMK leaders, Tamil Nadu’s Opposition leader and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami had said that VK Sasikala and her kin do not have a place in the party.

A leaked audio clip, hinting that the aide of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was going to make efforts to regain control of the party, had emerged earlier. Palaniswami, citing the clip, expressed his disapproval of such efforts.

O Panneerselvam Elected Deputy Leader of Opposition

Meanwhile, AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam was elected as the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and former minister SP Velumani was chosen to be the party whip on Monday.

Other appointments included S Ravi, a three-time legislator representing the reserved constituency of Arakkonamm, as deputy whip; former Information Minister Kadambur C Raju as the treasurer; former Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan as the secretary and PH Manoj Pandian, a legislator, as the deputy secretary.

(With inputs from ANI)