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AIADMK Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister K Palaniswami issued a joint statement to remove 9 key members of the AIADMK who backed sidelined party deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran.
The decision was taken at a high-level committee meeting called by the two top party office-bearers to analyse the party's performance after the thumping defeat in RK Nagar polls by TTV Dhinkaran of the rival faction.
The statement issued after the committee meeting also said that strict action would be taken against anyone who betrayed AIADMK.
The ruling AIADMK urged EC to probe alleged irregularities committed by supporters of TTV Dhinakaran in the bypoll held on 21 December.
Meanwhile, Dhinkaran rejected the ruling camp’s charge of a pact with the DMK in the bypolls.
After the bypoll result was announced on 24 December, the ruling AIADMK had alleged there was a 'tacit understanding' between opposition DMK and Dhinakaran.
Dhinakaran said DMK appeared to have made "an arithmetic" mistake" and was 'overconfident'.
In a related development, expelled AIADMK Rajya Sabha member Sasikala Pushpa called on Dhinkaran and congratulated him on Monday.
Rejecting the charge, DMK’s Stalin also alleged it was the state ministers under the charge of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam who aided the Dhinakaran camp in distributing money to the voters.
Responding to reporters' queries on the charge by AIADMK, he asserted that the DMK faced the poll only in "alliance with democracy".
The bypoll was held to fill the vacancy caused by the death of sitting MLA and then-chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Published: 25 Dec 2017,03:46 PM IST