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After taking over, Palaniswami expels Panneerselvam’s sons, other supporters from AIADMK
AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday expelled 18 supporters of O Panneerselvam (OPS), including his two sons, for indulging in “anti-party” activities.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Thursday expelled 18 supporters of O Panneerselvam (OPS), including his two sons, for indulging in “anti-party” activities.
AIADMK’s only Lok Sabha member OP Ravindranath, and VP Jayapradeep, both sons of OPS, along with Vellamandi N Natarajan — the Tiruchirappalli-based party strongman who sided with Panneerselvam — were expelled on Thursday.
It came three days after OPS and senior leaders — R Vaithilingam, JCD Prabhakar and PH Manoj Pandian — were expelled in the July 11 general council meeting of the party that also chose EPS as the new interim general secretary.
“These people are being removed from their primary membership of the AIADMK for acting in contradiction with the goals and policies of the party,” EPS said in a statement. “They also brought disrepute to the AIADMK.”
All 18 leaders expelled on Thursday have been steadfast in their support for the sidelined OPS.
Besides the sons of OPS and former minister Natarajan, other prominent members expelled on Thursday include Syed Khan, a former MP and the Theni district secretary, RT Ramachandran, district secretary of Perambalur, and Marudhu Azhaguraj, former editor of AIADMK mouthpiece, Namadhu MGR.
EPS also instructed the party cadre not to get “in touch with those who have been expelled”.
EPS, who is the leader of the opposition, has also called for a meeting of party legislators on July 17. People familiar with the matter said the party may remove OPS as the deputy leader of the opposition and appoint a new deputy floor leader for the assembly.
OPS, who continues to call calling himself the coordinator of the AIADMK, has challenged the proceedings of the July 11 general council meeting in court.
On Thursday, the Madras high court heard arguments by counsels of EPS and OPS over the lock and sealing of AIADMK’s headquarters on July 11. The case has been posted for further hearing on Friday.
