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In Tamil Nadu, opposition AIADMK expels spokesperson, 16 functionaries for anti-party activities
The expulsions came after AIADMK's legislature party meeting, during which a decision was made to take action against those who had been speaking to VK Sasikala.
Tamil Nadu’s main opposition party the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Monday expelled 16 of its functionaries and partymen for anti-party activities, a statement from the party showed. The announcement was signed by AIADMK’s coordinator O Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.
Apart from the 16, the AIADMK also expelled V Pugazhendi, party’s spokesperson, from his primary membership and all other responsibilities in the party. Party functionaries across many districts such as Kallakurichi, Erode, Velore, Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Tiruchi, Thiruvannamalai, Kanyakumari and Chennai, have been removed, the statement showed.
The expulsions from the party’s management came after a legislature party meeting, during which a decision was unanimously made to take actions against those who had been speaking to VK Sasikala, expelled party leader and close aide to late former chief minister J Jayalalitha.
In its statement following the legislature meeting, the AIADMK dismissed Sasikala’s plan to return to active politics as “drama” and also said that the party “would never destroy itself for the desires of one particular family.”
Earlier on May 30, an audio clip of a telephonic conversation between Sasikala and her loyalist surfaced on social media garnering wide attention. In the audio, she had mentioned her plan to take back the control of AIADMK citing differences and infighting between its leaders, without naming anyone, according to a report by news agency PTI. However, the AIADMK has strongly denied her re-entry into the party.
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Senior party leaders like deputy coordinator KP Munusamy, former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and few others have earlier denied Sasikala’s return to the party. “Sasikala is not a member of the AIADMK and has no links whatsoever to the party. I myself and AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munuswamy have already made this amply clear,” PTI quoted Palaniswami as saying, earlier on June 4.
On Sunday, senior leader C Ponnaiyan too said that Sasikala was no longer a member of the AIADMK. “Sasikala is not a member of our party. She belongs to TTV Dhinakaran's group. She has no locus standi to say that she is going to revive AIADMK. Whoever is talking to Sasikala, they do not belong to AIADMK,” he told news agency ANI.
The AIADMK lost the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in April to arch rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). In March 2021, Sasikala had announced her retirement from politics after returning to Chennai from Bengaluru prison. She along with her nephew TTV Dhinakaran were removed from the party in 2017, after which Dhinakaran formed the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK).
