CHENNAI: Signalling further intra-party tussle, AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala on Tuesday expelled Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and 18 others, including many senior functionaries, from the primary membership for their ‘anti-party’ activities and directed the party cadre not to have any truck with them.
The announcement about their expulsion came just after Panneerselvam appealed to the AIADMK MLAs to take the right decision at this crucial moment to safeguard the AIADMK government in the State. Already, Sasikala had expelled party’s praesidium chairman E Madhusudan and Villupuram north district secretary G Lakshmanan for extending support to Panneerselvam.
The list of expelled included many senior leaders, former ministers and a present minister – former ministers C Ponnaiyan, Natham R Viswanathan, Parithi Elamvazhuthi, K P Munusamy, K A Jayapal, K Pandiarajan and P Mohan, former Speaker of State Assembly P H Pandian, his son P H Manoj Pandian, J C D Prabhakar, deputy secretary, minorities welfare wing and former Union minister E Ponnusamy.
Besides, Sasikala also expelled district level functionaries and former MLAs, including S Muthuselvi, former MLA, Sankarankovil constituency, M Muthuramalingam, former secretary, Madurai urban district, G Ayyappan, former MLA and secretary, Cuddalore east district, V Neelakandan, former MLA and presidium chairman, North Chennai South district, KAK Mugil, joint secretary, MGR youth wing and SK Selvam, former MLA and deputy secretary, Jayalalithaa Peravai and K Thavasi, former MLA and deputy secretary, MGR Mandram.