CHENNAI: The AIADMK has almost completed the process of weeding out supporters of V K Sasikala and T T V Dhinakaran from the party. The exercise, which started on December 25, after the party’s defeat in the by-election to RK Nagar Assembly constituency, is to end in a day or two.
So far, in all, the party has expelled over 3,500 functionaries in all the 50 party districts as well as in its Puducherry unit. Many among the 18 MLAs have also been stripped of their party posts. On Saturday, 168 functionaries from North Chennai were expelled for “anti-party activities”. This was announced by party coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami in a joint statement.
Party sources said in the next few days, some more functionaries whose names were missed out could be expelled. Later, announcements about new office-bearers would begin. Most of the new office-bearers are likely to be announced ahead of the 70th birth anniversary of the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
On December 25, taking stock of the reasons for the defeat of AIADMK presidium chairman and party candidate E Madhusudhanan in RK Nagar by-election, the party coordinator said, all those who had betrayed the party–from the key to grassroots level –would be weeded out and new office-bearers appointed. Madhusudhanan also wrote a letter to Panneerselvam and Palaniswami seeking action against those responsible for his defeat.
Key functionaries who have been expelled include V P Kalairajan, secretary, South Chennai North, Popular V Muthiah, secretary, Tirunelveli urban district, V Pugazhendhi, secretary, Karnataka State unit, and spokespersons A Dheeran, Nanjil Sampath and C R Saraswathi, former ministers C Shanmugavelu, Isakki Subbaiah, Valarmathi Jebaraj and K T Pachamal, former MLAs Michael Royappan, Ce Venkatachalam, Durai Manickavel, S K Selvam, Durai Govindarajan, A T Saraswathi and Vanur M Ganapathi, Thottiyam Rajasekar, Molachur R Perumal, Cholan Chitha Palanichami, K K Umadevan and K Annamalai.
Besides, P Vetrivel, N G Parthiban, M Rengasamy and Thanga Thamizhselvan, secretaries of North Chennai North, Vellore East, Thanjavur North and Theni districts, respectively, and district secretaries of MGR youth wing in seven districts, Coimbatore MP P Nagarajan, former MP C Gopal and K Sugumar have been stripped of their party posts.