AIADMK crisis deepens, OPS camp expells Sasikala, her two relatives from party

Despite a line has been drawn between the two factions, the O Panneerselvam camp on Friday "expelled" to AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala and her two relatives from the party for “working against party principal ideals".

In a released statement, E Madusudanan, who was expelled as Presidium Chairman by Sasikala, said she did not keep her promise to the late Jayalalithaa that she will never enter into politics, and she had no inclination to be a part of the party or government. He asked party activists not to have any association with Sasikala.

The development came a day after Sasikala loyalist Edappadi K Palaniswami was sworn in as Chief Minister and he will seek a trust vote tomorrow in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Here are the highlights:

#3.36 PM

Minister KA Sengottayan appointed as floor leader of Tamil Nadu assembly: AIADMK- ANI

#2:48 PM

O Panneerselvam team members meet Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal; urge him to have secret ballot for confidence vote.

#2:45 PM

Whatever happens if it's through a democratic process, everybody will be happy: MLA R Nataraj, AIADMK on TN Assembly floor test

#1:10 PM

DMK has made it very clear that we'll not be against/for it; we'll not be participating: Kanimozhi, DMK on Assembly floor test pic.twitter.com/wKyX04z5RG

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 17, 2017

#1:00 PM

E Madhusudanan also removes #VKSasikala's nephew TTV Dinakaran & S Venkatesh from their respective party posts

#1:00 PM

AIADMK Presidium Chairman E Madhusudanan removes VK Sasikala from primary membership of the party

#12:00 PM

NGO Satta Panchayat Iyakkam withdraws application from SC seeking a stay on the appointment of Sasikala as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu

"V K Sasikala is being removed from the party's primary membership for going against the party principles and ideals, and having violated her promise to Amma (Jayalalithaa), besides facing criminal cases. She has brought disrepute to the party," he said in a statement.

Madusudanan, who had joined the Pannneerselvam camp last week, had been replaced with K A Sengottaiyan as the Presidium Chairman by Sasikala, a move rejected by the Panneerselvam camp.

He was also removed from the party's primary membership but insisted Sasikala had no authority to do so. Sasikala, serving a jail term in connection with the Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case in Bengaluru, had also removed former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam from the party's primary membership in the wake of his revolt against her. Madusudanan also announced the "expulsion" of AIADMK Deputy General Secretary T T V Dinakaran and S Venkatesh, both relatives of Sasikala, from the party.

He said Jayalalithaa had earlier (in 2011) expelled them from the party for "betraying" her. "Their re-induction, done without any authority, is being cancelled," he said. The two were allowed to join AIADMK on Wednesday by Sasikala, after six years of expulsion by her predecessor Jayalalithaa.

Sasikala had announced that they were being allowed to join after they expressed regret for their acts in person and through letter and requested that they be allowed to join the AIADMK again. In an intra-party power struggle, Panneerselvam had revolted against Sasikala on February 7, alleging he was forced to step down to make way for her elevation as Chief Minister.

She had been elected the AIADMK Legislature Party leader on February 5 to enable her become chief minister. But the Governor, Ch Vidyasagar Rao, had apparently chosen to await the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict in the disproportionate assets case.

Also Read: Nearly 200 AIADMK advocates support Panneerselvam