Post bypoll, AIADMK on a drive to remove TTV men from party

The decision which dispels the possibility of any compromise by the ruling party with Dinakaran after the bypoll result, was taken at a high-level meeting held to analyse the reasons and impact of the bypoll. Even while the meeting was going on in the city, party MLA Kanagaraj, hailing from the Kongu region, which backs Palansiwami, openly spoke about bringing TTV back to the party.

The district secretaries who were removed included P Vetrivel (North Chennai), NG Parthiban (Vellore East), N Rengaswamy (Thanjavur North) and Thangathamizhselvan (Theni), VP Kalairajan (South Chennai) and ‘Popular’ V Muthaiah (Tirunelveli Urban). Besides, Karnataka state secretary V Pugazhendhi, party spokesperson Nanjil Sampath, women’s wing deputy secretary CR Saraswathi, were expelled from the party.

Party co-ordinator O Panneerselvam and joint co-ordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami, in a statement here said the expelled party men had acted against AIADMK’s policies, objectives and principles and violated the party discipline causing disrepute to the party. The decision also serves as a warning to the ruling party functionaries who could make open demands to the party leadership to join hands with Dinakaran.

Explaining the decision, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said action would be taken against those who betrayed the party, adding that Dinakaran had received the votes by deceiving the people.Denying reports that divisions within the ruling party had hit the party’s prospects, OPS said there were no disputes within the party and no one had crossed over to Dinakaran’s side during the campaign. He also supported the expulsion of TTV’s supporters and asserted that action would be initiated against those who betrayed the party.