At a legislators meeting conducted at AIADMK headquarters in Chennai, 16 party functionaries who had corresponded with former interim General Secretary VK Sasikala were expelled from the party.
The action came following a resolution to take action against party workers who spoke to Sasikala. In a statement, the party termed Sasikala's telephonic conversations with party cadre as 'drama', stating that the party will never destroy itself for the desires of one family, ANI reported.
AIADMK spokesperson V Pugazhendi was also dismissed for anti-party activities, ANI reported.
Earlier this month, at a high-level meeting of AIADMK leaders, Tamil Nadu’s Opposition leader and AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami had said that VK Sasikala and her kin do not have a place in the party.
A leaked audio clip, hinting that the aide of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was going to make efforts to regain control of the party, had emerged earlier. Palaniswami, citing the clip, expressed his disapproval of such efforts.
O Panneerselvam Elected Deputy Leader of Opposition
Meanwhile, AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam was elected as the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and former minister SP Velumani was chosen to be the party whip on Monday.
Other appointments included S Ravi, a three-time legislator representing the reserved constituency of Arakkonamm, as deputy whip; former Information Minister Kadambur C Raju as the treasurer; former Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan as the secretary and PH Manoj Pandian, a legislator, as the deputy secretary.
(With inputs from ANI)
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