AIADMK announces expulsion of 123 office-bearers in 4 districts

Chennai: The internal churning in the ruling AIADMK post its defeat in the RK Nagar bypoll continued today, with top leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami cracking the whip against dissidents in four districts. 

Panneerselvam, AIADMK coordinator, and Co-coordinator Palaniswami announced the expulsion of 123 office-bearers of the party’s units in Tiruchirappalli, Erode, Vellore and Ramanathapuram for bringing ‘disrepute’ to the organisation.

The Tiruchirappalli Rural unit topped the list, with 106 office-bearers being shown the door by the two leaders. The others were from Vellore West, Erode Rural and Ramanathapuram districts. In a joint statement, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami said these persons were being expelled from AIADMK for “acting in contravention to the party’s policies and ideals,” and for “bringing disrepute” to it.

They were being expelled from all their present posts, besides from the party’s primary membership, the two leaders said. They asked party workers to not to have any truck with expelled members. Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, who merged the factions led by them in August 2017, had last month warned of action against those who go against the party line, following its loss in the December 21 RK Nagar assembly bypoll which was won by sidelined party leader TTV Dhinakaran. 

They had earlier too expelled a number of functionaries while stripping some of the key aides of Dhinakaran of party posts. The party had yesterday removed its Coimbatore Lok Sabha MP AP Nagarajan from a key party post while expelling more than 150 office bearers there and in Kancheepuram district.