Chennai: AIADMK Interim General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Edappadi K.Palaniswami on Tuesday expelled MGR loyalist, senior leader and former Minister Panruti S.Ramachandran from the primary membership of the party for anti-party activities, even as the rebel faction headed by former CM O.Panneerselvam appointed him as the party’s Political Advisor.
In a statement here, Palaniswami said Ramachandran, who is also the AIADMK’s Organising Secretary, was expelled from the party for acting in a manner that brought disrepute to the party and for violating the party discipline.
In a statement here, Palaniswami said Ramachandran was also relieved from all party posts and urged the AIADMK cadres not to have any links with him.
The expulsion comes a couple of hours after Panneerselvam, who had called on Ramachandran recently, said he was appointing him as the Political Advisor of the party.
It may be recalled that the AIADMK was embroiled in a leadership tussle after the Palaniswami camp sacked Panneerselvam for barging into the AIADMK office on the General Council meeting day on July 11 leading to a violent clashes between the supporters of the two leaders.
In the GC meeting, Palaniswami, former Co-coordinator, was unanimously made as the interim general secretary reverting back to the unitary leadership days of party Founder MGR and late leader J.Jayalalithaa.
Palaniswami said the posts of Coordinator, held by OPS and the Co-coordinator formed in December 2021 meeting, had ceased to exist as it was not ratified in the June 23 General Council meeting, where the decision to convene another GC meet on July 11 was announced where EPS was elected as interim General Secretary, while sacking OPS and his loyalists from the party.
OPS had stoutly opposed the unitary leadership and had been contending that he still continued to be the Coordinator of the
AIADMK.
Both the camps have taken the legal route and the matter was pending before the court, though the Madras High Court had cleared the appointment of EPS as interim General Secretary and gave the nod for the decisions taken at the July 11 GC
meeting. This was challenged by the OPS in the court and the EPS faction too filed a caveat stating that no orders should be
passed without hearing his side.
