Decks Cleared for VK Sasikala's Removal from AIADMK Top Post, But Conditions Apply

Chennai: Decks have been cleared for the AIADMK to hold its General Council meeting on Tuesday where the party is expected to remove VK Sasikala and her nephew TTV Dinakaran.

It may, however, end up becoming a token gesture as any decision taken at the meeting will be subject to the Madras High Court’s final order of an appeal against the meeting on October 23.

The High Court had on Monday night upheld the order of a single judge dismissing a plea by Sasikala loyalist and MLA Vetrivel to stay the meeting convened by Chief Minister K Palaniswami-led faction. The judge in his order had also imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on Vetrivel for "wasting" the time of the court and advised him to stay at home if he didn’t wish to attend the meeting.

Agreeing with the judge, a two-judge bench of the High Court allowed the meeting but made it clear that any decision taken at the meeting will be subject to the final outcome in the appeal and posted the matter to October 23.

In his petition, Vetrivel had contended that the General Council meeting could not be convened in the absence of “interim” general secretary Sasikala who is lodged in a Bengaluru jail in a corruption case.

Dinakaran, who maintains he is the deputy general secretary of the AIADMK, had warned of legal action against those who participate in the meeting.

An AIADMK source, who will attend Tuesday’s meeting, told News18 that Sasikala may not directly be ousted from the party as a petition against her appointment as party general secretary is pending before the Election Commission. The source also confirmed that if Sasikala is removed from the party, the government is all probability may dissolve as the merged O Panneerselvam-Palaniswami faction still lacks majority in the Assembly.

Another source said Sasikala may be removed as the party's general secretary, but is not likely to be ousted from the party.

For now, uncertainty continues in the party with the Dinakaran camp not ready to give up after Panneerselvam (OPS) and Palaniswami (EPS) patched up. For the first time, Dinakaran told reporters in Madurai that he would send the government “packing” if the leadership is not changed. "We are ready to send this government back home. We will get rid of EPS and elect a good government. In 10 days, you will see a lot of changes happening. It is not good for Tamil Nadu if this government continues," he said.