Major blow to Sasikala family as AIADMK ousts TTV Dinakaran from party

The latest development in the ongoing AIADMK faction war comes after negotiations between the ruling group (AIADMK-Amma) and the rebel faction (AIADMK-Puratchi Thalaivi Amma), led by former chief minister O Panneerselvam, on a possible merger were stalled earlier in the day. Maintaining a strong position, Panneerselvam had demanded the ouster of the party’s general secretary V K Sasikala and her nephew Dinakaran from the party.

Jayakumar, however, said the party’s decision was not linked to Panneerselvam’s demand that Sasikala and Dhinakaran should be kept away as a pre-condition for talks for merger of the rival factions. The minister also said that they were still prepared to hold talks with Panneerselvam.

Talks of a potential merger had emerged last evening after Dinakaran was booked by Delhi Police for allegedly trying to bribe an Election Commission official through a middleman to obtain the party’s two-leaves poll symbol ahead of the bypoll to R K Nagar assembly seat.

However, the poll, which was scheduled for April 12, was subsequently cancelled by the Election Commission amid allegations of bribing the voters. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in December last year.

With inputs from PTI