Separate entity status for rebel Tamaraikani

CHENNAI, OCT 13: Expelled8217; AIADMK member and Srivilliputtur MLA R Tamaraikani will be identified as the AIADMK Tamaraikani8217; member in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The three other AIADMK MLAs 8212; P R Sundaram, C Karuppasamy and newly elected R Viswanathan 8212; owing allegiance to party general secretary J Jayalalitha 8212; will continue to function in the name of AIADMK. Viswanathan, elected from Natham in the recent Assembly by-poll, is yet to be sworn in as a member of the House.

Stating this to mediapersons at the Secretariat, Assembly Speaker P T R Palanivel Rajan also announced that Sundaram will be recognised as the leader of the AIADMK legislative group in the House. He said these decisions were taken following a letter dated September 15, 1999, from Jayalalitha to the Speaker stating that Tamaraikani had been expelled from the primary membership of the party with effect from August 18, and he may be treated as expelled from the AIADMK legislature party.