AIADMK expels O. Raja, brother of former Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam

The action follows Mr. Raja’s meeting with V.K. Sasikala in Tiruchendur on Friday

O. Raja, the younger brother of AIADMK coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, and chief of the Theni  District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Aavin), was on Saturday, expelled from the party.

This follows his meeting with sidelined former interim general secretary, V.K. Sasikala in Tiruchendur. On Friday night, the office of Ms. Sasikala released photographs of the meeting to the media.   

On Thursday, Mr. Panneerselvam was said to have conveyed to the party co-coordinator, Edappadi K Palaniswami, his distancing himself from a “unanimous resolution” passed by  functionaries in Theni district, belonging to both urban and rural units. The resolution, passed at a meeting held at the farmhouse of the former in Theni on Wednesday, said the party leadership should consider re-admitting both Ms.  Sasikala and her nephew, the AMMK’s general secretary,  T.T.V. Dhinakaran, “without any pre-condition.”

Along with Mr. Raja, three other functionaries of the Theni district -- S. Murugesan, secretary of the literary wing, Vaigai. Karuppuji, secretary of the fishermen’s wing and S. Sethupathi, secretary of the Gudalur town unit of Puratchi Thalaivi Peravai -- were removed from the organisation. 

The disciplinary action has been attributed to the conduct of these four persons, who “acted against objectives and policies” of the party; for “having brought disrepute” to the party and “violated the party discipline,”  according to a communication, issued by Mr. Panneerselvam and Mr. Palaniswami.

This is the second time in the past three years or so that Mr. Raja has been expelled from the party. In December 2018 too, hours before being elected chief of the Madurai District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union (Aavin), he faced a similar expulsion.  At that time, Mr. Raja was said to have approached the then R K Nagar legislator, Mr. Dhinkaran for support without the knowledge and approval of Mr. Panneerselvam.  A week later,  he was taken back into the party after having expressed his regret.  In March 2020, he became chairman of Theni district’s Aavin.

In two separate releases, the party announced the expulsion of 33 other functionaries from the Theni district for having worked against the AIADMK’s official candidates; contested against the party’s nominees and for having supported the DMK during the urban local body polls.  Among them was M.P. Ramar, deputy secretary of the Theni district unit of the party.