Chennai: Finally, the AIADMK leaders gathered enough courage and ousted Sasikala and family members from the helm of affairs of the party.

It is official now: VK Sasikala was removed as interim general secretary of the party and his nephew as the deputy general secretary through resolutions passed by the general council meeting of the party today in Chennai.

Sasikala was appointed as the interim general secretary in December 2016 after the death of the chief minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. In fitness of things, the AIADMK general secretary also resolved to make Amma as the eternal general secretary and declared that the party will henceforth be run by a 11 member panel headed by deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami as his deputy. This party panel will steer the party affairs and both these leaders have been authorised to nominate candidates on behalf of the party in all elections.

In all 114 MLAs attended the general council meeting with 19 MLAs supporting Dinakaran stayed away. A senior minister said action will be taken against these MLAs.

Dinakaran hit back and said that “the general council meeting itself was illegal and all its decisions were illegal and subject to the scrutiny of the Madras High court.” It is clear that the EPS government does not have the support of 117 MLAs and which is why the governor must order a floor test, Dinakaran said addressing media persons in Madurai.

“We have full faith in judiciary,” said CR Saraswathi, AIADMK spokesperson supporting Sasikala, adding that the battle will be fought in the courts.

The AIADMK general council meeting, that began at 10.35 a.m. and removed Sasikala and Dinakaran from party posts. Senior AIADMK leaders are confident that all MLAs would get back in the interests of Amma government and not help the DMK in its game. “If Dinakaran teams up with Stalin, it will only expose him among the people,” said a senior minister.

Dinakaran also dared the EPS government to prove its strength on the floor of the assembly. Meanwhile, A Sarvanan, DMK spokesperson too said that the AIADMK general council meeting seemed to be illegal as per that party’s rules, regulations and byelaws.