​Chennai: Sidelined deputy general secretary of the AIADMK TTV Dhinakaran has raised the flag of revolt and taken the tough stance making it clear that members owing allegiance to him should not attend the September 12 party general council and executive committee meetings.

It was recently that the two factions headed by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and now Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam merged and have now decided to convene the meeting that can spell disaster for the Dhinakaran faction.

Dhinakaran said today that as per the party rules, the general council meeting could be convened only when one-fifth of the members gave it in writing and it was for the party general secretary to convene the meeting.

Only party general secretary VK Sasikala, who is now in jail, can convene the general council and executive committee meetings, he said, adding that the September 12 meeting convened by the faction jointly headed by Palaniswami and Panneerselvam was illegal.

He urged party cadres not to attend the general council meeting and warned of strong action if anyone failed to follow the direction.

Following the death of Chief Minister and party general secretary J Jayalalithaa last year, her close aide Sasikala was chosen as the interim general secretary.

Panneerselvam who was then Chief Minister quit and rebelled against Sasikala and demanded her ouster from the party.

Before going to jail in a corruption case, Sasikala had appointed her nephew Dinakaran as the party’s deputy general secretary who led the faction of which Palaniswami was part.

But later Palaniswami and his faction not only distanced themselves from Dhinakaran, but also claimed that his appointment to the party post was invalid.

With the merger of the factions, the general council meeting has been convened and on the agenda is dismissal of Sasikala from the general secretary post which can pose threats to Dhinakaran and his team.