Major blow to AIADMK, SC asks Sasikala to surrender immediately

New Delhi [India], Feb. 15 (ANI): In a major blow to All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Supreme Court has rejected party general secretary V.K. Sasikala's plea for more time to surrender before a Bengaluru court. She may, however, seek two weeks time on health grounds. Following the apex court order, Sasikala stands disqualified to take over as the next Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The party leadership has appointed Edapadi K. Palanisamy as the new legislative leader, while caretaker chief minister O. Panneerselvam has been expelled from the party. Other expelled leaders include AIADMK lawmaker K. Pandiarajan, former Assembly speaker P.H. Pandian and his son P.H. Manoj Pandiyan, N. Vishvananthan and senior party leader C. Ponnaiyan, K.P. Munusamy, J.C.D. Prabhakar, former minister Parithi Elamvaluthi, Ex-MP E. Ponnusamy, V. Neelakandan, ex-MLA V. Neelankandan, ex- MLA Ko. Ayyappan, M. Muthuramalingam and S. Muthuselvi. In another development, the late AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa's niece J. Deepa joined the O. Panneerselvam camp, even as TTV Dhinakaran, Sasikala's nephew, was appointed as the Deputy General Secretary of the AIADMK. On Tuesday, both factions of the AIADMK met Governor Vidyasagar Rao at Raj Bhavan in Chennai to stake a claim to form the next government in Tamil Nadu. (ANI)