AIADMK tussle: Shanmugam-Velumani seeks disqualification of EPS

In Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK faction led by senior party leaders C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani on Thursday claimed that they had the majority MLAs on their side and accused party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami and his supporting legislators of "defying" its whip regarding the floor test of the TVK government, and sought their disqualification. C Vijayabaskar, 'whip' of the faction, told reporters in Chennaithat the legislature party is decided based on majority numbers and indicated that the Shanmugam-Velumani faction enjoyed that. His instruction to vote in favour of the C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government during its confidence vote on Wednesday was duly communicated to all the AIADMK MLAs through Whatsapp and e-mail, he said.
"Of the 47 MLAs, 25 abided by the instruction. As many as 22 party MLAs, including Edappadi Palaniswami, did not comply with the instructions issued by me, who is the whip and went contrary to that. So we have met the Assembly Speaker today and sought their disqualification under the anti-defection law," he said. "Majority of MLAs under Velumani followed the whip order. So only majority is valid," he said. Velumani, citing precedents, said that when a split emerges in a party due to difference of opinion, no decisions can be taken; neither can someone be appointed or removed from party posts or the organisation.
Hitting out at the party chief, he said his actions pertaining to sacking functionaries from party posts and and making new appointments were "not valid." "Our intent is to strengthen the party. Bring back those who had gone, who had been sacked from party. Why did MGR star the party to oppose DMK," the former minister said.  Palaniswami's decisions regarding removing people from their party positions are not valid and "they continue in their posts," he added.