O Panneerselvam faction hails Election Commission rejecting reply on Sasikala's elevation

Chennai: The O Panneerselvam faction today welcomed the Election Commission rejecting AIADMK's response on the election of V K Sasikala as its General Secretary as the letter was signed by her nephew T T V Dinakaran, saying it was their "first victory."

"This is a victory for justice. It is our first victory," Panneerselvam aide and former minister K Pandiarajan said.

The Election Commission had yesterday rejected the response of the AIADMK on the elevation of Sasikala, saying Dinakaran, who signed the letter, was not in its list of party office bearers.

The EC had asked Sasikala to either sign the response herself or by an authorised signatory who is in the Commission's list of AIADMK office bearers and send it again by March 10.

"... Dinakaran (Sasikala's nephew, who was hurriedly reinducted into the party and nominated AIADMK deputy general secretary) is not an office bearer of your party as per the Commission's record... The reply should either be submitted under your own signature or you may duly authorise somebody to do so on your behalf," EC had said.

Sasikala is at present lodged in a Bengaluru jail.

Pandiarajan, expelled from AIADMK by Sasikala along with Panneerselvam after the latter revolted against her last month, said their plea was for holding election to the post of AIADMK General Secretary by all 1.6 crore-odd primary members.

"If that happens, with the monitoring of the Election Commission, it will be a first of its kind in India," he told reporters.