Panneerselvam in Delhi to meet CEC over Sasikala issue

Expelled AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is leading a nine-member delegation to the Election Commission of India today on the issue of V K Sasikala's appointment as AIADMK chief.

Senior leaders of the rebel faction, KP Munusamy, ‘Natham’ R Viswanathan, ‘Ma Foi’ K Pandiarajan, S Semmalai, both MLAs, and PH Manoj Pandian are accompanying Panneerselvam for the personal hearing scheduled for 12 pm on Wednesday.

Three MPs, Dr V Mairtreyan, PR Sundaram and Ashok Kumar are also part of the delegation representing the rebels before the Commission.

Panneerselvam will meet chief election commissioner Dr Nasim Zaidi in Delhi around noon on Wednesday and explain in person the issues under which Sasikala was appointed as the general secretary of the AIADMK.

"We have presented our replies to the EC, in 61 pages. We have rebutted each and every answer given by Sasikala to the EC challenging a petition given by us. We have also enclosed proper supporting evidences for our answers. We have replied to the EC in the form of an affidavit, and we are not in a position to give all the information presented to the EC," AIADMK Rajya Sabha member V Maithreyan said.

Challenging the appointment of Sasikala, incarcerated at the Parappana Agrahara Prison in Bengaluru, leaders of the rebel faction approached the ECI on February 13, six days after O Panneerselvam made a surprise revolt.