In a first-of-its-kind development, the ADMK leadership has on Monday expelled 16 leaders from the party including a former minister for speaking with VK Sasikala, a close aide of the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who is aiming for a political comeback and to take over the party leadership. 

In what has become a mass firing, current ADMK leaders Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had expelled 16 leaders who had spoken with Sasikala over the phone amid the latter's plan for a political resurgence. The reports say that the decision to firing them had taken in the current leaders' bid of barricading Sasikala's entry into the party and not to lose control of command. 

According to reports, former ADMK Minister Anandhan was among the 16 leaders who were expelled from the party on Monday. The party had convened a high-level meeting at the party's headquarters in Chennai to elect the office bearers of key posts. The leaders had also discussed Sasikala's prospect of a political comeback and her outreach of speaking directly to the members and leaders of the party across the state. 

For the past few days, Sasikala's audio clips were released in which she was heard saying that she will come back to politics. She said, "I have started speaking to all party cadres. I have been getting letters from a lot of people. I could not bear the pain of seeing the party getting collapsed. Leave your worry, I will come back very soon for the sake of the cadres. Good things will happen. We will build back the party like how it was during the times of Amma (J Jayalalithaa) after the demise of Thalaivar (MGR)."

Last week, she had spoken with former minister Anandhan and asserted that she will take over the party. Sasikala's audio clips and assertions had shocked the current leadership amid the ongoing tussle and furore between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam. The leaders were alarmed that the plan is set in motion for Sasikala's comeback and the senior leaders had pressed that she won't be welcomed into the party. 

Amid such developments, the party has discussed the matter in the meeting on Monday and decided to adopt a resolution against Sasikala. In the meeting, a resolution has been passed with the assertions that Sasikala will not be allowed in the party. By labelling Sasikala as a parasite, the ADMK leadership has said that after witnessing the surge of the party in recent times, Sasikala changed her mind and unfolding drama to take over the party. The leaders noted ADMK as the people's movement and the party won't go in support of one family.

The party has also agreed to counter Sasikala's rise and decided to take severe action against the party functionaries who exercise contact with Sasikala. Besides adopting the resolution, the party has on Monday expelled 16 leaders, including former minister Anandhan and a former MP, from the party. Through expelling 16 leaders, the ADMK leaders had admitted that Sasikala had spoken with the party members. Earlier, the leaders had maintained that Sasikala was only speaking to the members of AMMK, not ADMK. The top two leaders had also expelled senior leader Pugazhendhi from the party. Pugazhendhi was earlier in TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK and he then joined ADMK. 

He was serving as one of the party's spokespersons in ADMK. In a joint statement, ADMK leaders Palaniswami and Panneerselvam said that Pugazhendhi had brought in disrepute and functioned against the policies and principles of the party. By citing that Pugazhendhi had breached the discipline of the party, the two ADMK leaders had said that Pugazhendhi has been removed from the party's basic membership from today. The leaders have also urged the party functionaries not to exercise contact with the expelled leader.