Expelled ADMK leader VK Sasikala's 'audio' politics has been fueling tensions within the circle of the current leadership of the party. While the current leaders Edappadi Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam couldn't able to barricade Sasikala's outreach for the political resurgence, they are displaying their prowess in controlling the party by expelling the cadres who are on the other end of Sasikala's phone call. 

For the past few weeks, VK Sasikala has been unfolding the unprecedented drama in the ADMK's history as she has been directly speaking to the party cadres across the state to know their pulse on her political comeback. Her audio politics have been causing furores in the party with several senior leaders have begun their politics against Sasikala. Initially, ADMK had denied that Sasikala is speaking to the party members. 

However, when the party's leadership had earlier this month fired 17 cadres for speaking with Sasikala, the party has confessed that Sasikala has been reaching out to the functionaries. As she went on to speak to hundreds of members, both the leaders have issued a stern warning for the cadres that they would be fired from the party if they speak to Sasikala and support her. 

In line with the expulsion drive, Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam have on Thursday expelled five members from the party for establishing contact with VK Sasikala. According to reports, the five members who were removed from the party are - A Ramakrishnan- deputy general secretary of the student wing in Salem district, R Saravanan - deputy general secretary of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Peravai in Sivaganga, R Shanmugapriya -joint secretary of women's wing in Sivaganga, Thimarajapuram Rajagopal - deputy general secretary MGR Mandram in Tirunelveli, and Sundar Raj - deputy general secretary of the student wing of the party in Tirunelveli. 

In a joint statement, Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam have said that these five functionaries have behaved against the party's principles and acted in a fashion that had brought disrepute and disgrace to the party. The action from the ADMK leaders has come days after passing a resolution calling for action against the cadres who speak with Sasikala. 

The audio clips of Sasikala's phone call are being released by her supporters and in the latest conversation with one of her supporters, Sasikala had flayed the ADMK party for wasting a Rajya Sabha seat to the DMK. She had referred to the party's decision of giving tickets to KP Munusamy and Vaidyalingam to contest in the recent-held assembly polls despite they were serving as MP in Rajya Sabha. They had contested the assembly polls and won their respective seat post which they had vacated their Rajya Sabha. 

KP Munusamy has five more years to serve in Rajya Sabha but he resigned from the post after getting elected as an MLA in Tamil Nadu and his resignation had paved the way for the DMK to leniently win a Rajya Sabha seat. Sasikala had slammed the decision of ADMK due to which KP Munusamy had resigned as an MP. 

Earlier this week, the ADMK leaders had directed the party cadres to keep their loyalty to Palaniswami and Panneerselvam. While the ADMK district secretaries are passing resolutions in favour of Edappadi Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to block Sasikala's entry, the supporters of Sasikala say that she is all set for the political resurgence and she will begin meeting the members from July. 

கழக ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் திரு. ஓ. பன்னீர்செல்வம், கழக இணை ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் திரு. எடப்பாடி கே. பழனிசாமி ஆகியோரின் முக்கிய அறிவிப்பு. pic.twitter.com/3BKxNsSw17

— AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) June 24, 2021