Sasikala, her family to be 'kept away', decides AIADMK camp that she led

We want to save the party and govt from the clutches of one family, says state FM D Jayakumar

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday announced that ministers in the AIADMK (Amma) government had decided to keep out the ruling party's jailed general secretary, V K Sasikala, her deputy,T T V Dinakaran, and their family members out of the party.

Jayakumar made the announcement after meeting Chief Minister E K Palaniswami.

Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Jayakumar said it was the wishes of the party's hundreds of thousands party cadre, people of the state, ministers, and others, that the family be kept out. “We will run the party and the government,” he said.

“We want to save the party and the government from the clutches of one family,” Jayakumar added.

The Sasikala faction’s legislator Vetrivel told a television channel that Jayakumar did not have the power to make such an announcement.

Sources said 20 ministers had so far decided to stay away from Sasikala and Dinakaran. Whether or not they would join the rival faction of O Panneerselvam is yet to be known.

"We will form a team to discuss the issues with the OPS faction. We have decided to delink Dinakaran and his family from the party. A committee will run the party now," said Jayakumar.