Chennai, May 14 -- The rift in the AIADMK widened further on Thursday, with the faction opposed to party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami accusing him and his supporting MLAs of "defying" its "whip" regarding the floor test of the TVK government, and sought their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

Hitting back at his rivals, Palaniswami, addressed as EPS, alleged the they were behind minister posts and were spreading slander against him.

"They have fallen for the lure of six minister posts and 10 board chiefs," he said. "It is very painful that those who have betrayed the party are spreading slanderous propaganda about me", he claimed.

His rival faction, led by senior leaders and former ministers C Ve Shanmugam and SP Velumani, claimed they had the majority of the 47 MLAs the party has.

C Vijaybaskar, appointed as the "whip" of the faction, told reporters that the legislature party is decided based on majority numbers and indicated that his faction enjoyed that. His instruction to vote in favour of the C Joseph Vijay-led TVK government during its confidence vote on Wednesday was duely communicated to all the AIADMK MLAs through Whatsapp and e-mail, he said.

"Of the 47 MLAs, 25 abided by the instruction. As many as 22 party mlas, including Edappadi Palaniswami, did not comlply with the directives issued by me, who is the whip, and went contrary to that. So we have met the Assembly Speaker today and sought their (pro-Palaniswami MLAs) disqualification under the anti-defection law," he said. "Majority of MLAs under S P Velumani followed the whip order. So only majority is valid," he said.

Velumani, citing precedents, said that when a split emerges in a party due to difference of opinion, no decisions can be taken; neither can someone be appointed or removed from the party posts or the organisation.

"We are clear--(Palaniswami should) convene party General Council to discuss the reasons for the poll defeat. He is the general secretary," Velumani said.

Further, hitting out at the party chief, he said his actions pertaining to sacking functionaries from party posts and and making new appointments were "not valid."

"Our intent is to strengthen the party. Bring back those who had gone, who had been sacked from party. Why did MGR start the party-- to oppose DMK," he said. Palaniswami's decisions regarding removing people from their party positions are not valid and "they continue in their posts," he added.

The AIADMK chief had removed from party posts, Shanmugam, Velumani and others in the wake of the rift.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.