EC seeks Sasikala reply to plea against her appointment

THE ELECTION Commission (EC) wrote to V K Sasikala on Friday, seeking her stand on the petitions challenging her appointment as AIADMK’S general secretary.

The poll watchdog has given Sasikala time till February 28 to file a response, failing which the EC will presume she has no comments to offer and decide the dispute.

The notice, which was sent to Parappana Agrahara Central Jail in Karnataka where Sasikala is currently imprisoned, comes a day after a delegation from O Panneerselvam’s camp met the three Election Commissioners — Nasim Zaidi, A K Joti and O P Rawat—tochallengeherelevationaspartychief,arguingthatherappointment was in violation of AIADMK rules.

The delegation told the EC that the party rules state that the “general secretary shall be elected by primary members of all party units of Tamil Nadu and members of the party in other states like Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Andaman Islands”. Sasikala was elected AIADMK general secretary by the party general council and not by the primary members, they pointed out. They further argued that since her appointment was illegal, Sasikala’s decision to sack several leaders, including Mps,fromprimarymembershipofthe party and re-induction of T T V Dinakaran and his appointment as deputy general secretary too were invalid.