Chennai, Feb 7 (PTI) In a quick retaliation after he raised a banner of revolt against her, AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala tonight sacked O Panneerselvam from the top party post of treasurer.

She replaced Panneerselvam with Dindigul C Srinivasan, who is also the Forest Minister and is seen number two in the hierarchy in the Council of Ministers.

The decision to remove Panneerselvam comes after a top level meeting Sasikala chaired at the Poes Garden residence, in which some sitting ministers and a section of senior functionaries participated.

In a brief statement, Sasikala said “O Panneerselvam is being relieved from the post of AIADMK treasurer and Dindigul C Srinivasan is appointed to that post. Party cadres should extend their full cooperation to Srinivasan.”

Meanwhile, supporters continued to throng the Greams Road official residence of Chief Minister Panneerselvam. Many broke into a jig and thanked him for “listening to his conscience and heeding to the call of the soul of Amma.”

Party sources said that Panneerselvam would soon come out with a comprehensive plan of action that he will pursue.

AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai  dismissed O Panneerselvam’s claim that he was forced to resign as Chief Minister and insisted party chief V K Sasikala would become the Chief Minister as all the legislators were behind ‘Chinnamma’.

Emerging from the Poes Garden residence of Sasikala, he asked “do you believe he was coerced, forced to resign?” and dismissed Panneerselvam’s claims, saying “do we need such a Chief Minister?”

“All the MLAs are united…All the legislators are inside (pointing to the Poes Garden residence),” he said, adding in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK will continue its rule for the remaining four-and-a-half years.

He said “be it (the upcoming) civic poll or Parliamentary elections, we will win all under the leadership of Chinnamma.”

The AIADMK propaganda secretary also claimed “Panneerselvam is instable.”

State minister C Ve Shanmugam called Panneerselvam “a betrayer”.

Earlier tonight, Panneerselvam had raised the banner of revolt against Sasikala, saying he was forced to resign from his post and asserted that only a person desired by both the people and cadres should succeed him in the government and take charge of the party.

Soon after breaking a 40-minute long meditation in front of the burial site of late Jayalalithaa at Marina beach here, close to 10 PM, he said he was insulted and forced to resign to pave the way for elevation of Sasikala as Chief Minister.

Panneerselvam said he was told he should quit as CM to protect the party’s discipline and that if he did not do so, it would be a violation of party discipline.

No answer was forthcoming to his query to the need for him to resign, he said, adding he was not even given a chance to go to Jayalalithaa’s burial site and told he could do so later.

He had also said that if the people and party cadres so wished, he might withdraw his resignation.

Panneerselvam recalled the events since hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa, saying he was asked by Sasikala to take over as CM when Amma’s health deteriorated and when she was on the verge of passing away. He had initially refused, but accepted it when they insisted that he take over the post.

He also claimed he was “unaware” of convening of Sunday’s AIADMK legislature party meeting, which elected Sasikala as the leader.

  politics, Tamil Nadu