Chennai, Apr 11 : A city court today dismissed expelled AIADMK leader VK Sasikala’s plea challenging her removal at the party general council in 2017. The court dismissed her plea following an interlocutory application filed by AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator K Palaniswami, party’s Legal Wing Joint Secretary A M Babu Murugavel said. Sasikala had moved the city civil court earlier contending that the AIADMK general council held in 2017, which expelled her as general secretary, was not valid. Sasikala was elected as AIADMK’s interim General Secretary in December 2016 soon after the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. However, in February 2017, the then Chief Minister O Panneerselvam revolted against her and said that he was coerced to resign from the post. This led to a split in the AIADMK with one faction being headed by the OPS and the other by Edappadi K Palaniswami, who later became the Chief Minister. However, the warring factions merged in August 2017 with one of the main demands of the OPS camp was to keep Sasikala, who was subsequently convicted in a DA case and lodged in Bengaluru prison, out of the party affairs. Following this the General Council of the Party met after the merger and expelled Sasikala and also her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, who was made as Deputy General Secretary by her prior her to leaving for Bengaluru prison. Dhinakaran subsequently floated a new party Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam. GV 1442