Chennai, Mar 5 : In a significant development, the main Opposition AIADMK today expelled former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party Coordinator’s brother O.Raja from the primary membership of the party, a day after he met expelled leader V K Sasikala. Raja, who is also the Aavin Chairman of his native Theni district, met Sasikala yesterday and openly called for her re-admission into the AIADMK along with her nephew and AMMK Founder TTV Dhinakaran in the wake of party’s three successive electoral defeats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, 2021 Assembly polls and the recent ordinary elections to the Urban Local bodies. After Jayalalithaa’s death in December 2016, Dhinakaran was appointed as Deputy General Secretary of AIADMK by Saiskala, hours before leaving for Bengaluru prison following her conviction in DA case in February 2017, leading to a vertical split in the party after Panneerselvam revolted against her. However, Dhinakaran was subsequently expelled from AIADMK along with his aunt after the two warring factions of AIADMK ted in August that year. Along with Mr Raja, three other Theni district functionaries of the AIADMK were expelled from the primary membership of the party for violating party discipline and for acting in a manner that brought disrepute to the party, a joint statement from Panneeselvam and AIADMK Co-coordinator and former CM Edappadi Palaniswami said here today. They asked the party cadres not to have an links with the expelled leaders. Those expelled were S Murugesan (Literary Wing Secretary), Vaigai Karuppuji (Fisheries wing Secretary) and S.Sethupathy (Gudalur Puratchi Thalaivi Peravai Secretary). The sacking of the AIADMK functionaries comes a couple of days after a meeting convened by Theni district t called for re-induction of Sasikala, a close aide of late J Jayalalithaa, into the party fold and run the party affairs. The Theni district t of the AIADMK also adopted a resolution to readmit Sasikala and Dhinakaran into the party in the presence of Panneerselvam at his farm house. Panneerselvam had reportedly told the functionaries at the meeting that he would carry the message (resolution to readmit Sasikala and Dhinakaran) to the ‘high command’. In another release, the AIADMK announced appointment of new office-bearers for Theni district and also expelled a few leaders in the district for supporting the ruling DMK in the indirect elections to Mayors, Deputy Mayors, M cipal and Town Panchayat Ward member posts yesterday. GV 1308