All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam interim General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday expelled senior leader Panrutty S Ramachandran from the party’s primary membership for alleged anti-party activities, reported PTI.

The move came soon after AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam appointed Ramachandran as the political advisor to the party, reported India Today.

Ramachandran has been critical of Palaniswami’s leadership as the party faced losses in Lok Sabha, Assembly and local body elections.

“We need an acceptable person for the AIADMK to revive itself,” Ramachandran had told The Times of India last week. “If Palaniswami continues as AIADMK chief, it faces extinction like the Justice Party.”

The development came amid a tussle between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam to take reins of the party.

At an AIADMK General Council meeting on July 11, the outfit had elected Palaniswami as the interim general secretary, the top post of the party, and expelled Panneerselvam from the primary membership for anti-party activities.

However, on August 17, a single-judge bench of the High Court hearing Panneerselvam’s petition had ruled that the July 11 general council meeting of the AIADMK was invalid. Later, in September, a division bench stayed the August 17 order.

On Tuesday morning, Panneerselvam appointed signed Ramachandran as the policital advisor by signing the letter as party coordinator.

Soon after Ramachandran’s appointment, Palaniswami issued the order to expel him from the party.

“For acting against the policy objectives and principles of the party, by acting contrary to the legal plans of the party and disrupting the regulations of the party, Panruti Ramachandran is hereby removed from the primary membership of the party,” the statement said.