Former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Deputy General Secretary TTV Dinakaran on Friday sacked Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan from the post of Dharmapuri district secretary, PTI reported. Dinakaran replaced Anbalagan with local AIADMK leader DK Rajendran and bifurcated the Dindigul district unit and removed its secretary V Marudaraj.

Angabalagan becomes the fifth minister that Dinakaran has sacked. On Wednesday, the former AIADMK deputy general secretary had sacked four ministers from party posts and appointed his loyalists instead.

Dinakaran said Dindigul East would now cover four Assembly constituencies, and Dindigul West three. He has also appointed new office bearers to both units.

Dinakaran, who seeks to regain control over his party, said all appointments were being made with the approval of jailed former AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala. However, it is unclear if he has the authority to make such appointments.

Dinakaran has been at odds with the party after its two factions, led by Chief Minister Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, merged.

DMK again demands a floor test

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Friday urged Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao to immediately ask Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami to prove his majority on the floor of the state Assembly. DMK Working President MK Stalin called the Palaniswami government a “minority government” and said any delay in a floor test could lead to horse-trading.

Stalin also questioned Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal’s action in issuing notices to the 19 MLAs who had shifted allegiance to Dinakaran.