The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Thursday expelled 53 party functionaries who are considered loyal to ousted party leader TTV Dinakaran. Nine of those expelled are from the Amma Peravai, the party wing named after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

Dinakaran, who is VK Sasikala’s nephew, trounced the AIADMK’s candidate in the bye-election in Chennai’s RK Nagar Assembly constituency.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (pictured above) and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said these leaders were removed as they had gone against the AIADMK’s principles and brought it into disrepute, PTI reported.

On Monday, the AIADMK had removed four loyalists of Dinakaran and expelled five. District secretaries P Vetrivel, NG Partiban, M Rengaswamy and Thanga Tamilselvan were sacked from their posts, and VP Kalairajan, V Muthaiah, V Pugazhendi, Nazhil Sampath and CR Sarawathi were removed for anti-party activities.