Chennai, Jul 14 (IANS): The AIADMK on Thursday expelled 16 members including its lone Lok Sabha member, O.P. Raveendranath, who is the son of expelled senior leader O.P. Panneerselvam, from the party.

AIADMK's interim General Secretary K. Palaniswami expelled Raveendranath, his brother Jayapradeep, former minister Vellamandi N. Natarajan and other leaders from the party.

In a press statement, he said that the move is a disciplinary action as all of them had acted against the party discipline. The statement also said that these leaders had brought disrepute to the organisation and hence they were being expelled from the party.

The AIADMK is facing a major crisis with Palaniswami getting control of the party in the General Council meeting of July 11 and expelling Panneerselvam and his close associates. Panneerselvam has approached the Election Commission and the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court against the action.