AIADMK leadership tussle : Big victory for EPS as Madras HC sets aside Single Judge Order

Chennai, Sep 2 (Representative) In what is seen as a major victory for formerChief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) over the leadershiptussle in AIADMK with another ex-CM O.Panneerselvam (OPS),the Madras High Court on Friday set aside the Single Judge Orderdirecting status quo ante as on June 23 favouring OPS on August 17. In the July 11 meeting, EPS was unanimously elected as the interim General Secretary of AIADMK, thereby reverting back to the singleleadership days of Party Founder MGR and J.Jayalalithaa, and OPSand his supporters were expelled from the party. Allowing an appeal filed by EPS against the August 17 order passed byJustice G.Jayachandran nullifying the July 11 AIADMK General Council(GC) meeting convened by EPS, a Division Bench comprising JusticeM Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan set aside the single judgeorder and declared the July 11 GC meeting as valid, thereby revertingthe position of EPS as the interim general secretary of AIADMK.With today’s orders, the July 11 GC meeting of AIADMK meeting heldby the EPS camp and the decisions taken in it have become valid.

Supporters of EPS celebrated the court verdict across the state bybursting crackers and distributing sweets. Senior AIADMK leader and former Minister D.Jayakumar hailed thecourt order as Historic and said the expulsion of OPS from the partyhas been validated by the Court.In his appeal, EPS contended that the findings of the single judgeare arbitrary, illegal, and against the law. He also submitted that that the GC is the supreme body in the partyand the GC meeting held on July 11 was based on the requestsmade by 2,190 GC members on June 23. However, counsel for OPS argued that as per the party bye-laws,the primary members have the supreme power to elect the General Secretary. He further argued that the joint consent of the coordinatorand joint coordinator is mandatory for convening the GC meeting. OPS also contended that he continues to be the Coordinator of theparty and that his five-year tenure would come to an end only in December 2026, while EPS argued that both their posts lapsedon June 23.

The July 11 meeting, in which OPS and three of his supporters–twoof them present MLAs–were expelled from the party, was convenedafter an announcement to this effect was made at the June 23 meetingin which no resolution, including the 23 pre-drafted by OPS and EPS,was adopted as per the High Court order on a plea filed by OPS.OPS and his supporters were expelled as he along with his supporterson July 11, skipped the GC meeting, stormed into the AIADMK party office in the city, broke the locks, ransacked it and forcibly took somekey documents, resulting in violent clashes between the supportersof EPS and OPS.In that meeting EPS was unanimously elected interim General Secretary, signalling the return of the unitary leadership in theparty headed by late leaders MGR and J.Jayalalithaa, on theground that the posts of Coordinator held by Panneer selvam and Co-coordinator held by Palaniswami elected in December2021 meeting on the basis of amendment made to the by laws through an executive council decision, ceased to exist as it wasnot ratified in the GC. Even the 23 resolutions for which the court has given the nod, were rejected in the June 23 meeting by the EPS after OPS faced a hostile reception and booed by the party workers prompting him to walk out of the meeting in a huff.