Big win for EPS at Madras High Court; OPS suffers jolt

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu said the general council of the party was fully authorised to amend its bylaws. It was in exercise of such a power, as many as 2,460 out of 2,655 members of the general council had met in Chennai on July 11, 2022 and amended the party’s constitution abolishing dual leadership and reviving unitary leadership.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday rejected all interim applications filed by AIADMK expelled leaders O. Panneerselvam (OPS), P.H. Manoj Pandian, R. Vaithilingam and J.C.D. Prabhakar to restrain the party from implementing its July 11, 2022 general council resolutions and the consequent notification issued on March 17 for general secretary election.

Following the court verdict, the AIADMK announced former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) was elected unopposed as its general secretary.

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu held the July 11 resolutions which abolished the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, revived the post of general secretary to be elected by primary members and appointed Mr. Palaniswami as interim general secretary till the conduct of elections were prima facie valid and therefore do not call for any interference.

He also refused to interfere with the notification issued by the party on March 17 for the conduct of the election and paved way for Mr. Palaniswami to be declared elected as the general secretary. The party had given an undertaking to the court on March 19 that it shall not declare the results of the election until the disposal of the present applications.

Also read: AIADMK announces poll schedule for the post of general secretary

Authoring a 85-page verdict, the judge said, the general council of the party was fully authorised to amend its bylaws. It was in exercise of such a power, as many as 2,460 out of 2,655 members of the general council had met in Chennai on July 11, 2022 and amended the party’s constitution abolishing dual leadership and reviving unitary leadership.

Though the applicants before the court had contended that such revival was against a 2017 resolution through which former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was declared the eternal general secretary of the party, the judge said, these issues could be decided only during the hearing of the four civil suits and not at the stage of considering interim applications.