Madras High Court to hear on Sunday, a plea to stay AIADMK general secretary election

Expelled leader P.H. Manoj Pandian has moved an application against the election notification that the party issued on Friday evening

The Madras High Court on Saturday agreed to hold a special sitting on Sunday to hear an urgent plea moved by AIADMK expelled leader P.H. Manoj Pandian, to stay the elections notified by the party to the post of general secretary.

Justice K. Kumaresh Babu will be hearing the case in his chambers in the High Court. Mr. Pandian’s counsel-on-record, S. Elambharathi, had shot an urgent email to the High Court’s Registrar (Judicial) on Saturday seeking an urgent hearing against the election notification issued on Friday.

His plea was taken to the notice of the judge, who agreed to hear the matter on Sunday after the applicant’s counsel served papers on the counsel for the AIADMK and its general council. The party’s general council, had, at a July 11 2022 meeting, revived the post of general secretary and had decided to conduct elections to the post.

On the morning of Friday, March 17, the judge had adjourned to April 11, the applications filed by Mr. Pandian and two other expelled leaders, R. Vaithilingam and J.C.D. Prabhakar, seeking to injunct the party from giving effect to the resolutions passed at the July 11 general council meeting.

At that time, Senior Counsel P.S. Raman, representing the applicants, had sought the liberty of the court to make a mention for urgent hearing of the case if the party issued a notification for the general secretary election, before April 11.

Within hours of his seeking this liberty, on Friday evening, the party issued a notification stating that the nominations for the election to the post of general secretary could be filed between from 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 18 till 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. The nominations would be scrutinised on Monday, March 20, and they could be withdrawn until Tuesday, March 21, the notification said. If there was a contest, then polling would take place on March 26 and the votes would be counted on March 27, the notification read.