In a major setback to O Panneerselvam, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the order of the Madras High Court restoring former chief minister E Palaniswami as AIADMK’s single leader.
Led by Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, the bench pronounced the verdict in a batch of cross petitions concerning amendments made to the party bylaws during the July 11, 2022 general council meeting.
Palaniswami, or EPS, was elected as AIADMK’s interim general secretary, in the general council meeting last year after the high court had rejected a plea by Paneerselvam, or OPS, to stay the conduct of the general council meeting. The court had then observed that it cannot interfere into the squabbles of a political party.
Palaniswami had said election to the post of general secretary of the party would not be held till the tussle between him and OPS over the party’s leadership was decided by the court.
The amendments made in the bylaws then had not only led to the appointment of Palaniswami as the party’s interim general secretary, but also abolished the post of party coordinator, occupied by OPS.
The feud has intensified with the Erode East assembly constituency election scheduled on February 27. The constituency has been vacant since the death of Congress MLA Thirumaran Everaa, the son of EVKS Elangovan.
According to reports, EPS wants the Election Commission to record that he is interim general secretary of AIADMK and the post of coordinator, held by OPS, has been abolished.
This means that EPS can assign AIADMK’s “Two Leaves” symbol to any candidate he chooses for the assembly election to Erode without requiring OPS to sign off on it too.
After EPS expelled OPS last year, both leaders have been racing to outdo each other and lay claim to the party and its symbol. OPS has challenged his expulsion in the Supreme Court.
Before the apex court hearing, OPS was hit by a major jolt after Erode district secretary T Muruganandam and other functionaries resigned from the OPS side and joined Palaniswami.
Muruganantham was working as Erode district secretary of the OPS camp along with 106 supporters. They resigned on Tuesday evening saying they were disappointed with Panneerselvam’s leadership.
“We have not been consulted about the announcement of the candidate for the Erode East by-election. OPS did not ask us for ideas. I don’t think he has the qualification to lead a party,” Muruganantham was quoted by The New Indian Express. SN Thangaraju was appointed as the Erode district secretary of the OPS camp.
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