Madras HC Turns Down Civil Court Order Upholding Petition Challenging EPS’ Election As AIADMK Gen Sec

AIADMK Gen Sec

In a significant relief for AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Madras High Court on Thursday quashed a civil suit that had challenged his elevation as the party’s general secretary.

Petition Thrown Out

The case was originally filed in the Chennai Civil Court by Suryamoorthy from Dindigul, who claimed to be an AIADMK member. He had questioned the announcement of Palaniswami as general secretary at the party’s general council meeting on July 11, 2022, as well as the resolutions adopted during the session.

The trial court, however, had dismissed Palaniswami’s plea seeking rejection of the petition, allowing the case to proceed. EPS appealed against that decision.

Justice P B Balaji set aside the lower court’s order and dismissed Suryamoorthy’s case in its entirety, ruling in favour of the former chief minister.

EPS’s Argument

Palaniswami’s legal team maintained that Suryamoorthy was not a valid member of the AIADMK since 2018, and therefore had no right to question internal party matters. They highlighted that he had even contested against the AIADMK general secretary in the Edappadi constituency during the 2021 Assembly elections, making his claim of party membership untenable.

The High Court accepted this contention, effectively ruling that an outsider could not interfere in organisational decisions taken by the party’s general council.

Political Context

The July 2022 general council meeting was a turning point in the AIADMK’s leadership tussle, as Palaniswami consolidated his control over the party following months of internal rifts. The resolutions passed at that meeting formalised his position as general secretary, sidelining rival factions.