EPS Vs OPS: Madras HC Refuses To stay AIADMK General Secretary elections And General Council resolutions

The Madras High Court on Tuesday refused to stay the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary elections and dismissed the interim pleas filed by former Tamil Nadu deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) and three other expelled members.

A single bench of Justice K Kumaresh Babu dismissed interim applications filed by OPS, PH Manoj Pandian, R Vaithilingam, and JCD Prabhakar seeking a stay on the general secretary polls as well as directives to prevent AIADMK from carrying out its July 11, 2022 general council resolutions.

Following the decision, Senior Counsel C Manishankar and advocate Abdul Saleem, who represented OPS and the other parties, hurried to the division bench presided over by Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq to appeal the single judge’s decision and request an urgent hearing.

The division bench agreed to hear the matter on 29th March.

The AIADMK general council eliminated the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator in the contentious July 11 meeting, instead naming OPS’ political adversary and former TN Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami as the party’s interim general secretary. The Council had dismissed OPS, Pandian, and others from the party for alleged anti-party conduct.

Appearing for Pandian, senior counsel Guru Krishnakumar had previously contended that the party lacked the authority to take severe measures such as dismissing main members without even giving them a fair hearing.

OPS and others alleged that the rules had been changed in favor of EPS, who had filed his nomination for the position of general secretary and was expected to be elected. They stated that if given the opportunity, the OPS would run for general secretary.

But, EPS’ counsel, Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, informed the bench that OPS and others were attempting to muzzle party members’ voices by opposing the elections and general council motions. Senior Attorney Vijay Narayan, who represented the AIADMK, also claimed that courts should not intervene with a political party’s internal affairs.