Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) was elected the AIADMK's general secretary soon after the Madras High Court rejected interim applications by O Paneerselvam (OPS) and his supporters seeking stay on AIADMK general secretary polls. EPS was the interim General Secretary till date.

AIADMK advocate IS Inbadurai said the court rejected all petitions, including that against the conduct of the party's General Secretary election. "Panneerselvam (and others) filed a plea against the July 11, 2022 resolutions. It has been rejected. This means the general council is valid, its resolutions are valid," he was quoted by PTI as saying.

The high court was hearing a batch of interim applications that challenged the legality of electing Edappadi K Palaniswamy (EPS) as the interim general secretary of the AIADMK and the conduct of the general secretary elections.

#WATCH | Celebrations at AIADMK headquarters in Chennai after Madras High Court Justice K Kumaresh Babu rejected interim applications by O Paneerselvam & his supporters seeking stay on AIADMK general secretary polls.

Edappadi Palaniswami now becomes the party's General… pic.twitter.com/pFG6pbOPsA— ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2023

Deposed leader O Panneerselvam’s (OPS) supporters had filed the suits challenging the resolutions of the July 11, 2022, general council meeting. Amendments were made in the party bylaws during that meeting and EPS was appointed as the interim general secretary. The MLAs had also questioned their removal from the party without following due procedures.

In the General Council meeting held on July 11, the dual-leadership model in the AIADMK was ended and EPS was elevated as the interim General Secretary of the party. OPS was expelled from the party for "anti-party" activities during the party meeting. In the meeting. Upon his election in July 2022, EPS' first decision was to expel OPS much to the latter's chagrin.

In August 2022, the Madras High Court had stayed the AIADMK General Council's decision to elect EPS as interim General Secretary.

However, on September 2, 2022, a division bench of Madras HC in the appeal preferred by EPS had set aside a single judge's order dated August 17 and ordered status quo ante as on June 23 in AIADMK affairs.

OPS had then approached the apex court, challenging the September 2 order. Later, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the Madras High Court, which allowed Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) to continue as the interim general secretary of the AIADMK in major setback to OPS.

On September 2, 2022, a division bench of Madras HC in the appeal preferred by EPS had set aside a single judge's order dated August 17 that nullified the results of the July 11 general council and ordered status quo ante as on June 23 in AIADMK affairs.

Party founder-leader M G Ramachandran (MGR), former CM J Jayalalithaa, Navalar VR Nedunchezhiyan, P U Shanmugam and S Raghavanandam were the only other leaders who had held that top post in the AIADMK till now.

First Published:Mar 28, 2023 11:36 AM IST