AIADMK crisis: Advantage OPS as Madras HC nullifies appointment of EPS as interim general secretary

Judge G. Jayachandran ordered the general council of the party meet again to decide the issue.

Published : Aug 17, 2022 13:41 IST

AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam with his supporters at the AIADMK party headquarters, in Chennai on July 11 as the general council meeting was going on.

AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam with his supporters at the AIADMK party headquarters, in Chennai on July 11 as the general council meeting was going on. | Photo Credit: R. GNANASASTHAA

Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is back as convener of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. No, he did not win an election, but a judgment of the Madras High Court restored him to this position on August 17, even though the general council of the party had expelled him.

The judge ordered that the “status quo as existed before June 23, 2022” be restored, effectively nullifying a meeting of the general council of the party on July 11 and causing a huge setback for Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), who was appointed interim general secretary by the party’s top decision-making body.

Justice G. Jayachandran ordered the general council to meet again to decide on the question.

The last time a similar issue propped up–after the death of former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa–it was the Election Commission of India which decided the case. It was as a result of the commission’s order that the two leaves symbol was given to OPS and EPS jointly.

The verdict was greeted with jubilation by the few supporters still left in the OPS camp. EPS supporters claimed that the High Court order was ‘interim’ and, hence, they would pursue all options to ensure that the party remained united under the leadership of EPS. D. Jayakumar, former Minister and AIADMK senior leader, who met the press soon after the verdict, stressed that the general council was the highest decision-making body of the party and that the AIADMK will discuss the next steps soon.

The backstory

After the defeat of the AIADMK in the May 2021 elections, EPS began consolidating his control over the party. OPS placed all this faith on the BJP’s Delhi leadership, which, he told mediapersons, was responsible for him coming back to the party in 2017.

In June, AIADMK leaders began speaking about a single leader for the party “for effective functioning”. This was dismissed by OPS and he did not take any steps to counter this trend even though he was well aware how EPS was gaining clout within the party.

The AIADMK called for a general council meet on June 23. Realising that the agenda might have items which would appoint someone else as treasurer, a post he held, OPS went to the High Court seeking a stay. He did not get relief. OPS next approached the Supreme Court, which directed that the meeting should not alter the by-laws of the party.

On June 23, the EPS-OPS rivalry spilled on to the general council and, amidst chaotic scenes, the general council meeting was pushed to July 11. More court battles followed, but the general council was allowed to go ahead. EPS was made interim general secretary of the party in that meeting.

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