AIADMK council meet: HC adjourns petition by OPS
The OPS faction including JCD Prabhakar, Manoj Pandian, and R Vaithilingam moved the Madras High Court (MHC) challenging the single judge’s verdict by allowing AIADMK’s general council resolutions.
O Paneerselvam and Edappadi K. Palaniswami
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday adjourned the petition filed by the O Paneerselvam faction challenging the AIADMK general council meeting held in 2022, electing Edappadi K Palanisamy as the general secretary of the party.
The OPS faction including JCD Prabhakar, Manoj Pandian, and R Vaithilingam moved the Madras High Court (MHC) challenging the single judge’s verdict by allowing AIADMK’s general council resolutions.
The appeal was heard before a division bench comprising Justice Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq. While the OPS factions completed their arguments on April 20, the counsel representing AIADMK and EPS proceeded with their arguments before the bench on Thursday.
Senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan appeared on behalf of EPS and countered the arguments which was submitted before the bench by the OPS faction that single leadership is against the bye-laws of the party.
The decisions taken by the general council are final according to the party rules, said the EPS counsel. The general council is the supreme body to take all actions including disciplinary actions, disciplinary actions can be taken against the co-ordinator or joint coordinator in case of violation of party rules, he added.
The Supreme Court and two judge bench of Madras High Court have rejected the OPS faction’s arguments that how a single leadership decision can be done by the general council with only 2500 members in a party that has one and a half crore cadres. The elected general council members represent the primary members of the party, said Vaidyanathan.
Mentioning OPS, the counsel said that the person making parallel appointments in the party from taluk to district wise cannot seek relief, he added. The Supreme Court had previously remarked that the court cannot intervene in the internal affairs of a party, said the counsel. Further he added that the single-judge bench has upheld the decisions of the general council. Observing the arguments, the bench adjourned the case on Friday.