Status quo creates stalemate in all AIADMK party posts

CHENNAI: The opposition AIADMK will now undergo a phase of status quo and the party will face stalemate for some time.

With the Madras High Court asking several questions and advising solutions for the party’s internal issues, political analysts and party old timers feel that the judgment is a stalemate for the Dravidian major.

Now the judgment has not only questioned the validity of general secretary, but the posts like presidium chairman, party treasurer, deputy general secretaries and deputy leader of the opposition, all posts appointed by interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami are now questionable while applying the latest Madras High Court order.

“This judgment can be inferred as stalemate for both the AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami. This development also suspends appointment of party functionaries appointed recently by both EPS and OPS. This legal turmoil will continue unless both the leaders sit and resolve the issue,” opined Aspire K Swaminathan, former AIADMK IT wing secretary.

The current scheme of developments is a setback for AIADMK and status of the newly appointed district secretaries and other senior posts also hangs in balance, Swaminathan said.

“Ever since the demise of Amma (J Jayalalithaa) in 2016, our party is facing litigations and it’s time that the sulking factions come together at the earliest. Only a united AIADMK can take on archrival DMK, said an AIADMK MLA wishing not to be named. Some of the MLAs want the factions to be united, but a few vested interests have created a rift between our leaders EPS and OPS, the MLA fumed.

“This is a huge setback for EPS and the court judgment is an awaited justice for us. Our leader OPS will strengthen the AIADMK in the days to come,” said former AIADMK councillor T Maghizhanban, who is now a hardcore supporter of OPS.

Meanwhile, former AIADMK ministers and supporters of Edappadi K Palaniswami have begun discussions over the court judgment and are likely to challenge the interim injunction of the Madras High Court before a division bench.

Earlier in the day, supporters of AIADMK leader Panneerselvam and ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala broke into celebrations after the Madras High Court in its order on Wednesday turned the election of AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami invalid.

Raising slogans praising OPS, the party workers condemned EPS for expelling their leader from the party. The supporters burst crackers and distributed sweets to the public and commuters.

It may be noted that AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran had challenged EPS to hold direct elections for the post of general secretary, where the cadre will elect the general secretary dating back to the norms prescribed by AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran.

Judge finds holes in EPS camp’s submissions

Poking holes at Edappadi K Palaniswami’s claims that 2,190 general council members requested the presidium chairman to conduct the meeting on July 11, the High Court said the typeset paper showed that some of the signatories had put the date as June 20, which is three days prior to the GC meeting.

When senior advocate Vijay Narayan countered the submission by Panneerselvam’s counsel Arvind Pandian that no proper notice was issued for July 11 meeting stating that the announcement at the June 23 GC meeting itself was the notice and a letter was also circulated on July 1, the judge refused to concur.

Recalling an order of a division bench in S Thirunavukkarasar Vs J Jayalalitha case in 1997, Justice Jayachandran said, “The division bench had categorically held that even if the special meeting of GC members to be convened on the request of more than 1/5th members, the notice to convene the GC meeting must be 15 days in advance.”

The judge also rejected EPS’s submission that the AIADMK cadre were yearning for a single leader, saying that no quantifiable data was presented to substantiate this.

“The very same dual leadership was able to run the government as CM and the Deputy CM for nearly 4.5 years successfully amidst various speculation and administering the party as joint coordinator and coordinator for nearly 5 years. During this period, they together decided on the electoral alliance, they jointly selected candidates for elections held at all levels and fought several elections. While so, how suddenly between June 20 and July 1, the party with more than 1.5 crore cadre strength decided to change the existing dispensation through 2,500 GC members,” the judge asked.

He added that whether the views of about 2,500 GC members reflected the view of 1.5 crore primary members need to be examined and tested.

The judge also pointed out that the differences between the two leaders affected the party cadre in the recently held local body elections.

“The party men at the grass-root… were not able to get the recognised election symbol of Two Leaves. This is an irreparable injury as far as the party men are concerned,” Justice Jayachandran said in his order.

OPS supporters erupt in joy across state

Supporters of AIADMK leader O Pannneerselvam and ousted AIADMK leader VK Sasikala broke into celebrations after the Madras High Court in its order on Wednesday turned the election of AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami invalid. Several supporters of OPS had arrived at the court complex and at the residence of OPS. Some of them also rushed to the AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa’s memorial in Marina Beach offering prayers. Raising slogans praising OPS, the party workers condemned EPS for expelling their leader from the party. The supporters burst crackers and distributed sweets to the public and commuters. “This is a huge setback for EPS and the court judgment is an awaited justice for us. Our leader OPS will strengthen the AIADMK in the days to come,” said former AIADMK councillor T Maghizhanban, who is now a hardcore supporter of OPS. Apart from celebrations in Periyakulam, OPS home town, scores of jubilant cadre also burst crackers at Andipatti, which is considered a AIADMK stronghold, to celebrate the verdict as it came as a major relief to their leader OPS. Earlier, the cadre took out a march and garlanded the statue of former chief minister and party’s founder MG Ramachandran. They raised slogans in praise of OPS. In Madurai, the party cadre, led by R Gopalakrishnan, former Madurai MP, took out a procession and garlanded the statues of MGR and J Jayalalithaa and burst crackers after the verdict. Tirunelveli also witnessed similar celebrations and garlanding of statues of leaders of the party.