Big win for EPS: HC set aside order passed in favour of OPS

CHENNAI: In a big win for former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, a division bench of Madras High Court on Friday allowed the appeal of EPS and set aside the status quo ante order of a single judge passed in favour of OPS on August 17.

The bench comprising Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan pronounced the orders that reverted the position of Palaniswami as the interim general secretary of AIADMK.

With the orders, the July 11 GC meeting of AIADMK meeting conducted by team EPS had become valid.

Recently, Justice G Jayachandran passed an order declaring the General Council meeting called on July 11 by EPS as invalid.

EPS contended the findings of the single judge are arbitrary, illegal, and against the law. A battery of senior advocates including CS Vaidyanathan, C Aryama Sundaram, and S Vijay Narayan represented EPS. The senior advocates submitted that the GC is the supreme body in the party and the GC meeting held on July 11 was based on the requisition made by 2190 GC members on June 23.

Meanwhile, senior counsel Arvind Pandian for O Panneerselvam submitted that as per the bye-laws framed by the AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, primary members have the supreme power to elect the General Secretary. He further argued that the joint consent of the coordinator and joint coordinator is mandatory for convening the GC meeting.