Stay on order challenging the AIADMK’s dual leadership elections

CHENNAI: A division bench of Madras High Court on Monday granted interim stay on an order of a single judge permitting a duo to file suits challenging the election of coordinator and joint coordinator in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The bench comprising Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice Sunder Mohan passed the stay on disposing of an appeal by AIADMK’s interim-general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami.

The appellant challenged the order of a single judge allowing Ramkumar Adityan and Suren Palanisamy to file suits before a city civil court challenging the election of coordinator and joint coordinator in the AIADMK party.

Representing EPS and AIADMK, senior counsel Vijay Narayan submitted that the original petitioners are not even the primary members of the AIADMK and they have no locus to prefer a suit challenging the decisions made in the affairs of AIADMK. The senior counsel further informed the bench that Adityan and Palanisamy were removed from the party in 2019 and they are not primary members of the party now.

Recording the submissions, the bench allowed the appeal and granted the interim injunction in favor of the AIADMK leader.

Ramkumar Adityan and Suren Palanisamy submitted through their counsels that after the demise of AIADMK’s former general secretary J Jayalalithaa, EPS and OPS had brought coordinator and joint coordinator posts in the party which is contrary to the party bye-laws.