A day after the Supreme Court verdict that restored Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the AIADMK party’s single leader, the expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam on Friday said that EPS wanted to capture the party.
“Amma is the permanent general secretary of our party and we passed a resolution on it. Nobody has the power to act against this resolution. They (EPS) want to capture our party. Yesterday’s Supreme Court verdict is not a setback for us. Soon we will meet Sasikala and TTV Dhinakaran,” said expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam. He said SC has given options to challenge the verdict. “If needed we will challenge it,” Panneerselvam said.
He further said SC made it clear it that only the General Council meeting is valid and it did not state that resolutions passed are valid.
“Yesterday’s verdict in Supreme Court will not affect the final decision of the case in the City civil suit,” Panneerselvam said. Meanwhile, AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi Palaniswamy received a warm welcome from party cadres in the AIADMK Headquarters.
The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the Madras High Court division bench decision that restored Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the AIADMK party’s single leader while rejecting O Panneerselvam’s plea allowing EPS to continue as the party’s Interim General Secretary.
The judgement was pronounced by a bench headed by Justice Dinesh Maheshwari. The court was dealing with a batch of pleas relating to the tussle between former Chief Ministers O Panneerselvam (OPS) and EPS over AIADMK leadership.
On January 11, the apex court bench reserved its verdict on the pleas relating to the tussle between the former Chief Ministers. OPS have moved the Supreme Court against Madras HC’s decision that restored former Tamil Nadu chief minister EPS as the party’s single leader.
On September 2, 2022, a division bench of Madras HC in the appeal preferred by EPS had set aside a single judge’s order dated August 17 that nullified the results of the July 11 general council and ordered status quo ante as on June 23 in AIADMK affairs.
In its General Council meeting held on July 11, the dual-leadership model in the AIADMK was ended and OPS was expelled from the party for “anti-party” activities during the party meeting.
In the meeting, EPS was elevated as the interim General Secretary of the party.
Since the passing of former Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary J Jayalalithaa, the party has been having a dual leadership with OPS and EPS leading it as coordinator and joint coordinator respectively.
However, recently, disputes arose between both leaders, with the EPS group pressing for unitary leadership.
Erode (East) Assembly bye-election is to be conducted on February 27, the last date of nomination is on February 7 and the result is to be announced on March 2.