Madras High Court Vacates Interim Stay Barring Election Commission From Probing AIADMK Internal Feud

A bench of Justices R Subramanian and G Arul Murugan directed the EC to conduct the proceedings under Paragraph 15 of Election Symbols Order, 1968.

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday vacated its stay order barring the Election Commission of India from conducting proceedings into the internal dispute within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

The Division bench of Justices R Subramanian and G Arul Murugan also directed the ECI to consider the representations from the AIADMK within the provisions of paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols Order, 1968. The bench dismissed the petitions by the AIADMK challenging the ECI proceedings against the party leadership including AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami seeking a stay on the investigation by the Election Commission.

Suriyamoorthy, a native of Dindigul, had filed a case in the Madras High Court seeking an order from the Election Commission not to allocate the double leaves symbol to the AIADMK. The High Court, while hearing the petition on December 4, 2024, ordered the Election Commission to decide on Suriyamoorthy's petition within four weeks.

Further, it ordered the Commission to consider petitions of all parties, including O. Panneerselvam, Edappadi Palaniswami and the petitioners who have filed a case regarding the two-leaves symbol.

While the Election Commission was conducting an investigation into the two-leaves symbol case, former MPs O.P. Ravindranath and K.C. Palaniswami, among others, filed a petition with the Election Commission against the election of Edappadi Palaniswami as the AIADMK General Secretary.

Following the petition, General Secretary of the AIADMK, Edappadi Palaniswami, filed a case in the Madras High Court, opposing the Election Commission's investigation into the internal party dispute. The High Court, which heard the petition of Edappadi Palaniswami, restrained the Election Commission from hearing the petitions.

Former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's son and former MP Ravindranath and Pugazhenthi had filed separate petitions in the Madras High Court seeking to lift the stay.