EPS elected as AIADMK general secretary; Madras HC rejects OPS petition

After being elevated to the AIADMK general secretary post, Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami visited the party headquarters and thanked his party cadres and functionaries, who welcomed him with bouquets. He also offered his tribute to the statues of late AIADMK leaders MG Ramachanndran and J Jayalalithaa.

Chennai:Former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (EPS) was on Tuesday elected as the general secretary of the AIADMK soon after the Madras High Court dismissed the interim applications moved by Ottakarathevar Panneerselvan (OPS) and his aides seeking stay on the party's general secretary election. Following the verdict, the OPS-faction said they would appeal against the single judge verdict before a division bench of the high court. EPS had been serving as the interim general secretary till now.

AIADMK election officials Pollachi V Jayaraman and former minister Natham R Vishwanathan announced EPS as the party's general secretary at the party headquarters in Ryapeetah. After being elected unanimously, EPS thanked his party cadres and functionaries. He also visited the party headquarters and offered his tribute to the statues of late AIADMK leaders MG Ramachanndran and J Jayalalithaaalso. Senior party functionaries congratulated him with bouquets while party supporters celebrated by bursting crackers.

On Tuesday, Justice K Kumaresh Babu rejected the interim applications filed by OPS and his supporters against AIADMK's general secretary elections and the general council resolutions adopted on July 11 that among others, expelled him and his aides. OPS-faction had termed the election to the general secretary's post illegal and clarified that rumours of O Panneersalvan filing nomination for the general secretary post was false. The general secretary was elected by the primary members of the party. Earlier, AIADMK had sought nominations from candidates contesting for the general secretary post till March 19 and scrutiny of numinations was held on the next day. Candidates could withdraw their nominations by 3 pm on March 21.