EPS Takes Over Jaya's Mantle: HC clears the hurdles for his coronation

No sooner than Madras High Court dismissed the petitions challenging his election as AIADMK General Secretary, former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) took over the mantle to lead the Dravidian major. Earlier, on the directions of the court, the election was held but the result was withheld. Being the sole contender, he was declared elected unanimously and he assumed office without any loss of time. Meanwhile, his rival and former Deputy CM, O Panneerselvam (OPS), has preferred an appeal that comes up for hearing on March 29, writes ETV Bharat's MC Rajan.

Chennai: Overcoming the legal hurdles placed on his path, former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday assumed office as General Secretary of the AIADMK, the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu. He takes over the mantle more than six years after the demise of the iconic leader Jayalalithaa, the longest-serving General Secretary of the party.

No sooner than Madras High Court pronounced the much-awaited verdict, dismissing the petitions from team OPS challenging the election to the office of General Secretary and the July 11 last general council resolutions, the AIADMK headquarters on Loyd's road turned into jubilation. Without wasting any time, the AIADMK election commissioners, Pollachi V Jayaraman and Natham R Viswanathan declared the election of EPS as the General Secretary. OPS and his trusted lieutenants have attempted to stymie the election by approaching the High Court, which ordered that the election can be held but the result should be withheld till the judgment.

The judgment, a rebuttal of each contention of OPS and his co-petitioners, however, singled out OPS for special treatment and termed him 'a rank interloper'. Finding no merit in his application, Justice K Kumaresh Babu said 'It is liable to be rejected in liminie'.

“It is obvious that he is not challenging the resolutions abolishing the posts of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator and reviving the post of General Secretary, since his request is to conduct an election to the post of General Secretary by nominating two retired High Court Judges... I do not find any reason why such a claim should be entertained. Further, I am of the view that the applicant is a rank interloper,” the judgment read.

Even earlier, a single Judge of the High Court had pulled up OPS for knocking on the doors of the judiciary time and again seeking interference instead of gaining the confidence of the party workers. That was when he sought a stay on the July 11 last General Council, which eventually expelled him and a few others. Having lost the court battle then, his supporters were alleged to have ransacked the AIADMK headquarters.

Puncturing the contentions of OPS the judge said “He has averred that even the internal elections for various posts have not been held. This pleading is contrary to the facts and drew attention to the Division Bench of the High Court having approved the elections held for various posts."

Further, relying heavily on the verdict of the supreme court, which had upheld the convening of the General Council as valid, the judgment made it clear that the General Council is supreme and had the power to amend any rule. Of the 2665 members of the General Council, 2190 have made a requisition to convene the General Council. And 2460 members attended it on July 11 last and voted in favour of the resolutions.

As such, primacy must be accorded to the decision taken at the General Council, the Judge said adding, “I am of the view that prima facie, the resolutions passed at the General Council will have to be valid.”

Sounding a death knell for the diarchy of Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, which OPS wanted to revive, the Judge upheld the election process for electing a General Secretary, saying “A vacuum has been created with regard to the leadership of the party, a such vacuum has to be remedied. The party cannot be allowed to function without a leader.”