The Madras High Court on Tuesday rejected the pleas filed by deposed AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and his aides against the party’s 11 July general council resolutions, that among others, expelled him and his supporters. Justice K Kumaresh Babu said that the AIADMK’s 11 July, 2022 general council resolutions relating to expulsion of Panneerselvam and appointing his rival K Palaniswami as the then interim chief were prima facie valid.
“It has been brought to the notice of this Court that the General Council consist of 2,665 members; 2,190 members have made a requisition to convene the General Council, 2,460 members have attended the meeting of the General Council on 11 July, 2022 and they voted in favour of the resolutions.”
“When that be so, primacy should be given to the decision taken in the General Council. I have already found that there is no dispute as regards to the power of the General Council to amend the Rules and the fact that a overwhelming majority of the General Council had unanimously passed the resolution … to amend the bye-laws of the first respondent, I am of the view that prima facie, the resolutions passed in the General Council will have to be valid,” the judge said.
“As I am prima facie satisfied that Resolution No.3 is valid, the resolution No.4, 5 & 6 to create the post of Interim General Secretary, to appoint Edappadi K.Palaniswami as Interim General Secretary and to conduct election for the post of General Secretary, in my view is also prima facie valid,” he said.
