In a significant development, the Madras High Court on Wednesday lifted the stay against the Election Commission’s investigation into the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) ongoing internal conflicts. This includes the contentious leadership battle and issues concerning the party’s symbol, marking a substantial setback for current party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami.
The ruling was delivered by a division bench consisting of Justices R Subramanian and G Arul Murugan, who were hearing petitions from expelled AIADMK members P Ravindranath, son of former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, along with K C Palanisamy and Va Pugazhenthi. These petitions challenged the July 2022 AIADMK general council resolutions that expelled Panneerselvam and his supporters and were linked to disputes over the party’s iconic ‘Two Leaves’ symbol.
The court not only dismissed Palaniswami’s plea to maintain the stay on the Election Commission’s (EC) scrutiny but also mandated that the EC should only proceed with the inquiries if it finds the issues presented are worthy of investigation under the Election Symbols rules.
In response to the court’s decision, Pugazhenthi stated to reporters that the ruling effectively removes any obstacles for the EC to continue its examination of the AIADMK’s internal strife. He emphasized that with ongoing civil suits regarding leadership and symbol allocation, Palaniswami should not assume the role of General Secretary nor utilize the party name until the matters are resolved.
