The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to decide on former AIADMK spokesperson K.C. Palanisamy’s plea for election to the post of AIADMK general secretary. Justice V. Kameswar Rao asked the ECI to decide, within four weeks, on the representation by Mr. Palanisamy, who also sought to annul the amendment to the party by-laws carried out through a resolution on September 12, 2107. The former AIADMK MP said top leaders of the party, instead of holding an election, appointed V.K. Sasikala as general secretary in the same month. The party had always been governed by the general secretary, who was elected by primary members. , which are presently over 1.5 crores.
Mr. Palanisamy, represented by senior advocate N. Hariharan, and assisted by advocate Anwesh Madhukar, contended that the appointment of Ms. Sasikala was not in keeping with Rule 20(ii) of the party. At the meeting of the general council in September last, the party made Jayalalitha eternal general secretary and abolished the post of general secretary. “For all practical purposes, the powers of general secretary were made to vest with the co-ordinator and the joint co-ordinator.” Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy is the joint co-ordinator and O. Paneerselvam, the Deputy Chief Minister, is the co-ordinator.
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The petition said the amendment was beyond the scope of the party’s constitution. “The amended by-laws were in the teeth of earlier Rule 43 of the by-laws, which said the general council may amend all other rules, but the rule for appointment of general secretary by election through primary members could not be altered or amended,” the petition said.
Mr. Palanisamy, who was expelled from the party in March this year, also challenged the expulsion of party members by the current office-bearers.