Madras HC dismisses plea against amendments to AIADMK constitution

Chennai

The Madras High Court (HC) on Monday dismissed a writpetition filed against the Election Commission (EC) for accepting theamendments made to the constitution of the AIADMK.

The two-judge bench of the Madras HC comprising ChiefJustice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu dismissed the petitionfiled by Advocate B. Ramkumar Adityan of Thoothukudi.

The petitioner had claimed that he had joined the AIADMK inthe presence of its former General Secretary late J. Jayalalithaa in Kovilpattion December 6, 2000. He said he renewed the party's membership in 2014 whichexpired in 2019 and could not be renewed as the party did not take any stepsfor its renewal.

After the death of Jayalalithaa, the AIADMK General Councilappointed V.K. Sasikala, the close aide of Jayalalithaa as the Interim GeneralSecretary, the petitioner added. He said the EC could not approve herappointment as well as the resolutions passed in the party's General Councilmeeting held on December 29, 2016.

After the Supreme Court convicted Sasikala in adisproportionate assets case and sent her to jail, her nephew TTV Dhinakaranwas appointed the Deputy General Secretary but due to factional feuds in theparty, the EC froze the two leaves symbol of the AIADMK in March 2017, thepetitioner added.

He said in the AIADMK General Council meeting held onSeptember 12, 2017, as many as 12 resolutions were passed, adding that one ofthe resolutions was to substitute the post of the powerful General Secretarywith Coordinator and Joint Coordinator of the party.

Adityan said AIADMK leaders O. Panneerselvam and Edappadi.K. Palaniswami assumed office as the party Coordinator and Joint Coordinator,respectively, and said this major change in the AIADMK constitution has to becancelled.

The bench refused to buy the petitioner's argument and saidthe EC's acceptance of the amendments to the party rules did not appear to beout of order. The court held that such acceptance was done on the basis ofcommunication received from representatives of authorised political parties.

The Court also announced that the EC was not expected tointerfere in the internecine issues of every party and find out whether therules and regulations of that party were followed scrupulously. The Madras HC said if the petitioner has still any grievancehe could approach the civil court seeking appropriate remedy against theAIADMK.