Palaniswami declared party gen sec

The Madras High Court on Wednesday rejected the pleas filed by deposed AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam and his aides against the party’s July 11 general council resolutions, that among others, expelled him and his supporters. The court verdict also paves the way for interim chief K Palaniswami’s elevation as the party’s general secretary, its top, powerful post. AIADMK advocate I S Inbadurai said the court rejected all petitions, including that against the conduct of the party’s General Secretary election. “Panneerselvam (and others) filed a plea against the July 11, 2022 resolutions. It has been rejected. This means the general council is valid, its resolutions are valid,” he told reporters. He recalled that the party had earlier given an undertaking to the court that it will not publish the results of organisational polls held recently, referring to the election to the post of general secretary and said it is now evident Palaniswami is going to be elevated to the highest seat in the decades-old organisation. The court ruling drew instant celebrations from Palaniswami supporters at the AIADMK headquarters here as they burst crackers and distributed sweets to welcome the verdict. Palaniswami visited the party headquarters and paid tributes to the statues of late AIADMK stalwarts M G Ramachanndran and J Jayalalithaa.