Celebrations break out at AIADMK hq after SC allows EPS to continue as party's interim chief

Chennai: Celebrations broke out at the AIADMK headquarters here on Thursday soon after the Supreme Court allowed E Palaniswami to continue as interim general secretary of AIADMK.

The July 11, 2022 party general council elected E Palaniswami as its single leader, while expelling his rival O Panneerselvam and some of his aides.

The Salem strongman's supporters welcomed the apex court verdict with jubilation.

Amid increased police presence at the MGR Maaligai, the AIADMK hq, supporters of EPS, as Palaniswami is known, burst crackers and poured milk on a cutout of the AIADMK interim general secretary as elated party leaders welcomed the SC ruling.

Senior AIADMK leader and former minister D Jayakumar said that in the battle between the 'Pandavas' and 'Kauravas', it is the former who win in an apparent reference to the Mahabharatha epic.

He also termed the SC ruling as a historic verdict.

Asked what Paneerselvam's political future would be, Jayakumar gestured a 'zero.' The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the order of the Madras High Court which allowed Palaniswami to continue as the interim general secretary of the AIADMK, founded by the late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.

A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheswari and Hrishikesh Roy had reserved judgment on the matter on January 12.

The top court dismissed the petitions filed by Paneerselvam.

The judgement came on batch of pleas concerning amendments made to the party bylaws during the July 11, 2022 general council meeting.