Madras HC to hear withdrawal plea in 2022 AIADMK expulsion case today

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court is scheduled to hear on Thursday a plea seeking permission to withdraw a case challenging the expulsion of several senior leaders from the AIADMK following the party’s bitter leadership split in 2022.

The matter is set to come up before Justice N. Kumaresh Babu after a procedural delay prevented the court from considering the withdrawal request on Wednesday.

The dispute traces its origins to the power struggle that erupted within the AIADMK in 2022, when the party split into rival factions led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and O. Panneerselvam (OPS). Amid the internal battle, the AIADMK convened a crucial General Council meeting on July 11, 2022.

Ahead of the meeting, OPS approached the Madras High Court seeking an order restraining the party from conducting the session. However, the court declined to grant an interim stay, allowing the meeting to proceed.

At the General Council meeting, the AIADMK adopted a series of resolutions that reshaped the party’s leadership structure. One of the key resolutions expelled O. Panneerselvam, Manoj Pandian, J.C.D. Prabhakar and Vaithilingam from the party.

Challenging their expulsion, the four leaders moved the Madras High Court, and the case has remained pending ever since as part of the wider litigation arising from the AIADMK leadership dispute.

Political developments since then have altered the circumstances surrounding the case. J.C.D Prabhakar later joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and went on to become Speaker, while O. Panneerselvam and some of his associates subsequently joined the DMK.