ECI recognises Edappadi Palaniswami as AIADMK general secretary

Putting an end to the leadership struggle in the AIADMK, albeit for now, the Election Commission of India (ECI) “takes on record” amended byelaws of the party and the election of Edappadi K Palaniswami as the general secretary subject to any further court order or direction.

The ECI’s decision to recognise EPS as the head of the AIADMK and allotting the magical Two Leaves symbol to the party in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections is a body blow to O Panneerselvam, who has been fighting a legal battle to take control of the party, which plunged into a political crisis in 2016 following the death of its leader J Jayalalithaa.

In a communication to EPS with regard to his letters and judgements of various courts, the ECI said the amended rules and regulations of the party made at the General Council meeting of the AIADMK on July 11, 2022, have been taken on record “subject to any further court order/direction".

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With this, Palaniswami now gets to control the AIADMK and further cement his position with the party. He will only be the third person to hold the post of general secretary next only to M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

The AIADMK’s candidate in Pulakeshi Nagar in Bengaluru will contest on the Two Leaves symbol with the ECI allotting the symbol to the party.

“My primary goal is to ensure that the party is back in power in Tamil Nadu. We will start constituting booth committees for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. We will now be able to function effectively as an Opposition party with all legal struggles over,” Palaniswami told reporters.

The recognition by the ECI is also a shot in the arm for EPS as the claims by rival OPS and his faction that they are the original AIADMK will have no takers now. Palaniswami was appointed as the general secretary by the GC on July 11, but OPS challenged the decision in the Madras High Court which refused to give him any reprieve.

The former CM then moved the Supreme Court which also ruled in EPS favour – the AIADMK immediately announced elections for the post of GS and EPS was elected unanimously.

It was after the election the EPS camp moved the ECI seeking recognition of the byelaws amended in the GC and the post of General Secretary which was revived. The July 11 GC, which abolished the coordinator and joint coordinator posts, also expelled OPS from the AIADMK.