EPS Elated as Madras High Court Junks OPS Plea

Chennai: A wave of euphoria swept through the AIADMK cadre, functionaries and leaders as the Madras High Court refused to interfere with the election of Edappadi K Palaniswami as general secretary of the party and upheld the expulsion of his bete noire O Panneerselvam, triggering celebrations all over the State on Friday.

Palaniswami himself came out of his house in Edappadi to distribute sweets to well-wishers and receive their greetings following the verdict that led to party workers in all districts and towns welcoming the verdict by lighting firecrackers and breaking into celebrations by distributing sweets.

Already enthused by the overwhelming success of the recent State conference in Madurai, the party leaders and workers saw in the verdict the removal of the last obstacle that was hanging over the party like a Damocles Sword and giving them the freedom to declare themselves as the sole inheritors of the legacy of M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa.

Terming it as a good verdict, Palaniswami told the media that the decisions of the General Council meetings had received the court’s approval, thus paving the way for the party to act freely without any impediments or restrictions and participate in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

The AIADMK would sweep the Lok Sabha elections as the party now stood united as one unit, dispelling all those earlier speculations of divisions within, and because all the betrayers have been eliminated.

Asked about the alliance with the BJP, Palaniswami said that though the AIADMK remained an ally of the BJP, the coalition in Tamil Nadu would be led by the AIADMK and not the BJP.

The AIADMK had already started the preparatory work for the 2024 elections by beginning the process of appointing booth committees, which  would be completed ahead of the polls.

On the sudden revival of the Kodanad case with a witness speaking out against Palaniswami, he said that the present government was making people facing criminal charges tell lies about the case and said that all those things were not true.