CHENNAI: RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran on Monday withdrew himself from the case challenging the ruling AIADMK's leadership. His counsel filed a petition in a city civil court here stating that Dhinakaran is "abandoning" the cases that challenge the decisions taken in the AIADMK's general council meeting in September 2017. The court accepted the submissions and adjourned the plea to April 9.
However, a counsel who appeared on behalf of VK Sasikala did not file a petition and told the court that they will file a counter after getting instructions from the client. Sasikala has recently declared that she is quitting public life and it was anticipated that she might withdraw herself from the case during Monday's hearing.
The case pertains to a plea moved by Sasikala seeking to declare that AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam, Dindigul C Srinivasan, S Semmalai and E Madhusudanan are not members of the party. She had also submitted that all actions taken by them in their capacity as the party office bearers removing her from the post of the interim general secretary are illegal and against the by-laws of the party. The case, which was originally filed in the Madras High Court, was transferred to a lower court on the count of jurisdiction a year ago.
Counsels representing Palaniswami and Panneerselvam had argued to dismiss the petition. It was submitted that the case was already dismissed by the Election Commission of India, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
On Monday when the case came up before civil court judge ARV Ravi, Dhinakaran's counsel submitted that his client has floated a new party Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and hence was abandoning the case.
"The abandonment petition was moved in the City Civil and Sessions Court and was also accepted by the judge," Dhinakaran's counsel N Raja Senthoor Pandian told The New Indian Express.