OPS gets no relief, final hearing of appeals on April 20 

Guru Krishnakumar and C Manishankar, also appearing for OPS camp, insisted protection to their clients.
Embattled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam. (Photo | Express)
Embattled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam. (Photo | Express)

CHENNAI: Embattled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam could not get any interim relief from the Madras High Court as it posted the appeals, challenging the order of a single judge rejecting the petitions to stay the recent general secretary polls, to April 20 for final arguments.

The appeals filed by OPS and his supporters — R Vaithilingam, PH Manoj Pandian and JCD Prabhakar — came up before a division bench of Justices R Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq on Monday. Senior counsel PS Raman, representing OPS camp, pressed for a stay on the results of the general secretary polls leading to the election of Edappadi K Palaniswami unopposed, saying the party has begun enrolment/renewal of membership and several supporters of his client may deliberately be denied renewal.

Guru Krishnakumar and C Manishankar, also appearing for OPS camp, insisted protection to their clients. However, the bench said any interim order, at this stage, would create confusion, thereby shutting the doors for a stay. It promised all the issues raised regarding the organisational matters of the party would be dealt with in a detailed manner.

Although senior counsel CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for Edappadi K Palaniswami, expressed willingness to advance final arguments on Monday itself, the bench posted it for April 20 and 21. OPS and his three supporters moved the appeals against the recent order of Justice K Kumaresh Babu rejecting the interim applications seeking a stay on the general secretary election which was announced a few hours after the court had refused an interim stay on the operation of the resolutions of the July 11 general council meeting of AIADMK appointing EPS as interim general secretary.

However, after a day’s arguments on March 22, a holiday, the EPS camp agreed to put the poll results on hold until March 24. The arguments continued on another holiday, March 26, and the verdict was pronounced on March 28 leaving OPS in shock.

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