CHENNAI: The fight between PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss and his son Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has been turning into a legal battle for establishing supremacy, as the former’s side moved the Madras HC with a plea for restraining the latter from holding the general council meeting called for August 9 at Mahabalipuram.
Murali Shankar, general secretary of the party led by senior Ramadoss, has knocked the doors of the court with a petition.
He stated Anbumani was appointed as president of the party on May 28, 2022, for a period of three years, and the tenure ended on May 28, 2025. The appointment of the key office-bearers of the party is done by the founder on the advice of the chief administrative committee, state executive committee and state general body as per the party’s bylaws.
Since a new president has to be appointed for running the affairs of the party, Dr Ramadoss was nominated to the post on May 30, 2025, and assumed charge, accordingly, by taking into account the responsibilities and challenges ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Subsequently, the administrative committee meeting was held on July 5, 2025, in which 21 members participated; as many as 1,440 office-bearers participated in the executive committee on July 7 and many resolutions, including resolution no. 11, were passed. As per the resolution, Rule 13 of the bylaws was amended relating to the powers of the founder of the party, the petitioner said.
The amended bylaw empowered the founder to assume office as the president of the party on expiry of the term of the president and the founder alone is empowered to appoint key office-bearers of the party for smooth functioning of the party organisation and its administration. The founder alone is empowered to convene all emergent and ordinary meetings of the party’s bodies, he said.
“In nutshell, the founder of the party is the sole authority to appoint and organise the meetings in any nature on his own capacity and such power cannot be questioned by any one at any point time or before any legal forum,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner alleged Anbumani started to show disobedience towards the party’s high command and the state president Ramadoss, created confusion in the mind of the leaders and cadre and ultimately began to claim himself as the president without any authority and has been holding meetings and processions.
He said several complaints were submitted to the authorities, the police and the chief election commission seeking action on the illegal activities of Anbumani including the 100-day procession.
‘Extremely illegal act’
Terming Anbumani’s calling of general council meeting as “an extremely illegal act”, Murali Shankar said the meeting was called with an ulterior motive to create confusion. “Such meeting called by Anbumani would create law and order issues,” he said.