Chennai, Nov 7 – The Madras High Court has reserved its orders on the appeal filed by ousted leader V.K.Sasikala, a close aide of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, challenging the civil court’s refusal to declare her removal as AIADMK Interim General Secretary illegal and void in 2022.
After the demise of Ms Jayalalithaa, Ms Sasikala was elected as interim general secretary on the New Year’s Eve in 2017 at an AIADMK meeting. However, she was later removed from the post following a resolution passed by the AIADMK general council on September 12, 2017, after the merger of warring factions led by Edappadi K.Palaniswami and O.Panneerselvam.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and N. Senthilkumar reserved their orders without specifying a date after hearing elaborate arguments from senior counsel G. Rajagopal, representing the appellant, and senior counsel Vijay Narayan, who argued on behalf of AIADMK general secretary Mr Palaniswami.
Ms Sasikala contended in her plea that she was appointed as interim general secretary of the party after the death of Ms Jayalalithaa in the AIADMK general council meeting held on December 29, 2016, based on a call given by the then presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan (since deceased).
However, on September 12, 2017, another general council meeting was convened without following due procedures as contemplated under the bylaws of the party. An ‘unlawful’ resolution was passed to remove her from the post, she argued, seeking a direction that she continues to be the interim general secretary of the party. The Madras High Court is yet to announce a date for the final verdict.
