An AIADMK member has moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the Election Commission (EC) to inquire whether the party was being administered in accordance with its bylaws or not.
The petitioner, S. Surya Moorthi of Dindigul district, wanted the EC to find out whether various appointments made by party coordinator O. Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami were legally valid or not. He wanted the EC to issue necessary guidelines to the party, depending upon the outcome of the inquiry to be conducted as per court orders.
Until the disposal of his main writ petition, he also sought an interim direction restraining the coordinator, the co-coordinator as well as presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan from making any fresh appointment to party posts.
According to the litigant, the EC was empowered to inquire into such issues and de-register parties that do not follow their own constitution and indulge in undemocratic means while appointing members to significant posts.
He claimed that Mr. Panneerselvam and Mr. Palaniswami had handed over various positions to “their supporters and kith and kin and only to those whom they need”. The party workers had faced discrimination, he alleged.
Mr. Moorthi said that ever since the death of former AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa, there was no single charismatic leader who could steer the party. Unilateral functioning of the Ministers had led to confusion, he added.
