Sasikala’s claim over AIADMK leadership | Madras High Court reserves order on her plea

.Sasikala appeals against AIADMK's 2017 resolution removing her from post of interim general secretary. Madras HC reserves verdict after hearing arguments from both sides. Appellant claims appointment in 2016 general council meeting, but 2017 meeting passed unlawful resolution to remove her.

The Madras High Court on Monday, November 6, 2023, reserved orders on an appeal suit filed by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s aide, V.K. Sasikala, in 2022, against the refusal of an additional city civil court to declare, illegal and void, a resolution passed by the AIADMK general council on September 12, 2017, removing her from the post of the party’s interim general secretary.

A Division Bench of Justices R. Subramanian and N. Senthilkumar deferred their verdict, without mentioning any date for the pronouncement of the verdict, after hearing the arguments advanced by senior counsel G. Rajagopal for the appellant and senior counsel Vijay Narayan for AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami.

The appellant told the court that she was appointed as interim general secretary of the party after the death of its former general secretary, Jayalalithaa, on December 5, 2016. The appointment was made in a general council meeting held on December 29, 2016 on the basis of a call given by the then presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan (since dead).

However, on September 12, 2017, another general council meeting was convened without following due procedures as contemplated under the bylaws of the party, and an unlawful resolution was passed to remove her from the post, she complained, and sought a declaration that she continues to be the interim general secretary of the party.