AIADMK Leadership Dispute: Madras High Court Rejects Sasikala's Bid For AIADMK Interim General Secretary Status

On 5 December 2023, the Madras High Court dismissed V K Sasikala's plea to affirm her as the interim general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) since her appointment on 29 December, 2016.

A Division Bench of Justices R Subramanian and N Senthilkumar rejected three appeal suits and a civil revision petition filed by Sasikala in 2022, aiming to overturn the orders of an Additional City Civil Court in Chennai, which had denied her request for such a declaration on 11 April, 2022.

Sasikala assumed the role of interim general secretary following the demise of former Chief Minister and then general secretary Jayalalithaa on 5 December 2016.

Interestingly, the verdict coincides with the seventh death anniversary of Jayalalithaa.

Originally scheduled for delivery on 4 December 2023, the judgment was postponed due to a court holiday declared in Chennai amid Cyclone Michaung.

Following Sasikala's imprisonment on 17 February 2017, due to her conviction in a disproportionate assets case, a factional dispute emerged in the AIADMK.

On 12 September 2017, the party's general council removed Sasikala from the position of interim general secretary, appointing O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami as Coordinator and Joint Coordinator, respectively.

Challenging this decision, Sasikala argued before the Additional City Civil Court in 2017 that the convening of the general council was illegal and against party bylaws.

In 2022, Panneerselvam, Palaniswami, and AIADMK leader S Semmalai sought the rejection of her plea.

The Additional City Civil Court approved all three applications for rejection of the plea and dismissed her request for amendment.

Subsequently, Sasikala approached the High Court with three appeal suits and a civil revision petition.