OPS, EPS smoke peace pipe; withdraw cases

Chennai: Former chief ministers O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami, who fought a bitter battle to control the AIADMK and filed multiple cases against each other, withdrew the pending ones in Madras high court on Thursday.

Justice K Kumaresh Babu dismissed as withdrawn pleas moved by DMK MLA O Panneerselvam and his supporters challenging their expulsion from AIADMK.

Similarly, a separate suit filed by AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, seeking to restrain Panneerselvam and his faction from interfering in AIADMK’s affairs and from using the party’s name, flag, and symbol, was also withdrawn.

On Thursday, when the suits came up for hearing, Panneerselvam’s counsel requested the court to permit him to withdraw the suits.

In the suits, Panneerselvam had challenged the validity of the general council meeting of AIADMK conducted on June 23, 2022, and July 11, 2022, and the resolutions adopted in the meetings, including resolutions expelling him from the party.

In the July 11, 2022 meeting, the posts of coordinator and joint coordinator were abolished and the post of general secretary was created. Palaniswami was elected as the general secretary of the party.

Along with Panneerselvam, the present speaker of the Tamil Nadu assembly, J C D Prabhakaran, and present DMK MLAs Manoj Pandian, and Vaithilingam, were also expelled from AIADMK.