Madras High Court stays civil proceedings questioning Edappadi Palaniswami’s authority to lead AIADMK

The Madras High Court on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) stayed the operation of an order passed by a city civil court, which had refused to reject a suit questioning the authority of Edappadi K. Palaniswami to lead the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Justice P.B. Balaji granted the interim stay following a civil revision petition filed by Mr. Palaniswami challenging the order passed by IV Assistant City Civil Court judge K. Sivasakthivel Kannan on July 31, 2025. He also stayed all further proceedings in the 2022 suit.

Senior counsel Vijay Narayan, assisted by K. Gowtham Kumar, brought to the notice of the judge that a former AIADMK member S. Suriyamoorthy had filed the suit before the city civil court in 2022 when Mr. Palaniswami was the joint coordinator of the party.

Mr. Palaniswami filed an application in 2023 urging the civil court to reject the suit on the ground that the plaintiff was no longer a member of the party and therefore, had no locus standi to question leadership issues, which were basically internal party affairs.

The applicant also brought to the notice of the court that Suriyamoorthy had contested as a candidate of MGR Makkal Katchi (MMK) in Edappadi constituency during the 2021 Assembly elections and therefore, he had no right to file a suit alleging violation of AIADMK bylaws.

On the other, the plaintiff, in his counter affidavit, claimed he continued to be an AIADMK member since 2008 and said he had contested the 2021 elections only in alliance with the MMK. He also stated it was common for candidates of one political party to contest in alliance party symbols.

After hearing them, the civil court held that the issue as to whether the plaintiff was a member of the AIADMK or not could be decided only during trial and not at the stage of rejection of a plaint. The court also stated there were, in fact, triable issues in the suit and hence, it could not be rejected at the threshold.

Taking note that Mr. Palaniswami was now serving as general secretary of AIADMK, the civil court wrote: “As per Rule 43 and Rule 20 (of AIADMK bylaws), the general secretary should be elected by the primary members of the party. The applicant/third defendant (Mr. Palaniswami) has not stated that he was elected as per Rule 43 read with 20 (2) of the party bylaws. Hence, there is a triable issue in the suit.”

It was challenging this order the present civil revision had been preferred before the High Court. Justice Balaji granted the interim stay in favour of Mr. Palaniswami till September 9, 2025, and ordered notice, returnable by then, to Mr. Suriyamoorthy.