PMK’s Anbumani vs. Ramadoss: Madras High Court directs civil court to hear dispute after May 10

The Madras High Court, on Tuesday (March 17, 2026), directed a Chennai city civil court to take up an intra party dispute case between Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss and his estranged son R. Anbumani after May 10 when the process of the Legislative Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would have concluded.

Justice T.V. Thamilselvi passed the orders after concurring with senior counsel N.L. Rajah, representing PMK general secretary Vadivel Ravanan belonging to Dr. Anbumani’s faction, that it might not be appropriate for the courts to decide intra party disputes after the notification of elections. The judge refrained from immediately lifting a stay imposed on the city civil court proceedings.

Dr. Ramadoss had filed a civil suit to to declare him as the president of the party and injunct his estranged son R. Anbumani from using the party name, flag, emblem and election symbol. In the plaint, he claimed the party presidentship of his son had expired and yet, he was continuing to cling on to the post illegally. The founder also claimed he had been elected as the incumbent president.

The suit had been filed in the name of PMK, represented by Dr. Ramadoss and Dr. Anbumani alone had been named as one of the defendants apart from the Election Commission of India. Hence, an impleading petition was filed in the name of PMK, represented by its general secretary Mr. Ravanan, to assist the court in taking a right decision and to apprise it of the facts regarding party leadership.

However, claiming the city civil court had not taken up the impleading petition for hearing at all and was instead inclined to hear the interim injunction applications filed by the party founder, Mr. Ravanan moved the High Court by way of a civil revision petition and sought a direction to the civil court to dispose of the impleading petition within a time frame and before hearing the injunction applications.

In an affidavit filed in support of the revision petition, Mr. Ravanan said, he and Dr. Anbumani were elected as general secretary and president of the party on May 28, 2022 and their tenure had been extended till August 1, 2026 through a resolution passed by the general council on August 9, 2025. Therefore, the Election Commission of India had rightly recognised their status as the office-bearers of the party, he contended.

He also said, the 87-year-old founder of the party only had an advisory role sans any administrative authority in the party affairs. The founder could also not file any case in the name of the party without a valid authorisation. Yet, the suit before the city civil court had been filed in the name of PMK, represented by its founder, the petitioner complained and said only the general secretary could file any case in the name of the party.

Justice Thamilselvi had entertained the revision petition on March 12, 2026 and granted an interim stay for all further proceedings pending before the civil court. Thereafter, Dr. Ramadoss had filed an application for vacating the interim stay. When the plea was heard on Tuesday (March 17), Mr. Rajah referred to certain Supreme Court decisions which caution courts against interfering with the election process after the notification of polls.

He also said, two candidates belonging to Dr. Anbumani faction of PMK had already filed their nominations in Puducherry on Tuesday. “Therefore, all these disputes could be heard after the completion of the elections in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,” he said.