News Analysis India

Tag: EPS

  • SC okays EPS as AIADMK interim general secretary

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by embattled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) challenging a Madras High Court order that effectively upheld the appointment of his rival Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the party’s interim general secretary. The SC’s order is seen as a boost to EPS’ efforts to assume sole charge of the party. It has enthused his supporters ahead of the bypoll to the Erode East Assembly seat on February 27. 

    A bench of justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy affirmed an order of a HC division bench dated September 2, 2022, and made permanent its July 6, 2022 order staying a HC order restraining the AIADMK general council from amending its by-laws during its meeting. However, the apex court clarified that its verdict would have no bearing on the merits of the civil suits pending. 

    Authoring the 80-page verdict, Justice Maheshwari said the court was restraining itself from dealing with the contentions regarding the resolutions that were adopted in the July 11, 2022 meeting. EPS was appointed interim general secretary through a resolution at that meet and OPS was expelled from the party. 

    On August 17, the order of a single judge of the HC had nullified the events of the July 11 meeting and ordered status quo ante as on June 23 when OPS was party coordinator and EPS joint coordinator. This order was set aside by a HC division bench on September 2. The division bench had said the single judge’s order had created a functional deadlock in the AIADMK.  

    Concurring, the SC said if the order as passed by the single judge was to remain in force until decision of suits “it would have been drastically detrimental to the interest of political party in question.” The single judge had proceeded contrary to sound and applicable judicial principles, it said. 

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by embattled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) challenging a Madras High Court order that effectively upheld the appointment of his rival Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) as the party’s interim general secretary. The SC’s order is seen as a boost to EPS’ efforts to assume sole charge of the party. It has enthused his supporters ahead of the bypoll to the Erode East Assembly seat on February 27. 

    A bench of justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy affirmed an order of a HC division bench dated September 2, 2022, and made permanent its July 6, 2022 order staying a HC order restraining the AIADMK general council from amending its by-laws during its meeting. However, the apex court clarified that its verdict would have no bearing on the merits of the civil suits pending. 

    Authoring the 80-page verdict, Justice Maheshwari said the court was restraining itself from dealing with the contentions regarding the resolutions that were adopted in the July 11, 2022 meeting. EPS was appointed interim general secretary through a resolution at that meet and OPS was expelled from the party. 

    On August 17, the order of a single judge of the HC had nullified the events of the July 11 meeting and ordered status quo ante as on June 23 when OPS was party coordinator and EPS joint coordinator. This order was set aside by a HC division bench on September 2. The division bench had said the single judge’s order had created a functional deadlock in the AIADMK.  

    Concurring, the SC said if the order as passed by the single judge was to remain in force until decision of suits “it would have been drastically detrimental to the interest of political party in question.” The single judge had proceeded contrary to sound and applicable judicial principles, it said. 

  • Power games: EPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    Express News Service

    Southern comfortEPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    The current round of AIADMK infighting has reached the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The warring EPS and OPS factions are vying to win Mr Modi’s support. Both leaders are trying hard to get an appointment with the Prime Minister during his Chennai visit on July 28. The PM is visiting the Tamil Nadu capital to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad scheduled to begin at Mamallapuram near Chennai. Mr Modi’s moves on the political chessboard set by the AIADMK factions will be carefully watched. Political circles are buzzing with speculation about which way the BJP will lean. Both Edapadi Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam have sacked each other, claiming ownership of the AIADMK throne. Both have visited Delhi and tried in vain to meet the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah. EPS flew into the national capital to attend outgoing President Ramnath Kovind’s farewell. He visited President-elect Droupadi Murmu’s house to congratulate her. But he could not meet the Prime Minister or the Home Minister in spite of best efforts. OPS could not be in Delhi during the past few days as he has reportedly contracted Covid. Though ESP has by all indications taken control of the AIADMK, the BJP had earlier supported OPS and had helped him become deputy chief minister. OPS has not given up hope of the BJP backing him once again to help him occupy a respectable place in the AIADMK. Busy as they were with the Presidential election, Maharashtra upheaval and the monsoon session of Parliament, the PM and home minister have so far kept away from the EPS-OPS tussle. The PM’s Chennai visit is now being keenly watched.

    Road to RaisinaKejriwal to be the face of AAP in Haryana polls

    Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko will be the Aam Aadmi Party slogan in the Haryana state elections next year. AAP sources say that party chief Kejriwal will project himself as the chief ministerial candidate in Haryana election. The AAP chief hails from the Bhiwani district of Haryana. He is therefore a son of the soil, and his electoral debut in the state will be dubbed as a return of the native. “He will be projected as a person who wants to serve his home state after earning laurels in India and abroad for his campaign against corruption, which also won his party an overwhelming support of people in Delhi and Punjab elections,” said a reliable source. Rumours of Kejriwal planning to replace Bhagwant Mann as the chief minister of Punjab have also been brushed aside by the party. To achieve its national ambition, AAP is looking for a financially thriving state from where it can raise funds to feed its nationwide campaign. The party has identified Haryana as that state. Winning Punjab was a big achievement for AAP. It was the first full-fledged state that fell into the party’s kitty. After its victory in Punjab, funds are expected to flow into party coffers much more easily. But today’s Punjab is not the rich state it once used to be. It has struggled with its finances of late. Haryana, in comparison, has strong economic fundamentals with a wide industrial base. A victory in Haryana could see an exponential rise in AAP’s corporate donors. Haryana is, therefore, all set to witness a three-cornered fight between Kejriwal, chief minister M L Khattar and Congress party’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Rebellion in the ranksInfighting intensifies in Haryana Congress

    After losing the Rajya Sabha election because of cross-voting by one Congress MLA and disqualification of the vote of another, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Maken has been working on a mission mode to find out the party MLA who marked the vote wrongly causing his defeat. Though the name of former leader of the opposition in Haryana assembly Kiran Choudhary has been doing rounds in political circles, Kiran herself has stoutly denied making the mistake in marking her preference. Maken has now formally charged Kiran with marking the vote wrongly. He has released a video record of the voting day to show that Kiran Choudhary was the 26th MLA to have voted, and it was the 26th vote that was cancelled. Maken has said that Kiran marked the vote wrongly and then showed it to the Congress party’s election agent Vivek Bansal, who did not bring the mistake to the notice of party’s senior leaders present at the polling centre. “It is statistically improbable that both Kiran Choudhary and the party’s polling agent made a mistake,” Maken said, and added that the two will now have to explain whether they actually made a mistake or there was a deliberate foul play. He is reportedly pressing for action against the guilty.

    Southern comfort
    EPS, OPS struggle to seek BJP endorsement

    The current round of AIADMK infighting has reached the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The warring EPS and OPS factions are vying to win Mr Modi’s support. Both leaders are trying hard to get an appointment with the Prime Minister during his Chennai visit on July 28. The PM is visiting the Tamil Nadu capital to inaugurate the Chess Olympiad scheduled to begin at Mamallapuram near Chennai. Mr Modi’s moves on the political chessboard set by the AIADMK factions will be carefully watched. Political circles are buzzing with speculation about which way the BJP will lean. Both Edapadi Palanisamy and O Panneerselvam have sacked each other, claiming ownership of the AIADMK throne. Both have visited Delhi and tried in vain to meet the PM and Home Minister Amit Shah. EPS flew into the national capital to attend outgoing President Ramnath Kovind’s farewell. He visited President-elect Droupadi Murmu’s house to congratulate her. But he could not meet the Prime Minister or the Home Minister in spite of best efforts. OPS could not be in Delhi during the past few days as he has reportedly contracted Covid. Though ESP has by all indications taken control of the AIADMK, the BJP had earlier supported OPS and had helped him become deputy chief minister. OPS has not given up hope of the BJP backing him once again to help him occupy a respectable place in the AIADMK. Busy as they were with the Presidential election, Maharashtra upheaval and the monsoon session of Parliament, the PM and home minister have so far kept away from the EPS-OPS tussle. The PM’s Chennai visit is now being keenly watched.

    Road to Raisina
    Kejriwal to be the face of AAP in Haryana polls

    Ek Mauka Kejriwal Ko will be the Aam Aadmi Party slogan in the Haryana state elections next year. AAP sources say that party chief Kejriwal will project himself as the chief ministerial candidate in Haryana election. The AAP chief hails from the Bhiwani district of Haryana. He is therefore a son of the soil, and his electoral debut in the state will be dubbed as a return of the native. “He will be projected as a person who wants to serve his home state after earning laurels in India and abroad for his campaign against corruption, which also won his party an overwhelming support of people in Delhi and Punjab elections,” said a reliable source. Rumours of Kejriwal planning to replace Bhagwant Mann as the chief minister of Punjab have also been brushed aside by the party. To achieve its national ambition, AAP is looking for a financially thriving state from where it can raise funds to feed its nationwide campaign. The party has identified Haryana as that state. Winning Punjab was a big achievement for AAP. It was the first full-fledged state that fell into the party’s kitty. After its victory in Punjab, funds are expected to flow into party coffers much more easily. But today’s Punjab is not the rich state it once used to be. It has struggled with its finances of late. Haryana, in comparison, has strong economic fundamentals with a wide industrial base. A victory in Haryana could see an exponential rise in AAP’s corporate donors. Haryana is, therefore, all set to witness a three-cornered fight between Kejriwal, chief minister M L Khattar and Congress party’s Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

    Rebellion in the ranks
    Infighting intensifies in Haryana Congress

    After losing the Rajya Sabha election because of cross-voting by one Congress MLA and disqualification of the vote of another, All India Congress Committee general secretary Ajay Maken has been working on a mission mode to find out the party MLA who marked the vote wrongly causing his defeat. Though the name of former leader of the opposition in Haryana assembly Kiran Choudhary has been doing rounds in political circles, Kiran herself has stoutly denied making the mistake in marking her preference. Maken has now formally charged Kiran with marking the vote wrongly. He has released a video record of the voting day to show that Kiran Choudhary was the 26th MLA to have voted, and it was the 26th vote that was cancelled. Maken has said that Kiran marked the vote wrongly and then showed it to the Congress party’s election agent Vivek Bansal, who did not bring the mistake to the notice of party’s senior leaders present at the polling centre. “It is statistically improbable that both Kiran Choudhary and the party’s polling agent made a mistake,” Maken said, and added that the two will now have to explain whether they actually made a mistake or there was a deliberate foul play. He is reportedly pressing for action against the guilty.

  • Supreme Court to hear on July 6 plea on AIADMK leadership row

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday said that it would hear on July 6, a plea filed by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) challenging the Madras High Court order staying the passing of any unannounced resolutions in the meeting of the AIADMK General and Executive councils concerning the issue of single leadership of the party.

    A vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and JK Maheshwari said it would hear the plea on July 6 subject to the clearance given by Chief Justice NV Ramana.

    Senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan, appearing for the EPS faction, mentioned the matter for urgent listing, saying that the High Court division bench held an extraordinary sitting past midnight and passed the order at 4 am on June 23.

    He said that the High Court order restraining the party from taking up any unannounced resolution interferes with the internal functioning of a political party.

    Vaidyanathan said that contempt petitions have been filed in the high court alleging violation of the interim order, which is coming up for hearing on Monday.

    Counsel appearing in a caveat for party co-ordinator O Panneerselvam faction opposed the request for urgent listing saying it was an interim order and High Court is still seized of the matter.

    He said that the order passed in an Original Suit, which is still pending before the high court, and contempt petitions were filed as there was a breach of the directions in the General and Executive councils meetings. The bench ordered that the matter will be listed on July 6 subject to clearance given by the CJI.

    On June 23, the Madras High Court had ruled that no unannounced resolutions could be taken up at the meeting of the AIADMK General and Executive councils here, restraining the camp led by Joint Co-ordinator EPS from initiating any such move over the possible single leadership issue.

    The meeting of Tamil Nadu’s main opposition party’s General Council, its highest decision-making body, and the Executive was held on June 23.

    In a late-night hearing that stretched till early June 23, a special division bench had granted the relief to party co-ordinator O Panneerselvam (OPS) at a special sitting held at the senior judge’s residence at Anna Nagar in the city, on an appeal against a single judge order.

    It had said that the meeting can take place as scheduled and the already decided 23 resolutions can be taken up and adopted.

    No other new resolutions touching upon making amendments to party bye-laws to abolish Co-ordinator and Joint Co-ordinator posts and restoring the general secretary post to pave way for single leadership shall be taken up, the High Court had said.

    Earlier at around 9 pm on June 22, a single-judge bench of the High Court in its brief order permitted the conduct of the meet but refrained from restraining the EPS group from taking up any other fresh resolutions, which would ultimately result in unitary leadership.

    The aggrieved group led by OPS met High Court Chief Justice M N Bhandari after the order of the single-judge was pronounced and obtained his permission to prefer an appeal against the order.

    The CJ constituted a bench of Justice M Duraiswamy and Sundar Mohan as the judges to make a special sitting and hear the appeal.

    Accordingly, the bench sat at the senior judge’s residence and commenced the hearing around 1 am on June 23 and passed its orders around 4 am, which effectively led to joy and jubilation in the OPS camp.

    The internal rumblings of the AIADMK over the single leadership issue, with a majority of district secretaries and others favouring EPS to take over the mantle, had prompted Panneerselvam (OPS) to write to the former seeking deferring the meet, even as speculations were rife that the GC and EC could discuss the matter to affect the unitary leadership.

    On June 23, the meet was held amid chaos and the AIADMK General Council announced that the one and only demand of the GC members is to bring in a system of a single leadership for the party, favouring Joint Coordinator EPS.

    The Executive and General Council meet held together saw EPS emerging as the supreme leader and he was honoured with a decorated crown, a sword, and sceptre by supporters.

    EPS’ colleague and Coordinator OPS was apparently snubbed in the meet and rude slogans were shouted against him.

  • Keep up poll promise, effect cut on rates of petroleum products, OPS tells DMK

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s main Opposition AIADMK, a BJP ally, on Sunday welcomed the Centre’s move on slashing excise duty on petrol and diesel and urged the ruling DMK in the state to follow suit and implement its poll promise on reducing prices of the petroleum products to benefit people.

    AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam said the Union government reducing excise duty on petrol by a record Rs 8 per litre and that on diesel by Rs 6 will help in cooling down the spiralling inflation and bring under control, the prices of essential commodities and fares of autorickshaws and taxis.

    He also lauded the central government for other measures including provision of Rs 200 subsidy to the poor who got cooking gas connection under the Ujjwala scheme, for 12 cylinders in a year.

    In a statement, the former CM, also known as OPS, urged the MK Stalin-led DMK government to now implement its promise regarding slashing fuel rates, made ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls and further benefit the citizens.

    In fact, prices of some of the vegetables in the state including tomato were above Rs 100 a kilo, he said, adding the DMK was duty-bound to fulfill its poll promises.

    “Considering people’s welfare and aimed at controlling prices, inflation and to bring down the losses faced by state-run transport corporations (which operate diesel-run buses) besides implementing the poll promise, the chief minister (Stalin) should reduce the price of petrol (by a further) Rs 2 and Rs 4 for diesel per litre and ensure justice for people,” Panneerselvam urged.

    The DMK government had last year effected VAT cut to enable the consumers a Rs 3 per litre cut in the price of petrol.

    It had promised to slash the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 4 per litre, if elected to power, ahead of the April 2021 polls which it swept. If the DMK kept its word on slashing rates, the price of petrol and diesel will cost around Rs 99 and Rs 89, respectively, the AIADMK leader claimed.

    If the ruling DMK failed to do so, people will see it as “yet another Dravidian model”, he sarcastically said, in an apparent reference to Stalin’s oft-stated model of development taken forward by his government.

    Panneerselvam also pointed to the Congress-ruled Rajasthan and LDF-headed Kerala announcing tax cuts following the Centre’s move on Saturday.