Madras HC to hear AIADMK 2022 expulsion withdrawal plea today
Synopsis
One of the last live courtroom threads of the 2022 AIADMK split may be quietly closed on Thursday. With O. Panneerselvam reportedly drifting to the DMK and J.C.D. Prabhakar now a TVK Speaker, the four expelled leaders want their challenge withdrawn — a tacit admission that the political ground has moved far beyond the 2022 General Council resolutions.
Key Takeaways
The Madras High Court will hear the withdrawal plea on Thursday, 5 June before Justice N.
The case was filed by O.
Panneerselvam , Manoj Pandian , J.C.D.
Prabhakar and Vaithilingam after their expulsion at the AIADMK General Council on 11 July 2022 .
Prabhakar has since joined TVK and become its Speaker; OPS and associates have reportedly moved to the DMK .
Wednesday's hearing was adjourned after the withdrawal letter failed to reach the courtroom from the Registry.
A withdrawal would close one of the last surviving legal threads of the EPS-OPS split.
The Madras High Court is set to hear on Thursday, 5 June a plea seeking permission to withdraw a long-pending case that challenged the expulsion of four senior leaders from the AIADMK in the aftermath of the party's bruising 2022 leadership split. The matter will come up before Justice N. Kumaresh Babu, a day after a procedural lapse stalled proceedings.
Why the case is back in court
The petition was originally filed by O. Panneerselvam (OPS), Manoj Pandian, J.C.D. Prabhakar and Vaithilingam, who were expelled from the AIADMK at the party's General Council meeting on 11 July 2022. The four had moved the High Court challenging the expulsion, and the litigation has remained pending as part of the wider legal battle over the AIADMK's leadership structure.
Roots in the 2022 power struggle
The dispute traces back to the bitter factional war between camps led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) and OPS. Ahead of the General Council, OPS had approached the Madras High Court seeking to restrain the meeting, but the court declined to grant an interim stay, allowing the session to proceed. The Council subsequently passed resolutions that overhauled the party's leadership and formalised the expulsions.
How the political map has shifted
Circumstances around the petitioners have changed substantially since 2022. J.C.D. Prabhakar has since joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and gone on to serve as its Speaker, while OPS and some of his associates have reportedly aligned with the DMK. With the original grievance now politically overtaken, the petitioners recently wrote to the High Court seeking to withdraw the case.
What stalled the hearing on Wednesday
When the matter was listed on Wednesday, Justice Kumaresh Babu was informed that the withdrawal letter had not been routed to the courtroom from the High Court Registry. Unable to act without the document on record, the judge adjourned the matter and directed it to be listed afresh on Thursday.
What to watch next
The court is now expected to consider the petitioners' formal request and pass appropriate orders. A withdrawal would close one of the last surviving courtroom threads of the 2022 AIADMK split, even as the party's larger leadership disputes continue to play out in litigation and electoral politics ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
Point of View
OPS was still fighting for the AIADMK's soul; today, with him reportedly in the DMK fold and Prabhakar wearing a TVK Speaker's hat, the original cause of action is politically obsolete. Courts rarely get to settle intra-party power questions once the petitioners themselves have moved on — and the AIADMK's larger 2026 readiness will be decided on the ground, not in a courtroom.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 2022 AIADMK expulsion case about?
It is a petition filed in the Madras High Court by O. Panneerselvam, Manoj Pandian, J.C.D. Prabhakar and Vaithilingam challenging their expulsion from the AIADMK. The expulsions were formalised through resolutions passed at the party's General Council meeting on 11 July 2022.
Why are the petitioners seeking to withdraw the case now?
The political circumstances of the petitioners have changed substantially since 2022. J.C.D. Prabhakar has joined the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and become its Speaker, while O. Panneerselvam and some associates have reportedly moved to the DMK, making the original challenge largely redundant.
Why was the matter not heard on Wednesday?
Justice N. Kumaresh Babu was informed that the petitioners' withdrawal letter had not been routed to the courtroom from the High Court Registry. The judge therefore adjourned the matter and listed it for hearing on Thursday.
How does this case connect to the EPS-OPS split?
The expulsions stemmed directly from the 2022 power struggle between factions led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami and O. Panneerselvam. The General Council that expelled the four leaders also restructured the AIADMK's leadership, cementing EPS's control over the party.
What happens if the High Court allows the withdrawal?
If permitted, the case will be closed without an adjudication on the merits of the expulsions. That would end one of the last pending legal challenges arising directly from the 2022 AIADMK General Council resolutions.
