AIADMK Leadership Crisis: Palaniswami's Authority to Override Council Decision on Panneerselvam Under Scrutiny

The AIADMK faces a critical test of internal governance as questions arise over whether party leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami possesses the constitutional authority to veto the General Council's decision to expel former coordinator O. Panneerselvam. This development follows months of factional strife within Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party, culminating in the Council's formal rejection of Panneerselvam's leadership claims. Analysis indicates that Palaniswami's capacity to override this collective resolution hinges on specific provisions within the AIADMK's bylaws regarding emergency powers and the hierarchical relationship between the party president and its supreme decision-making body. Legal experts note that such an intervention, while potentially stabilizing in the short term, could establish a precedent undermining the Council's institutional role, thereby affecting the party's democratic credentials ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The situation reflects deeper structural tensions between centralized leadership and collective decision-making processes within Indian political parties. Observers are monitoring whether Palaniswami will exercise this prerogative to consolidate control or defer to the Council's verdict to preserve organizational unity, with significant implications for the AIADMK's cohesion and electoral strategy.